Chopsticks

Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony can only be describe as, well, surprising. When I received this book, I hadn't formed an opinion on it from the cover or the synopsis and decided to just let everything play out. It is honestly like nothing I have ever read before to put it plainly and here's why:

The story of Glory is told through pictures, newspaper articles, instant message conversations, and so on. It's hard for me to find a category that this book would fit under to accurately describe what it is like. It's not like a childhood picture book or even just a photography book, these images and words (used sparingly) tell a story that I actually liked.

When there is nothing to compare it to, it is hard to find a good way to critique and rate such a book. If I base it simply on the plot, I love the story and longed for there to be an actual written story with it. Although the images tell the story, there is something about descriptions and narrative that make the characters come to life in my mind. That was lacking in this novel which was disappointing. The quality of the images and the story they portrayed was amazing, it didn't lack a lifelike quality to them that they could've. I could see all those people in the photos really living this life and that was nice.

Oh how to rate a book that I don't even know how to critique. It was unique and definitely an interesting read for those who don't mind reading less and looking more.

Chopsticks is a unique experience that’s definitely worth checking into. It’s not your usual book you’ll have to commit anywhere from several hours to a days to. You can make it last, sure, but you’ll still be able to finish Chopsticks within a couple hours.

I call Chopsticks an experience because it’s unlike any other book I’ve ever encountered. It’s made up of pictures, IM conversations, videos, and music. Of course, there are words mixed in as well, but it’s nothing like normal book format.

I loved the fact that there are playlists in here. They even introduced me to some new music :] I also really enjoyed the fact that there are Youtube URLS and when you follow them they actually take you to the videos they talk about in the story.

I thought it would be really hard to connect with any of the characters since the format is so different. Admittedly, I didn’t connect in the same way that I likely would have from traditional format, but I still really cared about Glory and her relationship with Frank. When she asks him to send her a piece of him and one of his shirts showed up in the mail, I about had a heart explosion from the sweetness!

The Nutshell: If you’re looking for something new to try then Chopsticks is definitely for you. It conveys a touching story through pictures, words, music, and video. And if you’re nervous to read it, just pick up a copy and give it 5 minutes. I guarantee you’ll be hooked!

Hit

When I first heard about Chopsticks and its creative writing I was intrigued. However after looking through the book, you have to look because there aren't a lot of words, it just didn't work for me. The images were grainy and without much content the 'reader' has little to go on. I didn't really understand the point. A book filled with pictures kind of reminds me of a coffee table book rather than something I would read.

I guess I am more of a traditional reader and prefer words. Many of the teens at my library had difficulty with it as well.

Chopsticks is a book told in pictures. It's a book that's filled with pictures. Lots and lots of some of the most prettiest pictures that I've ever seen. I was worried when I started out the book that I wouldn't understand was happening in the story very well. But it's very easy to follow. Even though the plot's really simple, the pictures help bring it to life and I feel that I like the book a lot more because it is told in pictures.

*Note: The book is mainly consists of pictures and drawings but there is (a minimum) number of words.