Wax
I really loved this novel! It reminded me of a Saturday afternoon movie, the ones where you laughed at the characters as you couldn’t believe what you were witnessing and then, the drama and the mystery that was occurring to them held you in a trance, you couldn’t break away at least not until a commercial popped up on the screen. That’s exactly how this novel felt for me, it was humorous, I was laughing out loud continuously throughout this whole novel. It seemed bizarre and unexplainable what they were doing, yet it could happen, of course, it really could happen in the world of sci-fi. The characters were making light of the situations that they were in, while deep inside, they were harboring their true feelings. And I, was savoring every moment that I was with them.
The town of Paraffin, this tiny, happy place on the map was noted for the Grosholtz Candle Factory. Locals thought the town had an odor. It wasn’t the smell of money that reeked through the air, although it could have been, as the factory was the town’s moneymaker but it was factory, it emitted an odor. Poppy was tired of the stench, she was tired of the bus loads of individuals arriving daily to embark upon the factory and she was tired of the locals reminding her of her awful performance in the Sound of Music. Poppy just wanted to be a performer, she wanted to enjoy high school and she wished Blake would leave her alone. Blake was up to his old tricks when he used a wax image of Poppy and now Poppy and her best friend Jill were on a mission to retaliate. Poppy snuck into an “employee only” hallway at the Grosholtz Candle Factory while the girls tried to find the information that they needed. Poppy didn’t expect to find Madam Grosholtz behind the door. Surrounded by her creations, Madam was currently working on a Viking, a Viking that created quite a stir in Poppy. The imagery is wonderful, as Poppy and Madam converse and there is an immediate connection. Madam wants to protect Poppy for she feels danger is looming but Poppy feels she has no need for such protection. Madam talks about the artistic and groundbreaking work that she has been doing down in this room and Poppy asks her why she is in the basement. It’s a turn of events as Poppy starts to feel uncomfortable and she suddenly feels that she must leave. A mysterious edge has taken to the novel. Poppy is relieved to arrive home but gets a huge surprise that changes the course of everything when she meets Dud. I loved Dud, he was great, and he brought plenty of smiles to my face. I was drawn through this novel as Poppy has her hands full. It was a fun read.
