A Work of Art

by Melody Maysonet

Overview

Shy, artistic Tera can't wait to attend a prestigious art school in France to prove to her famous artist father that she can make something of herself. But Tera's hopes for the future explode when the police arrest her dad for an unspeakable crime. Her father's arrest must be a mistake, so Tera goes into action, sacrificing her future at art school to pay for his defense. Meanwhile, she falls head over heels for Joey, a rebel musician who makes her feel wanted and asks no questions about her past. Joey helps Tera forget her troubles, but he brings a whole new set of problems to Tera's already complicated life. Then, to make matters worse, as her relationship with Joey deepens and as her dad's hotshot lawyer builds a defense, fractures begin to appear in Tera's childhood memories--fractures that make her wonder: could her father be guilty? And whether he's guilty or innocent, can she find a way to step out of the shadows of her father's reputation and walk free? Can she stop him, guilty or innocent, from tainting the only future she ever wanted? A Work of Art is a deeply felt story about self-image, self-deception, and the terrible moment that comes when we have to face the whole truth about the myths of our childhoods.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440582554
Publisher:	Simon Pulse
Publication date:	02/15/2015
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	240
File size:	891 KB
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Melody Maysonet has been an English teacher, editor, columnist, and ghostwriter. Currently, she volunteer teaches in a homeless shelter, but she devotes most of her time to writing fiction for young adults. She lives in Coconut Creek, Florida, with her husband and son. A Work of Art is her first novel.

Editorial Reviews

"Maysonet honestly, yet delicately, highlights issues such as victim-blaming, shame, and difficult sexual relationships." —The Horn Book Magazine

"Maysonet's...prose is unflinching as it illuminates one girl's traumatic experience with deeply felt compassion and brutal honesty...gilded with resilience and hope. An important book about endings, beginnings and the choice to move on." —Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

"Beautifully drawn, convincingly flawed characters create a world in which Tera's own childhood slowly moves from remembered happiness to dark understanding. This debut novel skillfully explores the consequences of self-deception, relationships, and the lengths we go to please the people we love." —Booklist

"This debut novel is a powerful story showing how a person can recreate memories to make sense of childhood until something happens to make that person face the truth.... The story may help those dealing with a crisis in their own lives." —VOYA Magazine

"Whatever Melody Maysonet wants to write next, I'm in. She's an author I can trust to make me hurt while I read and open my eyes a little more to the world around me." —YA Books Central

"Melody Maysonet does a great job with describing Tera's thoughts and emotions throughout her horrifying journey." —San Francisco Book Review

"Maysonet's novel and its unreliable narrator Tera will make a better human being out of any reader...you'll want to stay with Tera and watch her reclaim her art and her life. Absolutely one of the best dark contemporary novels of 2015." —YA Books Central

From the Publisher

With a single phone call, Tera Water's life is turned upside down. Her artist-mentor and father is arrested on charges of child pornography with her mother as his accuser, and every story Tera has told herself about her family falls apart. Tera is sure of her father's innocence and determined to find justice for him, so she gives up all the money she has been saving to attend art school in Paris and hires a lawyer. As the legal battle plays out off-page, Tera gets a part-time job at the local pizza joint; and right away falls for handsome bad boy Joey. Isolated by vicious rumors at school and stony silence from her mother at home, Tera is easily swayed by Joey's seeming charm and attention, even though he repeatedly pushes her into uncomfortable situations. She tries to find solace in her art, but that too fails her as it brings up murky memories of her past. Readers feel the same confusion and doubt as Tera as she tries to process repressed memories, and soon the awful truth about her father becomes too difficult to deny. Maysonet's grim and gritty story is heartbreaking; her unflinching look at what happens when adults fail their children is oftentimes difficult to read. Unfortunately, the characters themselves feel flat and one-dimensional. Tera's father is creepy; her mother is passive; and Tera herself seems doomed to be a victim. The ending attempts to bring some hope and redemption for Tera's future; but it wraps so quickly, it feels rushed and unsatisfactory. Explicit sexual situations and language will probably make this a challenging book to recommend for younger teens; older teens might not find enough in the characters to care about their plight. Sara Dessen's Dreamland or Lock and Key address similar situations with more well-rounded, believable characters and hopeful conclusions. Reviewer: Leah Hanson; Ages 14 up.

Children's Literature - Leah Hanson

02/01/2015
Gr 10 Up—Tera is a strong, passionate, and talented teenager. She is about to graduate high school and as an exceptional artist, has been accepted to an art school in Paris. She has been under the instruction and scrutiny of her father, who himself is a popular artist. The teen's whole life revolves around her father, so when he is arrested only weeks before she is to leave, her world is turned upside down. Tera decides to give up everything to come to his aid. As events transpire, Tera's relationship with her dad is forever changed, and all that she grew up knowing is shattered. The protagonist is repeatedly challenged by dark and disturbing situations, such as drugs and child pornography. While painting a work of art, Tera is able to reconcile what has gone terribly wrong. Readers may not find this entirely believable, especially since those who live through such troubling events often need to undergo some form of professional therapy in order to cope with the trauma. Furthermore, teens may not find it easy to sympathize with the main character because of the way that she handles the situations that arise. VERDICT A convoluted plot and confusing characterization make this a tough read for young adults.—Caitlin Wilson, Brooklyn Public Library

School Library Journal

★ 2015-01-10
When confronted with a devastating reality, one girl reaches deep into her own art to surround herself with both truth and beauty.After Tera Waters' father is arrested for possession of child pornography, the only thing she can focus on is helping him prove the whole thing a mistake. She uses the money that was meant to send her to a famous art school in Paris to pay a lawyer's retainer, despite her mother's conviction that her father is guilty. After getting a job waiting tables, she meets Joey, a cool-looking guy who works in the kitchen. When Joey asks her out, it seems like her luck might be changing, but she can't shake the feeling that his motives might be less than honorable. With all the people in her life proving to be disappointments, she can trust only her own painting, but maybe even that won't be enough. Maysonet's debut novel places Tera's inner monologue in sharp relief against the trauma of a dysfunctional relationship. Her prose is unflinching as it illuminates one girl's traumatic experience with deeply felt compassion and brutal honesty, inviting readers into a very dark place that nonetheless has edges gilded with resilience and hope. An important book about endings, beginnings and the choice to move on. (Fiction. 15-18)

Kirkus Reviews