The World Cannot Give by Tara Isabella Burton

I admit to almost passing this book by, being put off by the New Adult label attached to it, the young ages of its characters. Yes, I’m one of those adults who thinks one should read age-appropriate books and YA or NA fiction isn’t it. But then again, this book gathered way too much praise to just casually ignore. There was something about it…
Lo and behold, this is that precious unicorn of an adult-appropriate book featuring teenage characters. In fact, in retrospect, this story would have only worked with young characters – the kind of magnificent obsession that drives it simply doesn’t sustain itself after a certain age, out there in a real world. But in an isolated prep school of precociously well-educated well-to-do children, it works perfectly.
And so, the book follows its protagonist, a naïve romantic girl who comes from Nevada to coastal Maine to a school she had always dreamed about, a school her romantic ideal, a Byronesque young writer named Webster had attended a century ago before promptly shoving off to get killed in a war, fighting on Franco’s side of all things. The modern day might perceive Webster as a fascist sympathizer and a raving fool, enough for the statue-toppling contingent, certainly, but for our main character he is perfection. She soon finds like-minded individuals in the school’s choir, led by the wildly charismatic ascetic Virginia.
Now, there’s a character. A daughter of an upper middle class Jewish family, Virginia has reinvented herself as a passionate Catholic and dedicated herself to becoming World-Historical. That phrase appears throughout the book with alarming frequency. The choir kids are positively obsessed with it. It’s only logical that their generation, fed on the mothers’ milk of specialness, would make that leap. It might even be perceived as noble, this desire to become a properly significant person, to change the world, but here it manifests as toxic. A toxic character driver that makes each and every kid into their worst selves.
Our protagonist finds herself completely under Virginia’s spell, first love and obsession all rolled into one with an intensity that only friendships of youth can support. She follows Virginia to the increasingly darker places, until the situation becomes unsustainable and then she becomes the unwitting witness to Virginia’s madness’ manifestation.
There’s a magnificent hypnotic quality to this novel, it’s difficult to put down, it drags you in and holds you tight, like a strange dream, almost. The intensity of the story is sustained perfectly throughout. The characters in their increasingly unhinged states, the situation at its increasingly precarious and dangerous acts. If this was indeed a performance of a choir, you’d marvel at the way they sustain their high notes.
This is a definition perfect coming-of-age story in that it describes exactly the moment a person grows up – the moment they abandon their romantic ideals and see the world for what it really is. The devastating disappointment of it all. The courage to live with it.
And so, you see, this sort of story can only work with a young cast - it doesn’t need the characters to be mature, doesn’t even need them to be conventionally likable. Rest assured it isn’t YA. Or even NA. There’s nothing dumbed down about this story. It is about youth, it's all about youth, about that certain brazenness of of asking of the world what the world cannot give. It’s a clever, emotionally potent rollercoaster of obsession and absolutely mesmerizing in its narrative engagement. Wow, indeed. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.