Reckless, by Cornelia Funke

I was dreaming I was an Egyptian slave (wearing Cleopatra eyeliner) washing my husband's underclothes on a 19th century washboard, when William woke up for his 4:45 morning bottle.

Now I can't go back to sleep. I blaim the washboard. I liked the eyeliner. It was hot.

Instead, thoughts about the current book I'm reading filled my sleepless mind.

Reckless, by Cornelia Funke.

Picking up this book based solely on reviews from Goodreads, I was excited when I brought it home from the library. Then I realized it was by the same author that wrote Inkheart, a book I had a very hard time getting into.

It made me hesitant to read Reckless.

So I was pleasantly surprised when from the first chapter I was hooked. Funke's opening paragraph is simply poetic.

The night breathed through the apartment like a dark animal. The ticking of a clock. The groan of a floorboard as he slipped out of his room. All was drowned by its silence. But Jacob loved the night. He felt it on his skin like a promise. Like a cloak woven from freedom and danger.

Beautiful.

The heavy conflict and action is immediate. It sucked me right in.

But having such immediate, dramatic conflict and action can be a double edge sword.

Now I'm to the middle. And although I'm still enjoying it, I am not at all attached to the characters. Which is making the middle drag.

Even with a plot's conflict rising, if a reader isn't emotionly invested in the characters there is only so far the stakes can go. And frankly, I feel the same way about the protagonist as I do the antagonist. Blah.

Will I stop reading? No. I'm still enjoying the story.
Will this book stick with me after reading? Probably not.

But that's the best thing about being an author. Experimenting. Playing with plot. Playing with the structure of a story. Playing with the characters. And that's what Funke did. She made the story how she wanted it. Bravo.

"Read - and be curious. And if somebody says to you - 'Things are this way. You can't change it.' - don't believe a word."
- Cornilia Funke

Now, maybe I can go back to sleep. If not, I'll play with my black eyeliner instead.



Words written last week - 4580
Word Goal this week - 4800