- many strange things begin happening to Avery, a recent graduate of 5th grade
- realistic fantasy involving magic, manipulating matter, shapeshifting, unusual bad guys, etc.
- will be appreciated by dog lovers and/or kids who don’t “fit in”
- convo: occasional lying, frequent bad attitude and disrespect, a few instances of hypnotism, a few romance/crush/boyfriend jokes, a boy sleeps in the top bunk over a girl (both 6th graders)
- language: gosh x2, sucks, x2, mild name-calling, stupid x2, geez x1, farts x1, shucks x1, dang x1, heck x3, butthead x1, darn x1
Type: chapter book
Ages: 11-15
Author: Prim Pawn
I’ll start out by saying that the author did very well in keeping my attention! It certainly stuck in my mind during times I wasn’t reading it. The descriptions made vivid mental pictures, allowing me to clearly visualize what she was portraying with her excellent word choices. Even the fact that I correctly guessed one of the big “surprises” at the end (I don’t think most younger readers would have) didn’t lessen my enjoyment.
The main thing I’m very sorry to report was the attitude and constant sarcasm from our heroine, Avery. I get that there needs to be contrast (and her transformation into a more likable person at the end was certainly a relief), but it crossed the line for me. Is there no happy medium between disrespectful sourpusses and unrealistically perfect angels?
Beyond that, however, the story was quite unique and believable as its settings were in real places. Those who live near Lake Michigan will enjoy hearing about their part of the world!
For those sensitive to the Disney-/New Age-type message of “follow your heart” so prevalent today, I must note there is one single instance when this is said to Avery: “It’s not a label that determines if you are good or bad, it’s what’s in your heart, and how well you listen to your heart’s sounds.” This could definitely take a conversation in different ways, but it wasn’t expanded on.
Avery has never felt normal. She doesn’t fit in with the other kids at school and struggles with that. As she learns more about her past, her confidence in her differences grows. By the end, she is fully embracing them and using them productively. And as soon as she embraced what made her different, her friends did, too.
Me being me, I found some grammar, spelling and other typos, but they very well could have been only in the digital version. I don’t have a hard copy.
Oh, and there was a small, deep message I appreciated. Regarding getting stuck in the past, the longer you do that the harder it is to leave. Grief and sadness can easily get their claws in you.
(This review is a bit all over the place. I have a lot of thoughts apparently!)
The end was very sweet as Avery discovers she’s always been loved and cared for more than she ever realized. Family sticking together is so important and bonds were strengthened.
If I were to tell you this book was about time travel, dog collars, reality tv, princesses, battles with dogs, secret family recipes, a creepy smelly lady, hot dogs, and a house boat, it would sound too oddly fragmented, right? But Pawn really does tie all those things together well (which makes me chuckle).
Overall, if you’re willing to converse through all the above points, there might just be a good story in there for you and your middle graders. Let me know if you read it!