This book was full of fun, Midwestern spunk, and had a very unique premise that I loved. I was glad to finally see a decent book sitting among the rest of the award winners at B&N.
Thirteen is when a Beaumont’s savvy hits—and with one brother who causes hurricanes and another who creates electricity, Mibs Beaumont is eager to see what she gets. But just before the big day, Poppa is in a terrible accident. And now all Mibs wants is a savvy that will save him. In fact, Mibs is so sure she’ll get a powerful savvy that she sneaks a ride to the hospital on a rickety bus with her siblings and the preacher’s kids in tow. After this extraordinary adventure—full of talking tattoos and a kidnapping—not a soul on board will ever be the same.
The first thing that hooked me on this contemporary, summery fantasy was its writing style. It’s down-to-earth and candid, definitely sounding like it comes straight from a thirteen-year-old girl who loves her family but doesn’t connect to the outside world as well. The plot was smooth and creative, cozy while not being boring. Best of all, there were very few content warnings.
I wasn’t a fan of the way the town pastor was portrayed — as having anger issues and clearly unable to raise his own kids right. However, he wasn’t an outright stereotype of ‘those hypocritical Christians,’ and there’s potential for merely seeing it as being honest about people’s imperfections, something that’s a theme of the book. I was also glad when the MC, who deals with her first crush, stands up for herself and tells the boy he’s not allowed to kiss her and that he needs to wait. There were some references to God that could be interpreted as flippant, though from the character’s perspective, she seems to definitely believe in Him, but is just misinformed in certain areas. Her religious background is that of being raised in the church but not exactly being an on-fire, walk-the-talk believer. Her faith certainly isn’t her own yet.
I loved the family message, and having one family in middle grade fiction that stayed together, worked together, and loved one another. The MC was both vulnerable and active, unsure and strong. She acted and sounded like a normal girl coming into teenagerhood and trying to accept life changes. With heartfelt writing, relatable themes, and a coming-of-age for girls not full of romance and feminism, Savvy is definitely a book I would recommend.
What are your favorite summer stories? Let me know in the comments!
Have a greet week!
Ciao!
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