Tall Story by Candy Gourlay

Image source: http://chachic.wordpress.com/

Don't be fooled by how the Philippines version of Tall Story looks like. It is not a cheesy, corny, boring textbook with the simple and-now-we-have-your-moral-lesson tale. I don't know how the UK version looks like, but this one, I don't know how or why (is it the materials? is it the art?), it's just something that I felt shouldn't have looked like this.

That aside, Tall Story is as funny and as heartwarming as others say it is. It manages to concoct up a tale of two different cultures without having to resort to exoticizing the Philippines. Sure, the novel presents a land of superstition but the author managed to tell it in a way that does not demean nor glorify. It's just the way it is. Magic can be reality. Magic is reality.

Click here for the summary of the book. Because book trailers are fun. And because I'm actually just lazy.

Tall Story is a typical young adult (or do they call it tweens now?) novel where one of the protagonists has a past he or she has to resolve, while the other protagonist has to prove him or herself to the world because of some handicap or what society perceives as a handicap. All the while this is happening, they will form a bond stronger than ever. Everyone's happy, everyone's crying and smiling. And your heart will warm up.

So, in this case, there's nothing wrong with being typical, right?

7/10