Character Voice

I picked up a new book from an author I've never read before. It's The Boy Who Could See Demons by Carolyn Jess-Cooke. I'm not that far into it, but I have to say how intrigued I am with her writing. The basis of the story is that a woman is called in to evaluate a young boy who's mother had attempted suicide (more than once). She's a psychiatrist with her own set of problems that we learn a lot about very quickly. The boy is young and sweet and loves his mother very much. What I'm loving about this is the way it's told. We are seeing things not only through the eyes of the woman, but the eyes of the boy as well.

The author has an amazing talent for quickly changing gears. One moment we're seeing and hearing things from a young boy and the next it's from an experienced older woman. The boy sees things much differently than the woman does of course and his speech reflects that. The way he speaks and describes things is amazing. You can hear the voice of a child, the thoughts of a child. He relates feelings and situations differently than the adults. It's brilliantly written. I found myself chuckling a few times. The way he thinks about love and how at his age it's a girly thing except for the way he loves his mother. When he sees his mother we get a picture of her told to to us through his eyes. She's in the hospital and like most of us who have been in the hospital, not looking her best. He describes her hair as if she had been electrocuted. He sees his aunt as strange for having muscle tone in her arms and being strong. When he looks at the psychiatrist he compares her hair color to milk chocolate. I have a very clear picture of this boy in my head. It's awesome. That's the best way I can describe it.

I'm sure as I continue reading and finish this book that I will still love it and be sad to see it end. I usually feel that way about books that I really enjoy. I don't often recommend a book before I'm done reading it, but this time I couldn't help myself.

Enjoy! Read often!