Stephanie Jane reviewed Sketcher by Roland Watson-Grant (Sketcher -- 1)
Vivid portrayal
3 stars
I didn't realise that Sketcher was intended for a young adult audience until I came to research this post about the novel. Watson-Grant's vision of the Beaumont family's life in the New Orleans swamps gives a vivid idea of the harsh conditions out there. I could easily imagine their one-roomed shack - still 'temporary' after more than a decade - and the necessity of community to survive. I thought this book reminiscent of Jesmyn Ward's Salvage The Bones, but without anywhere near as much of the gritty horror of that novel.
Sketcher is actually written from the point of view of the artist's younger brother, nine year old Skid. Skid believes in magic, especially that his brother can draw their way out of trouble and also that his mother has brought her obeah powers with her from her native island of San Taino. I wasn't always convinced by the way …
I didn't realise that Sketcher was intended for a young adult audience until I came to research this post about the novel. Watson-Grant's vision of the Beaumont family's life in the New Orleans swamps gives a vivid idea of the harsh conditions out there. I could easily imagine their one-roomed shack - still 'temporary' after more than a decade - and the necessity of community to survive. I thought this book reminiscent of Jesmyn Ward's Salvage The Bones, but without anywhere near as much of the gritty horror of that novel.
Sketcher is actually written from the point of view of the artist's younger brother, nine year old Skid. Skid believes in magic, especially that his brother can draw their way out of trouble and also that his mother has brought her obeah powers with her from her native island of San Taino. I wasn't always convinced by the way in which the magical occurrences were integrated into the story. There is an environmental anti-fracking storyline as well which I liked in its own right, but I felt the various narratives sometimes felt too forced together.
For an illustration of non-traditional American life, especially for younger readers, Sketcher is a good book to pick up. Personally I am not sure that I will go on to read its sequel though.