A magical bookstore, a cat, a crow, and a mystery... What's not to love? Emerson is just adorable. I've read some books by this author in the past andA magical bookstore, a cat, a crow, and a mystery... What's not to love? Emerson is just adorable. I've read some books by this author in the past and enjoyed them, but this is my favorite so far. I love that each of the books revolve around a poet. This one takes place in the summer and the next in the fall. I don't know yet if I'll wait for fall or not. I'd love for the atmospheres to match, but I want to know what happens next.
I'd consider this story in the magical realism realm, which is a category I happen to love. It's hard to find good, clean ones, though. I managed to gI'd consider this story in the magical realism realm, which is a category I happen to love. It's hard to find good, clean ones, though. I managed to get my name on the e-book library's wait list early, and got to read it before I really knew what I was getting into. I was surprised at just how much I liked it.
I actually read this book because of the author's name. Many years ago, when I was in 4th grade, an older girl by the same name did something super sweet. I didn't even know her that well, which made her kindness especially memorable. At my class's Christmas party, I ended up with Barbie doll clothes. I didn't have a Barbie doll. This sweet girl rode the same bus as me briefly, and when she found out, she brought me a Barbie doll from her collection, tucked away inside a shoe box. So, so sweet, y'all! I still remember this 26 years later. Though that really doesn't matter in connection with this book, it's a memory worth writing down. ;) When I saw the author's name, I wondered if it was her, and decided to read it. It's not her, though I'm sure she's perfectly lovely, too. :) I'm super glad I read the book anyway.
The story is full of mystery and I was guessing until the end about what is real and what's not. I flew through it, so I recommend starting it when you have a little time to give to flipping rapidly through the pages. I was a little disappointed at the end, until I discovered there will be at least one more book to go with it. I got a satisfying end to the story, but a bit more is added to bring us into the next one, which I can't wait for.
Read this one for pure entertainment!
Content: Religious exclamations. I don't remember any profanity, otherwise. (This is the disadvantage to not immediately writing my thoughts down.) There's some touching/kissing(though nothing I'd consider overly graphic). There's also some violence....more
I read a few pages of this book one night. I loved those few pages so much that I got up the next morning at 4:00 and read the whole thing before any I read a few pages of this book one night. I loved those few pages so much that I got up the next morning at 4:00 and read the whole thing before any of my children woke up. It sucked me in right from the beginning and it was effortless to finish it straight through. As a mommy of 3 little ones, losing sleep to read a book is the ultimate compliment!
Even though I have a love/hate relationship with comparing books to other books and movies, my mind just can't help but compare at times. (and that method has put plenty of books on my reading list) I couldn't help but think of the movie Mean Girls while reading this book, only for a younger audience, with some magical realism, suspense, and mystery added in the mix, too. Bullying is a huge part of the story. I know that plenty of readers are getting tired of that topic, but I thought this story was beautifully done, and I feel perfectly comfortable highly recommending it to fans of magical realism, and even mystery/suspense in the middle grade realm. I think even some YA readers, maybe on the lower end, would enjoy this story, too.
There's a bit of romance added in the mix, but it's very mild, and I LOVED how the author chose to end that part of the story. It's been a long time since I've been in the middle grade age group, but I think she did a marvelous job of creating a book both middle graders and their parents will enjoy. That's a pretty tough task these days! Edit: After looking at reviews, maybe not so much on the parent's part, though I still loved it!
Even though this book is perfectly clean, I'd recommend it for the mature side of middle grade readers. Things get a bit suspenseful.
I'm looking forward to adding more of Summy's books to my reading list, and I'm actually hoping for more with Raine!
*I was provided a review copy, in exchange for my honest opinion....more
In this story, we meet Genuine Sweet. Don't forget to add in the southern accent, and pronounce her name correctly! Gen-u-wine. She lives in the tiny In this story, we meet Genuine Sweet. Don't forget to add in the southern accent, and pronounce her name correctly! Gen-u-wine. She lives in the tiny town of Sass, Georgia(population 523) with her Pa and Grandma. Her Pa lives his days in a drunken stupor, and jobs are rare, so she's hungry. There's just not enough money to stretch where it needs to go, like for that unpaid power bill. When Genuine discovers she's a 4th generation wish fetcher, things start looking up, until she discovers she can't use her abilities for herself. How will that put food in her belly?
This is a precious "magical realism" kind of story. The fantasy element is mild, but still there. I couldn't help but think of it as a Sarah Addison Allen type of book, except for children. The story is written as if Genuine is writing a letter to you, or even telling you about her life while sharing a cup of tea. It's filled with quirkiness and southern charm. There's plenty of corny southern phrases to bring a smile to your face throughout.
While the book is sweet, and mostly upbeat, there's still plenty of heartache inside, too. Even though Genuine has a tough life, it was fun to see new friendships being made and creative wheels being turned.
I enjoyed reading Genuine Sweet, and I can't wait to see what other stories Harkey brings us!
Content:
Romance in middle grade books is usually super mild, so I'll mention that Genuine dates within this book. There's kissing and hand holding and all that. That element made the book seem a bit older than if it wasn't in there, but in the grand scheme of things, it's still mild.
Religious expletives
*I was provided an ARC, in exchange for my honest opinion. ...more
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