Challenge 99

And Then There Was One

Ian Donnell Arbuckle’s Made It Way Up has been with us for more than two months, and now it has reached its end. A salute is in order.

What is Essa’s reaction when she discovers that Kelly is gone? Do you think it’s in character or not?
A few previous Challenges have emphasized the author’s choice of point of view. What happens when the characters interact? Are there actually three stories in parallel?
As a rule, the more sensuous a story is, the more powerful it is, within limits. Sight is commonplace; how does the author use the senses of touch and hearing? Taste and smell are typically the least described by any author, partly because English normally refers to odors, particularly, by substituting cause for effect: “the smell of (something).” Can you find references to the sense of smell in the novel?
Originally, the title was simply Up. We pointed out that the word would be too small to see clearly, and it would be unsearchable on the Net. Now that you have the entire novel, can you explain the meaning of either the original title or the one that was finally used? Would you have chosen a different title?

Thank you, Ian, and congratulations! We hope to hear from you again soon.