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Illumination Night
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Plot Summary of Illumination Night
"Illumination Night focuses on six main characters: a couple (Vonny and Andre) who is facing marital problems, their son (Simon) who has trouble growing, their elderly next door neighbor (Mrs. Renney), her granddaughter (Jody), and a giant (Eddie). Jody comes to Martha's Vineyard to take care of her sick grandmother. She and Eddie fall in love, even though they both know that there is little hope of a future for them. Jody's parents disapprove, so she runs away to Eddie's. Also, five-year-old Simon must face the death of his best friend. He, Vonny, and Eddie all blame themselves for it. As the novel progresses, Vonny is forced to overcome her fear of leaving her home, with the help of her husband. Throughout the book, all of the characters grow and form relationships, causing them to learn more about life and the world around them."
Katie Becker, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of Illumination Night
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book? - thoughtful
Time/era of story - 1980's-1999
Kids growing up/acting up? Yes
Family, caring for ill Yes
Who is sick? - Grampa/ma
because he/she is - physically ill
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Age group of kid(s) in story: - high school
Something wrong upstairs/downstairs? - searching for identity/meaning
Parents/lack of parents problem? - rebelling against parent's expectations
Wild kid(s)? - runaway!

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - artist
Age: - 20's-30's
Eccentric/Mental Yes
Eccentric: - emotionally unstable
Ethnicity/Nationality - White (American)
How sensitive is this character? - soggy whimpering jelly muffin
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - none

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 9 (quite a lot)
United States Yes
The US: - Northeast
Island? Yes
Island: - Atlantic Ocean Island
Small town? Yes
Small town people: - nice, like Andy/Opie/Aunt Bee

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - descript of kissing - touching of anatomy - licking - actual description of hetero sex - descript. of female anat. (the big V)
Unusual Style: - No single main character?
Amount of dialog - significantly more descript than dialog
Most similar books to Illumination Night
Kelly 'n' Me by Myron Levoy
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 by Sue Townsend
The Passionate Mistakes and Intimate Corruptions of One Girl in America by Michelle Tea
White Teeth by Zadie Smith
Double or Nothing by Dennis Foon


Click here for more information about this book


Alice Hoffman Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Ebony Jackson  

SCHOLARS:
Hannah Palbas  L. Watson  leslay  A. J. Bell  Sarah  


Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
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