A Map Of The Known World

A Map Of The Known World

By: Lisa Ann Sandell

In A Map of the Known World, Cora Bradley dreams of escape. Ever since her reckless older brother, Nate, died in a car crash, Cora has felt suffocated by her small town and high school. She seeks solace in drawing beautiful maps, envisioning herself in exotic locales. When Cora begins to fall for Damian, the handsome, brooding boy who was in the car with Nate the night he died, she uncovers her brother's secret artistic life and realizes she had more in common with him than she ever imagined. This is the tale of one girl's journey through the redemptive powers of art, friendship, and love.

summary from book

My Rating: 4/5

A Map Of The Known World is wonderfully crafted, the language and writing easily being my favourite aspect of this particular novel. The author, Lisa Ann Sandell writes such lyrically beautiful crafted prose and utilizes multiple figures of speech that further enhance the story and helps to drawn the reader in. I have to say that it was a great pleasure to read this novel and the writing contained within it.

A Map Of The Known World happens to be a story filled with the realistic struggle of a family that is torn apart due to the death of Nate, who so happens to be Cora's (the protagonist's) older brother. The novel follows Cora and her battle to overcome the grief that plagues her and her family after such a heartbreaking occurrence. The most emphasis in this novel is placed upon family and internal healing although there are also hints of romance and friendship thrown into the mix as well.

As much as I enjoyed this novel I do have to admit that at times I felt as if something was missing. As I mentioned above, the language was fantastic and I felt that the development of the characters was also well crafted and developed. I enjoyed watching Cora grown and learn to handle the elements that she found herself strewn against as well as come into her own. I think my problem may have had something to do with the dialogue which I felt was slightly forced as well as the reactions of some characters when in particular situations. Aside from that, I enjoyed this novel greatly and am more than happy to have picked it up.

Overall: A Map Of The Known World is a story surrounding the familiar topic of loss and moving on from a devastating circumstance. In my opinion, it is a story with many worthwhile moments and is most certainly worth a read.