Everything is Fine

by: Ann Dee Ellis

Published by: Little Brown Young Readers

Reviewed by Maria Elmvang

After a tragic event that has torn her family apart, Mazzy pretty much has to take care of herself without much help from the outside world. Her father is more interested in his career than in his family, and the people he hired to look in on her catatonic mother are not always as reliable as could have been hoped. Mazzy’s only real company comes from her neighbors–, whom depending on her mood of the day, she in turns tries to push away or finds herself drawn towards them.

Everything is Fine isn’t as much a book as a patchwork of scenes or poems in free verse – each section focusing on a person or an event in Mazzy’s life. While there is a red thread as well as some sort of chronology to the story, the events jump back and forth in time throughout the book, and it’s more a stream of consciousness than a traditional narrative. These scenes or poems are interspersed with descriptions and labels of artwork Mazzy has done, but with one or two significant exceptions, we’re never actually shown the drawings or paintings, but instead images of the materials used. This did get rather frustrating, as it seemed obvious that author Anne Dee Ellis tried to make a statement and explain the impact these artistic exploits had on Mazzy’s life, but I never really understood what. She told us of Mazzy’s artistic development rather than actually showing it to us.

The writing style isn’t my cup of tea, but there’s nothing inherent wrong with it, and Anne Dee Ellis uses it well and I think it will appeal to teenagers in the target group. The plot wouldn’t have been quite as poignant if told in a more common-place way.

So what’s the final verdict? I’m in the odd position that though the book didn’t really work for me, I can still see its merits and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to others, because it’s clearly more a case of “not my type” than a bad plot or a badly written book.

Armchair Interviews says: Unique writing style may not be to everyone’s liking.