A Song for Ella Grey

Starred review from July 27, 2015
Almond (The Tightrope Walkers) gracefully interfuses ancient archetypes with contemporary situations in this retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth. Set in northern England—a landscape familiar to Almond’s fans—the novel is told from the point of view of Claire, a restless high school student, whose dreams and imagination reach beyond the confines of her cold, dreary surroundings. “I wanted to experience that thing of being just me, moving on my own across the earth,” she laments. During a much-anticipated trip to the beach with some close friends, Claire is enchanted by Orpheus, a wandering musician whose beauty and skills with the lyre seem otherworldly. When Claire’s best friend Ella instantly falls in love with this stranger, Claire has misgivings; after it becomes apparent that Orpheus is just as smitten with Ella, Claire agrees to help them secretly elope, not knowing the height of wonder and depth of despair that will follow. Like Orpheus’s music, Almond’s lyrical narrative will sweep readers on a journey to unearthly, mysterious realms and back. Mythological characters come to life while remaining enigmatic enough to set imaginations spinning. Ages 12–up.

August 15, 2015
Award-winning British novelist Almond (Kit's Wilderness, 1999; The Fire-Eaters, 2004, etc.) mines the tragic Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice in this modern-day love story, told in the voice of Claire Wilkinson, a 17-year-old poet. Claire loves her childhood friend Ella Grey, and they are "young and bright and free" with their kisses and sleepovers until..."Ha!" Everything changes one spring day when Claire encounters Orpheus, a wild, black-haired, lyre-playing wanderer in a purple coat and Doc Martens, on Northumberland's Bamburgh Beach. Claire calls Ella on her cellphone from the boozy bacchanalian beach party so her friend can hear the mesmerizing songs that Orpheus plays, enchanting the dolphins, the sea, even the pebbles and sand...and soon wishes she hadn't. When Orpheus sings for Ella Grey, she falls madly in love with him, sight unseen. "Go to Hell, Orpheus," Claire whispers. The rest of the tale mirrors the myth: Ella and Orpheus marry, Ella dies by snakebite, and Orpheus enters the beastly Underworld to rescue her from Death, a section of the book effectively distinguished by black paper with white type. Almond brings his hypnotic lyricism to this darkly romantic tale that sings of the madness of youth, the ache of love, and the near-impossibility of grasping death. (Fiction. 14 & up)

COPYRIGHT(2015) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from September 1, 2015

Gr 9 Up-An innovative and dreamlike retelling of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, set in modern-day Tyneside and Northumberland and told in Almond's lyrical, distinctive prose. Narrator Claire has a passionate relationship with Ella, whom she has known since they were five years old. They are part of a "beautiful friendship group" of like-minded teenagers who gather to share their dreams and artistic efforts. When the mysterious musician Orpheus appears on the beach, the teens, as well as all the local wildlife, are enchanted by his weird and lovely music, but the one most enamored of Orpheus and his music is Ella, who hears him over Claire's cell phone. Ella and Orpheus fall in love and marry, but Ella dies of a snakebite on their wedding day. The novel follows the original myth fairly closely as Orpheus goes through river gates into an underworld where he encounters monsters and the rulers of the underworld. This is an impressive update of this often retold story, with artsy teenage characters and a lovingly detailed Northumbrian setting. Some parts, such as Orpheus's death at the hands of crazed women emerging from the sea and references to his male lovers, will resonate more strongly with readers familiar with the original myth. VERDICT Teen readers of a literary bent and mythology enthusiasts will love this latest work from Almond.-Kathleen E. Gruver, Burlington County Library, Westampton, NJ

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2015
Grades 9-12 Ella and Claire share a bond that seems unbreakable until a mysterious musician materializes in their midst. Narrator Claire and her friends grasp their glorious youth with both hands, relishing nights on the beach, spontaneous song, and the wonder of being alive in the universe. In the middle of one such reverie, while Ella is at home, they meet ragtag musician Orpheus. Claire holds up her phone and urges her friend to listen, and after a few notes, Ella is hooked. Orpheus, too, is hooked on Ella, and their intoxicating, all-consuming passion draws Ella away from Claire. Powerless, Claire stands by, witnessing her friend's meteoric romance, her untimely death, and Orpheus' devastating failure to retrieve Ella from Hades. Almond suffuses this retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice with Northern England slang and lush, musical language, which captures the heady rush of reckless youth. Though the beautiful prose occasionally overpowers the characters, that murkiness contributes to the mythic otherworldliness of the story. Patient readers will likely be transfixed by this rhapsodic modern retelling of a classic tragedy.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)