Reviewed by Marta Morrison for TeensReadToo.com
This was a really fun book to read.
Mississippi, aka Mibs, and her family each get a magical gift, called a savvy, on their thirteenth birthday. Rocket, Mibs's brother, has the savvy of being able to control electricity. He is a lot like those comic book heroes, good-looking with electric sparks coming off of his hands. At thirteen, her other brother, Fish, found out that he can control weather, especially causing water storms. So at thirteen the kids become homeschooled and have to learn how to control their special abilities.
When the story opens, Mibs is two days away from turning thirteen herself. She is excited about her special birthday when her father is in a horrible twelve-car accident on the highway. He ends up in a coma in a hospital in Salina, Kansas.
When she gets her savvy, she is being taken care of by the minister's wife and all she can think of is how to get to her Poppa. Mibs, Fish, her little brother, Samson, and two of the minister's kids run away to find Poppa. SAVVY is the story of their adventures crossing Nebraska and Kansas, trying to control savvys, which is called scumbling, learning to see the good in people, and, of course, the courage it takes to act on your ideals and love.
I loved the writing in this book. The author uses a lot of figurative language. Besides metaphor and simile, Ingrid Law also uses a lot of alliteration in the telling of the story. Phrases such as pushing-pulling waves, itch and scritch of birthday buzz, or how about a gaggle of flat-footed goslings. It was remarkable how the author could use language to make this story even better than it already was.
So if you want to read a really good story about growing up or if you just love the sound of language, then this is the book for you. Have a really rad read!
This was a really fun book to read.
Mississippi, aka Mibs, and her family each get a magical gift, called a savvy, on their thirteenth birthday. Rocket, Mibs's brother, has the savvy of being able to control electricity. He is a lot like those comic book heroes, good-looking with electric sparks coming off of his hands. At thirteen, her other brother, Fish, found out that he can control weather, especially causing water storms. So at thirteen the kids become homeschooled and have to learn how to control their special abilities.
When the story opens, Mibs is two days away from turning thirteen herself. She is excited about her special birthday when her father is in a horrible twelve-car accident on the highway. He ends up in a coma in a hospital in Salina, Kansas.
When she gets her savvy, she is being taken care of by the minister's wife and all she can think of is how to get to her Poppa. Mibs, Fish, her little brother, Samson, and two of the minister's kids run away to find Poppa. SAVVY is the story of their adventures crossing Nebraska and Kansas, trying to control savvys, which is called scumbling, learning to see the good in people, and, of course, the courage it takes to act on your ideals and love.
I loved the writing in this book. The author uses a lot of figurative language. Besides metaphor and simile, Ingrid Law also uses a lot of alliteration in the telling of the story. Phrases such as pushing-pulling waves, itch and scritch of birthday buzz, or how about a gaggle of flat-footed goslings. It was remarkable how the author could use language to make this story even better than it already was.
So if you want to read a really good story about growing up or if you just love the sound of language, then this is the book for you. Have a really rad read!
I have had this book on my "to be read" pile for quite a while and I was excited to finally get the chance to read it. This is a well done middle grade fantasy book with a heavy dose of magical realism. It was well written and engaging and I enjoyed it.
I loved the family dynamics in this book and the magical ability of the Beaumont family and their Savvy powers. It was interesting to see how their Savvies affected their lives and how they interacted with other kids and people.
There is a lot in this book about being on that cusp between kid and teenager. Mib is just turning thirteen and struggling with the things she loves and thinking they are too childish. In addition to the normal aches and pains of entering her teenage years she also has to deal with getting a sort of magical power.
This is one of those middle grade books that I think adults will enjoy a lot because it deals with issues of family and relationships and dreams. However I am honestly not sure how much middle grade kids will enjoy it. I started reading it with my nine year old son and he thought it was "boring". So this might be one of those middle grade books that adults enjoy more than kids. Or maybe it is just more well suited for older middle grade kids; kids going into their teens.
Overall the story was very engaging and a fast read. I ended up enjoying it a lot and was really sucked into the story and characters. I will probably check out the next two books in the series at some point. I would recommend to those who enjoy middle grade books with a heavy dose of magical realism that deal with family and coming-of-age.
I loved the family dynamics in this book and the magical ability of the Beaumont family and their Savvy powers. It was interesting to see how their Savvies affected their lives and how they interacted with other kids and people.
There is a lot in this book about being on that cusp between kid and teenager. Mib is just turning thirteen and struggling with the things she loves and thinking they are too childish. In addition to the normal aches and pains of entering her teenage years she also has to deal with getting a sort of magical power.
This is one of those middle grade books that I think adults will enjoy a lot because it deals with issues of family and relationships and dreams. However I am honestly not sure how much middle grade kids will enjoy it. I started reading it with my nine year old son and he thought it was "boring". So this might be one of those middle grade books that adults enjoy more than kids. Or maybe it is just more well suited for older middle grade kids; kids going into their teens.
Overall the story was very engaging and a fast read. I ended up enjoying it a lot and was really sucked into the story and characters. I will probably check out the next two books in the series at some point. I would recommend to those who enjoy middle grade books with a heavy dose of magical realism that deal with family and coming-of-age.
