First, a confession: I rarely, if ever, read within the romance genre. And the only Young Adult reading I've done in the recent past has been SF/F. So Rajdeep Paulus' debut novel, "Swimming Through Clouds", a contemporary teen romance, is as out of zone for me as it gets. I picked up the book almost entirely unsure of what to expect - both in terms of style and story. And, okay, I freely admit to starting with a terribly high number of preconceptions about the story arc. Among other things, I expected book filled with teenage angst, bff problems, and the ecstasy and trauma of romance-as-a-teenager. Seriously, ("Come On!" as Job would say), what else is there to a teen romance?*
Um, a fair bit, apparently.
Paulus' debut novel is indeed a boy-meets-girl story. But one that is delightfully devoid of the tropes that have been done to death by every high-school movie ever made. Sure, Talia is the quintessential outsider-looking-in lead character. But instead of secretly aspiring to be beautiful and part of the 'in' crowd, she is a teenager working actively to stay out. In the place of clique-based drama, the novel relies on Talia's life, with its particularly dark past and excruciating present, and on her relationship with the beautiful Lagan Kumar Desai to engage the reader. And in the place of fluffy bff issues, Raj Paulus takes on some serious, painful, heart-wrenching and problematic ones - domestic abuse, child abuse, sex trade (which I certainly did not expect out of a teen romance).
In the process, Swimming Through Clouds, becomes a very real, believable and touching story.
Paulus' is a very compelling storyteller. The characters - all the characters - are beautifully fleshed out. Stylistically (going by the foreword and lead in), Paulus' authorial voice is a perfect fit for the story that she's narrating. The romance between Talia and Lagan is delicate (given all the big issues with which they're dealing) and on the whole, rather adorable. At the same time, the narrative is also successfully poignant and poetic.
A few of things that I've been thinking about - first, there is the suggestion that Lagan's personality, his ability to be a pillar of strength and support to Talia, is driven by a deep and unshakable faith in the Divine. But I love that the treatment of Lagan's spirituality and its role in his life is not ham-handed.
Second, there are hints of Indian identity and third culture upbringing in the novel (Talia is half Indian, Lagan is of Indian origin). I'd have liked to see these fleshed out in more than cursory ways. But I can see how that would take away from the crux of the story as it stands.
And finally, I've been thinking about the whole "boy-rescues-girl" situation - specifically, about why I wasn't as troubled as I thought I would be with that construct in the novel. In general, I prefer female teenage protagonists who are more Willow Rosenberg and less Bella Swan. Talia Vanderbilt is somewhere in between. Despite the rescue motif, the novel is redeemed because Paulus writes Talia as a strong, determined girl caught in a bad situation (rather than, say, a hapless gel awaiting prince charming). In fact, the women in the novel, are layered, multi-faceted people, even if we don't always know everything about them. Like I said, Paulus' character building is very masterful and goes a long way to making this novel as powerful and irresistible as it is.
The short take: Read it. It's delightful, surprising and moving.
*Okay, I realize I sound(ed) like a complete ass. And especially after reading "Swimming Through Clouds", I stand suitably chastised.
Um, a fair bit, apparently.
Paulus' debut novel is indeed a boy-meets-girl story. But one that is delightfully devoid of the tropes that have been done to death by every high-school movie ever made. Sure, Talia is the quintessential outsider-looking-in lead character. But instead of secretly aspiring to be beautiful and part of the 'in' crowd, she is a teenager working actively to stay out. In the place of clique-based drama, the novel relies on Talia's life, with its particularly dark past and excruciating present, and on her relationship with the beautiful Lagan Kumar Desai to engage the reader. And in the place of fluffy bff issues, Raj Paulus takes on some serious, painful, heart-wrenching and problematic ones - domestic abuse, child abuse, sex trade (which I certainly did not expect out of a teen romance).
In the process, Swimming Through Clouds, becomes a very real, believable and touching story.
Paulus' is a very compelling storyteller. The characters - all the characters - are beautifully fleshed out. Stylistically (going by the foreword and lead in), Paulus' authorial voice is a perfect fit for the story that she's narrating. The romance between Talia and Lagan is delicate (given all the big issues with which they're dealing) and on the whole, rather adorable. At the same time, the narrative is also successfully poignant and poetic.
A few of things that I've been thinking about - first, there is the suggestion that Lagan's personality, his ability to be a pillar of strength and support to Talia, is driven by a deep and unshakable faith in the Divine. But I love that the treatment of Lagan's spirituality and its role in his life is not ham-handed.
Second, there are hints of Indian identity and third culture upbringing in the novel (Talia is half Indian, Lagan is of Indian origin). I'd have liked to see these fleshed out in more than cursory ways. But I can see how that would take away from the crux of the story as it stands.
And finally, I've been thinking about the whole "boy-rescues-girl" situation - specifically, about why I wasn't as troubled as I thought I would be with that construct in the novel. In general, I prefer female teenage protagonists who are more Willow Rosenberg and less Bella Swan. Talia Vanderbilt is somewhere in between. Despite the rescue motif, the novel is redeemed because Paulus writes Talia as a strong, determined girl caught in a bad situation (rather than, say, a hapless gel awaiting prince charming). In fact, the women in the novel, are layered, multi-faceted people, even if we don't always know everything about them. Like I said, Paulus' character building is very masterful and goes a long way to making this novel as powerful and irresistible as it is.
The short take: Read it. It's delightful, surprising and moving.
*Okay, I realize I sound(ed) like a complete ass. And especially after reading "Swimming Through Clouds", I stand suitably chastised.