Oh my gosh, I adore this book! I'm not a gushy person by nature, but the book is just as fantastic as the cover art. (And, yes, I do judge books by their covers, which is unfair and probably worth its own blog.)The premise was one of the most original I'd come across in a long time, which is saying something, because "Thirteen-year-old comes into magic powers" doesn't seem all that original. Oh, but it is. Mibbs Beaumont is part of a family who each develop their own particular "savvy" at age thirteen. Her older brothers' powers disrupt electricity and the weather. Since she is just a few days from her birthday, Mibbs is awaiting the arrival of her savvy with great anticipation. But then her father is in a horrible accident, and everyone's priorities shift. An unlikely cast of characters joins together as Mibbs embarks on a crazy journey to help her beloved Pappa.
Every character in the book is written with authenticity, originality, humor, love, and individuality. Mibbs' voice is 100% believable, and her assessment of the people around her is focused and insightful. Though there are definitely lessons learned, they're learned from Mibbs' thirteen-year-old perspective. At no point do you feel that they are the author's lessons being preached through Mibbs' mouth.
I wish I could make this the required summer reading book, but it's probably a little too girl-focused for some of my manly-middleschool-men. Plus it doesn't have anything to do with the curriculum. And it would just crush me to hear my students complaining about it in any way. Still, I wish I could require people to go out and read it.
(G: no violence, no sex, no language. I could read it to my four-year-old, but he wouldn't get it.)
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