Find A Gem While Hunting Cupid's Head

The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Snyder

Dear Saralinda:*

It's been awhile since I've sent you a book, especially now that your mom tells me that you're reading John Irving. If you've moved on to such adult literature, perhaps the young adult novels no longer hold any appeal.

Then again, you might share with your aunt a love of reading that transcends any sort of arbitrary age limits and be attracted to good storytelling no matter who the intended audience is. If so, then keep reading. Otherwise, you may roll your eyes at your well-intended aunt who will gladly acknowledge that she isn't exactly in touch with what teenagers like to read or not read.

Remember The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder? Well, she's written several other books, many of them incorporating a bit of the unexplained in a suspenseful, fun way. One of these books is The Headless Cupid.

I'll confess that I'm a skeptic when it comes to the supernatural. I believe there are many things we are unable to explain. I believe in the divine, but I'm pretty skeptical when people start telling me that they see ghosts or poltergeists. Nor do I have any faith in séances or Ouijie boards.

All that said, I do relish a good spooky story that incorporates elements of the supernatural. It's why I was such a big fan of the John Bellairs books that we shared. Snyder has a knack for incorporating the supernatural without going overboard. She also manages to create highly interesting characters.

The Story

The Headless Cupid is the story of a newly blended family and the adventures they run into while melding into a new home. David has long been the oldest in the family, an 11-year old who has helped care for his younger siblings (Janie, 6, and the twins Esther and Blair, 4) since their mother died. When the book opens, they are awaiting the arrival of Amanda, their new 12-year-old stepsister.

Amanda is a little strange, to say the least. Her hair is braided and done up in odd circles. She has a magnetic triangle on her forehead. She later explains that this is her occult outfit. She is hoping to be able to begin communicating with her crow familiar-a crow that is rather hostile toward her.

David has never met anyone quite like Amanda, though he recognizes certain signs of "coolness" in her that she shares with one of his former friends. He simply doesn't understand why being cool means not talking to adults or acting put-upon all the time. Amanda, eager for attention, makes David and his siblings "acolytes" and puts them through a series of initiation rites.

Along the way, strange things begin happening and the family members slowly begin to think they might have gotten more than they bargained for. Is the house haunted by a poltergeist? Where did it come from? What will make it go away?

The Characters

While the story is fun and moves pretty quickly, what pleased me most about the story were the interesting characters. See, we know Amanda. At least, we know people who are like her even if they aren't into the occult. They are the pre-teen girls who are convinced that no one understands them and that there is no one else who is quite like them. They are the people who think they can make themselves more "special" by looking contemptuously at everyone else.

David, on the other hand, is Amanda's opposite. While he has his own insecurities, he is a wise soul who truly practices kindness. In his kindness he has a power and strength that the Amandas of the world are quietly infuriated by and jealous of. David is trusted and respected because he trusts and respects others.

And keep an eye on Blair when you read this book. While many of the "supernatural" events are explained by the end of the book, Snyder leaves us with a few to wonder about. There is an innocence and magic to Blair that cannot be dispelled.

The Telling of the Tale

Snyder really has a knack for telling an interesting tale. Her characters are quirky and the events are never quite what you think they're going to be. Without ever getting preachy, Snyder explores why some children behave insufferably. Yet, even while showing us that Amanda is manipulative and arrogant, Snyder leaves room for us to sympathize with her. Because she tells the tale through David's eyes, we understand a little that Amanda may be acting out because it seems the easiest way to respond to her struggles. She doesn't want to admit that it is difficult to move to a new home, adapt to a new family, or to accept her parents' separation.

Also, while the book has supernatural elements-a poltergeist haunting the house-it is not nearly so frightening as such books as The House With a Clock In Its Walls. Rather, it is more suspenseful. Sometimes the suspense comes in wondering what the children will do next and how they will overcome the challenges that Amanda besets them with.

Let me mention one more thing that you might find strange given the background that we have. If you or I ever decided to dabble in the occult, we would have had pretty strong reactions from our parents-with good reason. Such things are forbidden under the tenets of our faith. Snyder takes a neutral approach to the occult in this book. David and Amanda's parents look upon the occult as a harmless, if annoying, pastime.

However, I don't think that our having different values than the characters in the book or even the author herself has to detract from our enjoyment of the story. In fact, I think we benefit from listening to the stories of those who think differently than we do. It helps us to understand our world better and to better love our neighbors with sincerity and conviction. It is also much to Snyder's credit that she treats the topic respectfully. Even though much of the supernatural is "explained" throughout the course of the book, it is never done in a way to discredit or mock those with sincerely held beliefs.

Overall

I don't expect that Headless Cupid will be one of those books that will be so memorable that you'll never forget it. In fact, I suspect that within a month or two, I'll have forgotten most of what took place in the book. However, it made an entertaining read. I'll gladly pick up and read Snyder's other works. Overall, I felt richer for having dallied with the characters in The Headless Cupid and consider it time well spent.

Love,
Aunt Bridgette

Three years ago I began searching out books that my then 13-year-old niece would enjoy. (Ack! She's old enough to drive now!) In an effort to help her enjoy the books more, I determined to write letters to go with each one. I wasn't always able to write as many letters as I gave her books, but a few were written. After stripping out the strictly personal information, I've posted them here as reviews. After all, my goal in the letter is to get her to read the book, perhaps I can do the same for you.

* I've changed my niece's name to protect her identity. The name I borrowed from another beloved children's book, the princess in James Thurber's The 13 Clocks.

--B. Redman