Title: Savvy
Author: Ingrid Law
Category: Fiction, Middle Grade
Rating: 3.5/5
Why I Read It: This interview with Ingrid Law at Maw Books Blog piqued my interest, and the first line of the book made me want to read more.

Summary: Mibs Beaumont is about to turn 13 and get her very own savvy. She can’t wait to see whether her special ability will be the type to move mountains or brew up a storm, or a different talent altogether. But when Poppa gets hurt, Mibs doesn’t get the birthday celebration she was expecting.

Review: Here’s that first line that reeled me in:

When my brother Fish turned thirteen, we moved to the deepest part of inland because of the hurricane and, of course, the fact that he’d caused it.

I’m happy to report that the rest of the book was just as engrossing.

My two favorite parts:

  • Vibrant characters—Not a single character was a dud. They were all so unique and real to me, even given the supernatural elements of the story.
  • Fun language—Mibs’s way of speaking was fun and young without straying into the Land of Sickeningly Cute.

Here’s the first full paragraph to give you a feel for Mibs’s voice:

When my brother Fish turned thirteen, we moved to the deepest part of inland because of the hurricane and, of course, the fact that he’d caused it. I had liked living down south on the edge of land, next to the pushing-pulling waves. I had liked it with a mighty kind of liking, so moving had been hard—hard like the pavement the first time I fell off my pink two-wheeler and my palms burned like fire from all of the hurt just under the skin. But it was plain that Fish could live nowhere near or nearby or next to or close to or on or around any largish bodies of water. Water had a way of triggering my brother and making ordinary, everyday weather take a frightening turn for the worse.

Borrow: Your local library | Swap
Buy: Your local bookstore | Powell’s | Amazon

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