Title: The Art of Escaping
Author: Erin Callahan
Published by: Amberjack Publishing
Released: 2018
Source: ARC Copy won from BookishFirst and Publisher
Summary: Seventeen-year-old Mattie has a hidden obsession: escapology. Emphasis on hidden. If anyone from school finds out, she’ll be abandoned to her haters. Facing a long and lonely summer, Mattie finally seeks out Miyu, the reclusive daughter of a world-renowned escape artist. Following in Houdini’s footsteps, Miyu helps Mattie secretly transform herself into an escapologist and performance artist.
When Will, a popular athlete from school, discovers Mattie’s act at an underground venue, Mattie fears her secret persona will be exposed. Instead of outing her, Will tells Mattie a secret not even his girlfriend knows. Through a blossoming friendship, the two must find a way to express their authentic selves.
Told through the perspectives of the witty main characters, this funny and fresh debut explores the power of stage personas and secret spaces, and speaks to the uncanny ways in which friendships transform us. ( Synopsis from Goodreads )
My Thoughts: I was very excited when I won a copy of this from the BookishFirst website and Amberjack Publishing for review. Thanks to them for introducing me to a new author and fun book.
I really enjoyed The Art of Escaping. It's not exactly what I expected it to be, it was more surprising. I thought I was just going to get that standard contemporary story, but The Art of Escaping was really fun. I loved the introduction and exploration of the art of Escapology. How Mattie wanted to become an Escapologist and all the steps she had to take, the training. It was really fun reading about Mattie's performances on the stage. I could picture them in my mind. She took something she loved and really made it into a show. I could feel the danger, the intrigue, the spectacle of it all. It was really fun to read.
I liked reading Mattie's road to becoming an escapologist. I liked all the friendships she made and just her journey to become one. I do wish though that Mattie had shared more of her life with her family. At the end of the book, she was still hiding who she really was from most of them.
I also really liked the club she preformed in. It had this eccentric, freak show-esque kind of feel to it that was just really fun to imagine. It's the kind of club that I would love to walk into, if I was brave enough to do that sort of thing.
I'm torn on Will with two L's. I feel like I could have done without his POV sections. I didn't really enjoy his voice. He used slang that just didn't fit with this football jock image he was trying to portray. It felt off, it felt weird. I was also kind of disappointed in his secret life, because it just didn't feel that surprising. It felt like a secret that had been done a million times. Maybe I would have enjoyed his story more if it had been something I hadn't already seen done. It was such an obvious secret, there was no shock to it. I did like his friendship with Mattie though.
I also really enjoyed the sections about Mattie's idol, Akiko Miyako, the famous Escapologist. They were fun. And I also liked how Mattie pressured Akiko's daughter, Miyu, to train her into becoming an escapologist.
I really enjoyed this book. It was the perfect book to bring with me on my plane trip. I flew through it. It was a ton of fun. It introduced me to the art of Escapology, which was really unique to read about. Mattie's performances were awe-inspiring, while at the same time terrifying. I was biting my nails while she was doing some of her escapes. Mattie is braver than I will ever be. This was a great debut and I'd definitely recommend giving it a read.
BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.8/5
Just the Reading Escape I was looking for
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