‘A Song for Ella Grey’: Greek tale inspires young adult novel

Despite all the advances in technology and personal freedom, in many ways being a teenager is still the same as it was thousands of years ago: a time for exploration, questioning, first love; a time when all we want is 'to grow much older and to be forever young.”

English author David Almond takes a beautiful twist on the classic coming-of-age story with his new YA novel, 'A Song for Ella Grey,” by reimaging the Greek myth of Orpheus in a modern northeastern England village.

Everything's there that you would expect: the brilliant, mysterious musician who sweeps the young Ella off her feet; the snakes; the journey to the underworld. But Almond does one better and rather than tell the myth through a distant third-person, he adds a key, modern twist: the novel is narrated by Ella's best friend, Claire, who happens to be in love with Ella.

This complicated love triangle fits perfectly with the Greek tale, and Claire's perspective mirror's the readers own, as she cautions her friend against an early marriage, trusting too quickly, falling too fast.

But the real beauty in this novel is just how completely Almond succeeds with transporting readers back to the time when love, friends, and freedom were all that mattered. Classes and exams are so trivial when compared to matters of love, life and death that Claire's return to school seems like she is visiting another world.

There are some wrong notes in Orpheus' song: the journey to the underworld is fast and forced, and the end of Orpheus' narrative makes little sense to those without a background in the original tale. Still, 'A Song for Ella Grey” is a novel to be shared by teens and parents alike as a way to experience - and remember - that first taste of freedom.