YA novel, or not? An Amazon review of Jaclyn Moriarty's "Spell Book of Listen Taylor"

Well Written, But Who's It For?, August 14, 2007

By 

K. Coombs

This review is from: The Spell Book Of Listen Taylor (Hardcover)

This book threw me off a bit. The Spell Book of Listen Taylor begins by focusing on a seventh grader named Listen Taylor, addressing her troubles with her old friends at a new school. Listen finds an odd spell book and the spells might actually work, though Listen seems less informed than readers about the spells' outcomes. (Despite the wonderful cover, this is NOT a fantasy--it's contemporary realism with hints of whimsy and magical realism.) Anyway, I quickly allied myself with Listen as the main character, only to find that she was a member of an ensemble cast--many of whom are adult characters.

The narrative is framed by the Zing Family Secret, which impacts a surprising number of lives. Listen's father's girlfriend Marbie is a Zing, and a large portion of the book is about Marbie, Marbie's sister Fancy, and Fancy's daughter Cassie's second-grade teacher, whose name is Cath. I should note that people cheating on their spouses or boyfriends is a strong thread running through the narrative. It occurs three and a half times in key subplots--the half being an imaginary affair. (The affairs are treated as troubling, but not entirely objectionable.)

Of course, readers will spend much of the book trying to guess the Zing Family Secret; it turns out to be both ordinary and extraordinary when it is finally revealed. Moriarty's characters are likable and the humor is subtly ironic. There are also a number of fresh plot points and details, plus the author has a very appealing voice.

I soon found myself wondering, however, whether this is truly a book for Young Adults. The majority of the book is about the adult characters, which is usually a no-no when writing for children or teens. Listen's piece of the plot is certainly compelling--Moriarty captures the random cruelty of middle schoolers with laser-like precision. But Marbie, Fancy, and Cath--grown-ups understandably preoccupied with their adult relationships--are given an awful lot of page time. A reader Listen's age may be unwilling to sit through long passages about adult women's lives (mothers, teachers, and grandmothers, no less!), but perhaps older teens will.

In a way, what throws me here is the juxtaposition of the story of a cluster of affairs with the humorously cloak-and-dagger plot line of the Zing Family Secret, as well as with Listen's school troubles. These story strands feel like they could have been three different books. Connections are eventually made between the strands, but in the meantime, they make for a slightly uneven braid.

Yet I found a lot to like about the book. Certain characters are particularly intriguing--Cassie, the second grader, could do with her own book, in my opinion. And there are so many nice touches, like the thread about hot-air balloons and the role of pies in one of the subplots, also a sly, funny bit about writer's block--how writing manages to emerge in someone's life even when she thinks she's stuck. Obviously, I have mixed feelings about The Spell Book of Listen Taylor, but I'll end by happily vouching for Jaclyn Moriarty' talent.

P.S. Update: It's been a few weeks, and I just have to say, "Aha!" Last night I read a Horn Book review that says Listen Taylor is "a revised version of an adult novel." So that explains a lot!