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Reviewed by Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane Volume 2 of Sand Chronicles picks up roughly a year after the end of the first volume. Ann, now fifteen years old, has succeeded in making a new life for herself in the countryside: she feels at home living with her grandparents, is in a relationship with Daigo, and has solid friendships with Fuji and his younger sister. Then the ground falls out from under her in two ways as this volume opens, as she discovers that Fuji is about to leave their town to study in Tokyo, and as her father appears in her life for the first time in the three years since she and her mother moved away from Tokyo. Unsurprisingly, Ann is unsure how to react to him after his conspicuous silence following her mother's suicide, or how to respond when he asks her to come back to Tokyo to live with him. As in the first volume, the simplicity of the storytelling works well with the complexity of Ann's feelings as she tries to decide between uprooting again and living with her father, who she still loves, and staying with her grandparents and Daigo. But the story is as much about living with choices as it is about making them. Ann makes her decision with her eyes wide open, aware that she's trying to hold onto both of the worlds she feels part of, and equally aware that it's not really possible. "I wish I could stop time," she thinks, early on. "But change always comes suddenly." Less time passes in this volume than in the first one (six months instead of two years), but its passage is marked just as carefully. Ann is always marking time in some way, whether she's thinking back to the past or looking ahead to seeing her loved ones again. Ashihara does an excellent job of making Ann a part of both of her worlds, while still keeping her slightly detached from both of them. Similarly, while readers see the other characters through Ann's eyes, they all remain accessible and sympathetic, even when their behavior confuses or hurts her--no small accomplishment for a writer. Once again, this series is highly recommended. This volume includes a two-page glossary of terms and cultural notes at the end of the book. Interested in writing for MangaLife? We're always looking for talented reviewers and columnists, so drop us a line! Charles Webb Editor-in-Chief, MangaLife.com |
1 September 2010
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