Review: The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone by Adele Griffin

 

The Unfinished Life Of Addison Stone

by Adele Griffin

Publication Date: August 12, 2014

Published by Soho Teen

Pages:356

Source: Publisher

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National Book Award-finalist Adele Griffin tells the fully illustrated story of a brilliant young artist, her mysterious death, and the fandom that won't let her go.

From the moment she stepped foot in NYC, Addison Stone’s subversive street art made her someone to watch, and her violent drowning left her fans and critics craving to know more. I conducted interviews with those who knew her best—including close friends, family, teachers, mentors, art dealers, boyfriends, and critics—and retraced the tumultuous path of Addison's life. I hope I can shed new light on what really happened the night of July 28.
—Adele Griffin

My Thoughts

 Like the art created by the late Addison Stone, Adele Griffin has created a masterpiece by telling her story.

The many distinct voices and characterizations shows the true talent in Adele Griffin's writing. At first it took a little getting use to jumping from one character interview to the next, but as the book progressed I looked forward to reading the different perspectives of the narrative. The images of Addison and her work help to capture her story and give a sense of who she was or how she allowed people to see her.
 
The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone certainly made me question: How do we know someone after they are gone? Is it from the stories that people tell about them? What will their legacy be - especially for someone so young. From the many observations of the people who knew Addison, it is clear that no one person knew her completely. Whether someone is blinded by their adoration or their jealousy or their own selfish gain, it isn't possible to know exactly who she was. We can only place the pieces together to gain a sense of who she was.

There were many times that I became completely engrossed in the life and death of this young artist that I had to remind myself that she is a fictional character. I expected to be able to jump over to Twitter or Facebook and find updates on her story and people talking about this daring artist and her mysterious death. I could imagine a large following of young artists creating tributes to her and making fan art. 

The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone is a rarity and very special. I think it would appeal to many teenage and adult readers. It reads like a documentary and kept me captivated until the very end.

Disclaimer:  I received this ARC from Soho Teen in exchange for my honest review.  I was not compensated in any way other than the ARC provided. Thoughts and opinions are my own.