Twice Baked Thursday: The Wager

Title: The Wager

Author: Donna Jo Napoli

Pages: 272

Genre: Fantasy (historical/supernatural)

Audience: Young Adult

Source:library(Becky)  library (Randi) 

Rating: 4 I'd make a wager with this book; 4 I'd take this book to dinner and a trip to the spa

Goodreads Summary:

Don Giovanni was once the wealthiest and handsomest young man in Messina. Then a tidal wave changed everything. When a well-dressed stranger offers him a magical purse, he knows he shouldn’t take it. Only the devil would offer a deal like this, and only a fool would accept. Don Giovanni is no fool, but he is desperate. He takes the bet: he will not bathe for 3 years, 3 months, and 3 days. Beauty is a small price to pay for worldly wealth, isn’t it? Unless he loses the wager—and with it his soul. Set against the stunning backdrop of ancient Sicily, Donna Jo Napoli’s new novel is a powerful tale about discovering what truly matters most

Our Thoughts

Becky in black. Randi in Red 

This was an interesting book. It is very gritty and you can really picture Don G's suffering as he spends over 3 years unable to wash himself, groom or change his clothes. It actually get ridiculously disgusting so if you don't have a strong stomach beware. I couldn't believe how gross it got! Ick, pustules, bugs, infections, nassssty. It really made you feel for Don Giovanni though. I liked the survival aspect, and how the suffering teaches Don G to become a better person very slowly. Yes! I loved that. :) 

This is, at its heart, a Christian tale and I think it appealed most to that aspect of my upbringing. You can't have the devil without God, after all. Although it did have religious aspects, I really enjoyed the fairytale retelling aspect. Though the book identifies Roman Catholics, Greek Orthodox Christians, Jews, and Muslims, it never felt preachy at all (which is one thing I cannot stand in a novel!).  As a result, I didn't focus on the religious aspect at all; it was all-inclusive and religion was only really mentioned to give you a sense of the place & time in which the story is told (twelfth-century Sicily).  I think the religion was actually  a large part of the tale, but I do agree that it wasn't preachy.

Don G starts off as a really unlikable character but he changes so gradually you almost don't notice it. Despite the based-on-a-fairytale/old story, Don G's character development seemed quite realistic. It felt realistic and heartwarming. Oh snap. I love when we use the same words! The tension of the will he win or lose the deal kept me flipping the pages despite my lack of connection to the idea of losing one's "soul". Agreed! It was much more about Don Giovanni as a person than it was about the religious connotations of the wager itself. I also loved the wordless friendship he builds with his dog. I loved Cani! So accepting and sweet. The secondary characters feel real but aren't well developed. I agree, but it seemed to fit with the story since Don Giovanni is so very isolated for the entirety of the book. I think the lack of extensive secondary character development definitely reflects the isolation and loneliness Don Giovanni feels - nearly everyone is repulsed at the sight (or smell) of him, so the only person he can ever truly get close to is Cani, his awesome doggie.

I also want to add that while this book is marketed as a young adult book, I think it has great appeal for all age levels. While I probably wouldn't teach this book to middle schoolers, I would definitely recommend it to them. I'm not sure if I would agree due to the sexual content.