Review Detail

4.6 10
Middle Grade Fiction 362
Savvy casts a spell...
Overall rating
 
5.0
Plot
 
N/A
Characters
 
N/A
Writing Style
 
N/A
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
Reader reviewed by Misty

This is
one of the most engaging stories/narrators I have read in awhile. I
tried hard to think of something I didn;t like, just for some balance
(not because I am such a negative person), and I still have yet to come
up with something. There's a great magical realism/tall-tale feel to
it, which is refreshing in a ya book.



Savvy is the story of Mibs (Mississippi) Beaumont and her rather
unusual family. At 13, every member of the Beaumont family discovers
they have a "savvy," a special power of some sort. Mibs' brother, Fish,
can manipulate the weather (he caused a hurricane on his 13th
birthday), and her brother Rocket manipulates electrcity (his 13th
birthday was pretty unusual, too). Mibs' father is the only member of
the Beaumont family with no special powers, having married in. When he
is involved in a terrible car accident the day before Mibs herself
turns 13, Mibs stops wishing for a grand, mind-blowing savvy and wishes
instead for something that will help her save her father. With two of
her brothers and her pastors kids in two, Mibs leaves her tiny
community in the middle of nowhere, between Kansas and Nebraska (or
Kansaska-Nebransas, as they call it -- Kansaska Monday-Wednesday,
Nebransas Thursday-Saturday) to get to her father and work her savvy.
The resulting story is a discovery of self for each character, from
their own talents and savvies, to their loves and feelings and inner
stength.



I know I made that sound really cheesy, but it's not. Ingrid Law
deals with some heavy stuff in a light and engaging manner. The
language and Mibs' narration is absolutely perfect. It's charming and
funny and unusual. It's addictive, begging to be read aloud. The
alliteration and silliness of the language may irritate some people,
but I adored it. I don't see how it's possible not to fall in love with
Mibs and the Beaumonts, and all of the peripheral characters.

Savvy is definitely a must read!


G
#1 Reviewer
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