Queens of All the Earth

September 15, 2011

A new-millennium update of E.M. Forster's A Room with a View.

When college–freshman-to-be Olivia Somerset is suddenly rendered catatonic on the day she's supposed to head for Cornell, her older sister Miranda and others try to revive her. Olivia ends up postponing school and struggles unsuccessfully for months to find her more-adult self and confront her father's death. Finally, Miranda suggests a therapeutic trip to Barcelona, where they meet a motley cast of characters at their hostel. These notably include a clergyman and his son, Greg, who give up their private room in exchange for Olivia and Miranda's dormitory-style space. Greg and Olivia soon share a few romantic moments, much to Miranda's over-protective chagrin. Meanwhile, Miranda has her own experiences of the heart. Debut novelist Sternberg weaves in references to e.e. cummings' love poem "Orientale," the source for the admirable title, to underscore Olivia's entry into a new life stage. Readers who enjoy tales of sisters, travel and romance will appreciate Sternberg's exuberant, modern and sometimes humorous tone. Unfortunately, the story bogs down at times with too much narration, too little character development, an ambiguous viewpoint and overwrought metaphors ("Olivia's eyes drifted open like globes of a rising sun"). 

An ambitious effort to whip up a new take on an old story, this needs more flour, fresher soda and far less frosting. (Fiction. 14 & up)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

January 1, 2012

Gr 9 Up-Instead of starting her freshman year at Cornell, Olivia Somerset has a nervous breakdown. After several months, though, she has recovered enough to go with her older sister, Miranda, on a therapeutic journey to Barcelona. Once they arrive at their hostel, they are mistakenly given a room in a coed dorm rather than the private room Miranda had requested. Mr. Brown and his son, Greg, come to the rescue and change accommodations with the Somersets. Olivia feels an immediate attraction to Greg, but Miranda thinks that the Browns are strange and she tries to protect her sister by controlling what they do on vacation and with whom. At the same time, Olivia is struggling to come to terms with the burdens of adulthood and her feelings for Greg. This first novel was inspired by E. M. Forster's A Room with a View, and its title and the chapter headings have been taken from e. e. cummings's poetry. Lines from his work are also intertwined with the story. Some teens may find the lengthy descriptions and the poetry distracting, but others may enjoy Sternberg's knack for making Barcelona sound like an enchanting place in which to fall in love.-Shannon Seglin, Patrick Henry Library, Vienna, VA

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