Fine Arts

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Fade: A story that will never fade from my memory By Brianna Dimas Nov 15, 2007, 11:46

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Robert Cormier, acclaimed author of “The Chocolate War” and “I am the Cheese,” maintains his amazing story-telling reputation in his young adult novel: Fade. The remarkable story deals with intense topics such as: incest, violence, alcoholism, serial murder, and fantasy situations.

The story is broken up into 3 main parts. The divisions are each told by a different character in a different place and time.

The first part takes place in 1938 in Frenchtown, a fictional town near Monument, Massachusetts. The plot revolves around a 13-year-old boy, Paul Moreaux, who discovers that he inherited a family trait—the power of invisibility. The trait skips a generation and it’s not an easy process to transition in and out of. He has to want to be invisible so badly that it slowly and painfully takes him over.

Paul journeys through his new discovery while confiding with his Uncle Adelard who also has the power. He faces newfound obstacles as he is at the age where puberty is bringing about its own changes, not to mention the new power he has to work with. He gets put in some extreme situations that include developing an infatuation with his Aunt Rosanne and dealing with a horrible bully. Robert Cormier does an amazing job at making Paul an easy character to relate to; as you read his dilemma, you can almost feel his pain and struggle.

The second part of the book is told by another kid, Ozzie, who comes from an abused background. This is another character that is easy to relate to as he gains instant sympathy from the reader. The plot thickens when it is revealed that Ozzie has the power to fade and turns out to be Paul’s nephew. The story starts to sound very familiar as Ozzie is 13 and confused, but he deals with it in a completely different way. He uses his new powers for revenge against people who’ve hurt him and begins to actually murder his enemies, and tries to murder Paul.

“Fade” is a real page-turner with twists and turns galore.

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