Reading: Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi

“It was so much easier to fight for another than it was to fight for oneself.” - Tahereh Mafi, Furthermore

Title: Furthermore

Author: Tahereh Mafi

Published: 2016

Publisher: Dutton Books (for young readers)

Rating: 3.5 Stars

This book made me want to write. I think that's the second highest compliment I can give a book. That it opened my imagination, shook it up, and gave me confidence. Tahereh Mafi has always had a beautiful, poetic way of writing and this book is no different.

Set in a world very different (and yet not so different) from ours, Alice stands apart. In her world color is magic and Alice is completely without color. She embarks on a quest with Oliver, a boy she truly detests, to a world that makes even less sense than her own. Alice's journey (very reminiscent of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland) teaches her a lot about herself and the world around her. She, ultimately, must decide if she'll love herself for who she is.

I really did enjoy this book. The story was sweet and filled with lessons and tidbits of nonsensical fun that had me tabbing like crazy. My one complaint is that the book may have activated my imagination too much because I often found myself drifting off or putting it down so I could work on my own story. It took longer than expected to read and the ending was a bit sudden.

Nonetheless, I think I will be using this story next year when I teach my students all about Adventures. Alice's adventure in this story has all the hallmarks of a great classic!

Rating: 3.5 Stars

#middlegrade #youngadult #books #nerd