A. S. King is a master of words and of the complicated emotions that can plague young adulthood. STILL LIFE, like King's other works, examines the myriad of difficulties that haunt so many teens that adults would rather pretend don't exist. Reading about Sarah's struggles to find herself and root her identity while struggling with the changing world around her is a strangely settling read in such a difficult time.

I really like A.S. King's writing. As a Pennsylvania author, I also like purchasing her books for our library's collection, the teens really enjoy reading books where they can recognize some of setting. This book especially satisfies that. The cover is very intriguing and I've had several patrons check the book out based solely on that. I love the way this books leads you to believe it is one thing only to become something completely different.

WHY DID I LISTEN TO STILL LIFE WITH TORNADO BY AS KING?
Still Life With Tornado by AS King basically hit my radar back in October 2016. Actually, I am excited I listened to it now instead of waiting like another four years. Regardless, I have really liked the majority of books that I’ve read by King. Her writing style is a little on the strange side where you sort of have to suspend reality and disbelief. It is the kind of writing style where there is a whole lot to delve into and unpack. Fortunately for those of you reading this review, I am not much of an unpacker so you won’t have to read me droning on and on about symbolism, but trust you can do that yourself. Anyways, I gave this one a shot because the other audiobooks I had planned on borrowing from the library were already taken out and I wanted something NOW not to wait on hold.

WHAT’S THE STORY HERE?
So, Still Life With Tornado follows two main characters — Sarah and her mother Helen. Sarah is an artist who is on the verge of changing her name to Umbrella and dropping out of school after her art project is destroyed and no one will fess up or take it seriously. Sarah begins to see past and future iterations of herself. At first, she thinks they are hallucinations but it turns out other people can see those iterations too. Meanwhile we read flashbacks of a trip to Mexico leading up to why her brother Bruce currently isn’t in her life. Then there are scenes that are narrated by Helen and they delve into the relationship with Chet, Sarah’s father. This book explores the hidden realm of domestic abuse.

WHAT DID I THINK OF STILL LIFE WITH TORNADO?
I think that Still Life With Tornado by AS King was an incredible book. Granted, there is a scene I still struggle with as a mom of a little. You see, Sarah and her mother are in the bathroom at a restaurant when a woman comes in and begins hitting her two year old child. That was really, really hard to read. However, I am sensitive to that right now and maybe you might not be. I liked how we slowly puzzle out everything that happens. We see why Bruce is gone, the true nature of the relationship between Helen and Chet, and who destroyed Sarah’s project. I think this is a really “smart” book. It shows just how much room there is for different kinds of writing in YA.

HOW’S THE NARRATION?
The audiobook is narrated by Karissa Vacker. I am not sure if I’ve heard her narrate anything else before and don’t really have the motivation to go look. Regardless, she’s a decent narrator. I am glad it was an actual professional narrator over the author. I’ve listened to a book of King’s narrated by a professional and a book narrated by King herself. It is my preference after comparing the two and this book to listen to a professional narrator. Vacker’s reading kept my interest. She added a great level of quality to the audiobook. If you do end up reading this book, I think that audiobook is the way to go.

Oh, I love A.S. King’s books. I love magical realism. It is perfect.

I waited too long to read Still Life With Tornado, and it did not disappoint. (Someday, I hope to get all of my books signed by the author.) It had a bit of mystery to it - I was dying to know why Sarah stopped going to school. I NEEDED to know what happened in Mexico. Basically, I couldn’t put it down. The ending was perfect, too. Amazing.

Maybe it's me. Everyone loves - loves! - A.S. King's work. And earlier books really worked for me but this one? It just didn't even begin to make sense, and I never began to care about Sarah. DNF.

Typically I write at least SOMETHING about a book after I have read it, but not so with this one. It was just ok. Nothing to write home about, and I am not left with any lasting memory of it. Wasn't terrible, just didn't hit the spot.

I purchased a copy of this one thanks to the early access I was given, and it's been popular among the teens at my library, especially existential teens who love a book that will challenge their minds.

I think this is one of the most accessible A.S. King books. It has provided a great springboard for students to discuss abuse and family dynamics. The use of all the Sarah's gives perspective to the book and provides layers the characters.