You know when you’re reading a book – even a mostly interesting book — but you reach a paragraph or page that’s over-written, over-described, over-dense, confusing or just plain boring?
Yes?
Me too.
So I can’t praise highly enough the novel that I finished reading last week. “Maya and the Book of Everything” kept me glued to its pages right to the end.
This shouldn’t be. There are many different characters, the book skips from one time and place to another and takes fantastical twists. And yet, the storytelling is seamless, the characters compelling, the dialogue convincing, the quest believably and skilfully portrayed. It was a pure pleasure to read this book.
What makes me even more pleased? This book about a teenaged girl who takes on a seemingly impossible mission is from a small press, and authored by Laurie Graves, a blogger you may know.
With this book, Laurie demonstrates formidable gifts and skill as a novelist.
“How did you make the characters so believable?” I asked Laurie.
“I originally envisioned Maya as more timid, but when I thought of all she’d have to face, I knew she couldn’t have a timid character. Maya wouldn’t have survived her adventures. So then I reimagined her as a fiery young woman, a girl of action—unlike me!—and I immediately knew this was the right way to think about Maya.
“Somehow the characters just came, and it wasn’t all that hard to keep track of them. For me each character has a vivid voice and a distinctive way of speaking.”
Where did the idea for the book originate? I asked.
Laurie got the idea for the book while editing a small literary magazine that she and her husband published.
“I used the Chicago Manual Style, not always an easy book to use. One day, I was tackling a knotty grammatical problem, and I said to myself, ‘I wish I had a book of everything.’ Then came the question: What if there were a book of everything? Where would it come from? What would it do? What kind of danger would it be in? Obviously, many people would covet a true book of everything. From this question came Maya and the rest of the story.”
Laurie is Franco-American. Her ancestors came to Maine from Canada. It was important to her that Maya and several other characters share that background.
“It is the place from which Maya springs, and her heritage, along with place, is one of the things that ground her.”
There is a real place in both Maya’s and Laurie’s stories.
“The street shot (below) is of East Vassalboro, a classic New England village where my mother lived for many, many years and one I came to cherish. It is also where Maya’s grandparents live, and East Vassalboro and its library are essential to the story.”
There are subtle but impactful messages woven through this book. Good leadership is one.
“The big messages are that facts do matter and that a place will suffer under a bad leader. The corollary is that good leaders are essential. On a more personal level, I wanted young girls to read about a plucky heroine who turned her face to the wind and faced difficult challenges.”
It’s a great read.
Look out for Book 2: Library Lost, coming next fall.
Cynthia Reyes 
Cynthia, all I can say is wowsah! And, of course, merci beaucoup. I will be sharing this post, if it’s all right with you.
Of course.
A lovely, heartfelt review, Cynthia! This sounds like a wonderful book for young people, Laurie. It is always good to see girls portrayed as being strong, and people of action.
Is it ever! Well said, Lavinia.
This sounds like a very good read Cynthia. I do like a book that meets the criteria you described. Thanks for sharing it! I’m wondering is it a YA book or written for adults? I’ve added it to my list anyway 🙂
I didn’t really know it was a YA book till I was finished, and then mostly because the hero was a teenager and I cheated and asked Laurie! (smile)
I agree absolutely with your review of this excellent book, Cynthia. I love the book and can’t wait for the next installment. All Laurie’s characters are ‘real’ people and though the book is written for young people, I (an old person) became thoroughly immersed in this exciting and suspenseful tale. Well done, Laurie!
Great Clare. Well said indeed. Well done, Laurie!
Thanks Cynthia.
I love the title of this book. And the cover is a grabber. Thanks for sharing it with us, Cynthia. If I were still working in my friends’ bookstore, I’d have already devoured it! 🙂 ♥
Yes, and if I were working there with you, it wouldn’t have taken me this long to get my hands on this book! I’d be reading it on all my breaks — my many breaks!
I’d be right there with you! 🙂
Great review! Thank you for introducing us to Laurie and her book, Cynthia. I love how she got the idea for this story.
Thank you, Jill. Me too.
I read a few pages of Maya on the Amazon link. I am intrigued. A great review and lovely to read your interview with Laurie.
Thank you! I was thrilled to read this book, and knew after a few chapters that I had to find out from Laurie where the idea came from, etc.
I agree, it was an exciting read and looking forward to the sequels.
Me too, Eliza. Glad you like the book.
Ah, another book I have been procrastinating on putting in my reading queue! I thought that I could avoid the should-I-read a fellow blogger’s book, as the category (teen fiction) is not on my usual route. But, now I may have to put it on the Christmas gift (to me) list… especially if Laurie’s last comments about leadership and women holds true. Men have been messing things up for the past 6,000 years. We would do better with more women guidling society. -Oscar (P.S. I have read Murtle, but have too many other requests for makng apple sauce, etc. to write a thoughtful response… consider this patient anticipation. 🐢)
Yes, put it on your Christmas gift list for yourself for those reasons and more. Send some of that apple sauce north, please! (smile)
Cynthia, a lovely interview and review – the books sounds magical and the cover is a real treat! Best of luck to Laurie with her books. 😀
Sounds irresistible!
This sounds like another exciting book, and another great review, Cynthia. How will we ever keep up? (with all this wonderful reading!)
Sounds like a good book for my granddaughter for Christmas.
I was born in Maine but raised in Texas. Since we left when I was a baby, I do not know the east coast at all. But it fascinates me. I wanna read this book now. Thank you for sharing your experience.
I was born in Maine, but raised in Texas. However, the east coast has always fascinated me. Now, I wanna read this book. Thanks for sharing!