FICTION

The Boy with 17 Senses

by Sheila GRAU
256p. Abrams/Amulet. Sept. 2016. Tr $16.95. ISBN 9781419721199.
COPY ISBN
Gr 4–6—In Grau's inventive play on "Jack and the Beanstalk," our hero Jaq lives on a planet where everyone has synesthesia. Food changes flavor depending on what words one hears while eating it, numbers have their own personality, and sounds have color and shape. Initially, the mixed senses combined with the unusual setting might be disorienting for some readers, but the world-building pays off as Grau uses Jaq's story to explore themes of bullying and identity. The narrative follows the classic mold as Jaq tries to save his family's farm, in this version trading his pet freasel for a key and discovering a wormhole to another planet. There's a fun twist when readers learn just who the giants are in this alternative version. Readers will get a kick out of seeing Earth from another perspective.
VERDICT Cleverly told, this original take on a classic tale uses an unconventional setting to explore universal emotions. Hand this to fans of whimsical retellings.
Reviewed by Eliza Langhans, Hatfield Public Library, MA , Jul 01, 2016

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