Thirteen Shells

by Nadia Bozak

Spanning the late 1970s to the late 1980s, Nadia Bozak’s thirteen stories are narrated from the perspective of Shell, the only child of bohemian artisans determined to live off their handicrafts and uphold a left-wing lifestyle. At the age of five, Shell’s world is transformed when the family moves into a new house, where she grows up. Over time, she gradually trades her unconventional upbringing for junk food, rock music, and boys. All the while, Shell quietly watches her parents’ loveless marriage fall apart and learns to survive divorce, weight gain, heartache, and first love. A funny, sensitive portrayal of the innocence and uncertainty of childhood and adolescence, Thirteen Shells is a true-to-life collection that is as unforgettable as it is poignant.

Genres: Canada, Short Stories

263 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 7, 2016

Reviews

[Crystal Reaume · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book in a donation pile and I'm so glad that I did.
I can't even clearly describe what about it pulled me in so tightly but there was not a page I didn't like.
Shell was such a rich character. She was so honest and true. The world through her eyes as she grew up and changed made my heart long for times before technology and our fast paced world.
I loved the years when the whole family lived together. Mom, Dad, Kremski and Macek were excellent characters.
Definitely going to read again.

[Evelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Moments of excellent writing, but ultimately forgettable.

[Juniper · Rating 3 out of 5]

i find i am saying this a lot about my reads recently, but i am not quite sure how to review this book. (which i received from the good people at house of anansi publishing in toronto - thank you!)

jami attenberg (Saint Mazie) tweeted, just the other day:

"Sometimes I wonder if people say someone writes "beautiful sentences" when they don't want to talk about how much they didn't like the book."

followed by :

"Once I had a friend read a draft & say "you can't write a bad sentence" and then make a case for why the book was still not very good."

and:

"Still I have to wonder if "beautiful sentence" is the "bless your heart" of the literary world."

i am totally guilty of having said this in my reading life. i am pretty sure i said it recently. and while i was reading nadia bozak's novel, i was thinking it. for me... it often means i can appreciate a writer's skill and intention, but that the book didn't quite work for me. but i don't want to be mean or overly critical, because a work was strong enough that i would definitely read the author again, and everyone's tastes are so different when it comes to books. just because i wasn't WOWed, doesn't mean someone else won't be either. (if that makes sense? it makes sense in my own head. heh.)

bozak writes beautifully - some of her sentences are just wonderful. but it took me a good 122 pages to to feel any strong engagement with the story or characters. (i also had that MFA vs. non-MFA conversation going on in my head.) while bozak is sensitive and terrifically observational, the first ⅓ of the novel felt very surface to me. it's not a spoiler to say this, as it's noted right on the back cover, shell's parents separate when she's 12. and while mannerisms and interactions between the parents were mentioned, we aren't really given much about their relationship. though i realize this is shell's story, i would have liked just a bit more depth. the characters were not hugely open people - lots of guarding and protectiveness of themselves - which makes sense in the context of the story. but it made it tricky for me to find a way into a deeper attachment with the book earlier on.

by the end of the book, i had been won over and given a bit more 'meat', so to speak, from the story. i think bozak has a keen recall for the ups and downs of adolescence, and that came through in thirteen shells. it is also a contemplative or quiet book, and there is such a melancholic tone.

the flow of the book is a bit different, and i am not sure how to describe it. on the back cover, it says thirteen shells is a true-to-life novel-in-stories. i'm not sure it was quite so distinct to me, as one stage of shell's life moves into the next during the read, and so its structure is completely novel-like. but there were moments where it felt like vignettes of a life, so on those occasions, perhaps it was a bit more short story-like.

i am basically rambling at this point. sorry! :)

so - the book is interesting, bozak is a beautiful writer, and the character of shell, coming-of-age, is a wonderful addition to the CanLit world. my 'yeah buts...': i wish some of the threads came together just a bit more. and, i just wish i felt a bit more emotional about it all. (but perhaps that will come with a bit of distance from the read. i love when that happens!)

[Andrea MacPherson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was immersed in this novel/novel in stories for the language, the fine craft of sentences, the exact right word at the right moment. Bozak made the world of Shell, only child of artists, growing up through the late 70's and 80's, crystal clear. In this way, this coming of age story works.

What was missing for me? Narrative tension. Plot. The story (stories?) meander, and certainly show Shell's perspective of the world, the different people who inhabit her corner, but I was waiting for the conflict, the thread that made each of these moments distinct and necessary.

I wanted more depth to the parents, especially Shell's mother, but they were left fairly flat, as secondary characters. In the end, it felt like a missed opportunity to add that narrative weight, to reveal the layers behind Shell's experiences.

[Robbins Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

A poignant collection of thirteen stories, each set about a year apart, featuring Shell, a girl growing up in the suburbs (or maybe the outskirts of the suburbs) of Toronto. Her heartbreaking innocence turns into awkward experience as she makes friendships of convenience and begins to understand more about her parents' lives and their marriage (and eventual separation).

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this collection of short stories set in the 80s in Ontario. So many perfect details that really capture the era. I liked watching Shell grow up and found it so reminiscent of my own childhood. I have a feeling I'll come back to these stories again and again.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Year by year this tells the story of Shell growing up. Beautiful written, you can tell the writer is also a poet. Took a few chapters to get into but was riveted by the end following along and relating to Shell's stages of growing up.

[Alec · Rating 5 out of 5]

I asked the author if the scene with the wallet was true. She said it wasn't and I was incredibly relieved.

[Buried In Print]

Following Amazon's purchase of GoodReads, I no longer post my reviews here.

If you would like to read my thoughts on this book, you can view them in the following places:
BuriedInPrint
BookLikes
LibraryThing

Posting these links does not constitute permission to duplicate these thoughts anywhere, including corporate-owned sites.

If you read/liked/clicked through to see this review here on GR, many thanks.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book about Shell from when she was a young child until she was a teenager through the 1980s. The descriptions of Shell's life, emotions, family, desires...it was all so very realistic and nostalgic. I can visualize everything from the characters (from the main characters to the secondary ones), their house....very touching, funny, realistic. Highly recommended.

[Genevieve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished reading this book in 2 days. It was an easy read right till the last page! I was totally immersed in the life of Shell from her innocent younger years to her adolescent ones. I want to read more of Nadia Bozak's books in the near future! I received this book for free from Goodreads Giveaway!

[Nicola · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this book. Loved the character of Shell, her dad and Kremski best. Loved the fact that it is set in the era of the 70s and 80s having been a child of that era myself. Will definitely read her other novels.

[Melanie Wilson]

Thirteen Shells- Nadia Bozak

Read this book in one day. Loved reading about young and older Shell. Thoroughly Enjoyed.




I received this book through Goodreads

[Eric · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF around page 200, This just isn't my type of book, gave it a real shot, but when Joan Jett turned up and was only ever referred to by her full name, the book got weird.

[Jacquelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

UPDATE: Maybe even better upon second reading. Completely absorbing.

Just a gem. Shell is so real and relatable it hurts. I highly recommend this one.

[Mills College Library]

Fiction B7935t 2016