Stork by Wendy Delsol

Stork by Wendy Delsol

Release Date: October 12th, 2010
Pages: 368
Format: Paperback and Audiobook
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Narrator: Julia Whelan
Source: Publisher and Personal Shelf
Buy It: Book Depository

16-year-old Katla moves from L.A. to Minnesota after her parents divorce and is inducted into the Stork Society, where women pair up unborn babies with would-be mothers. Complicating things further is Jack, the gorgeous, brooding farm boy who seems fascinated with Katla—when he's not being rude and distant.

To be honest, I was skeptical of the premise of this book. I mean, Stork- like the birds that deliver babies? Really, Delsol, really? Yes, really, and in the most intriguing and well-written way you can imagine, a fantastic twist on an old myth that is totally original. In fact, not only is Stork one of the best books I've read in 2011 but it was also incredibly hilarious to the point that I was often laughing out loud while reading, as well as being a touching story about a teenage girl in extraordinary circumstances. What I absolutely loved about this book was Katla, Wendy Delsol has a great sense of humour the way she writes Katla is snarky yet approachable and her sarcastic wit makes her one of those characters I truly wish were a real person. And she does feel real, the way she interacts with the people around her makes her easy to imagine and despite the fantastical element of the story I really felt like Katla could walk right off the page.

Of course, I have to share a few of Katla's quips, like how when she sees two people engaging in slightly too much PDA she says "Honestly, a start-of-game Jenga tower didn’t touch at that many points." or when describing the colour of a room she's just entered she say it "was painted eggplant, a bold statement, and just as difficult to decorate with as it was to make palatable. I was impressed". The only times Katla lost me was when there was excessive name-dropping, as she is a true fashionista and is often mentioning the brands of various articles of clothing in a way a fashion-ignorant person like myself could not really appreciate, and although it mostly fit within the story it did occasionally detract from the magical world Delsol had created.

Stork is one of those books that truly sparkles and one I know I'll go back and reread when I need a pick-me-up. I really have only positive things to say about this novel and I really hope you'll consider picking it up. The audiobook version is also great, it is read by Julia Whelan who I loved for Lost Voices and impresses equally here. Ultimately, Stork is a wonderful story which is accessible for young teens, old teens, or teens at heart and I will be certainly be picking up anything and everything Delsol publishes in the future but I am especially excited for the sequel, Frost.