Book Review of Savvy
The Children’s Book Review
What to Expect: Colorful Characters, Magical Realism, Peers, Guilt, and Growing Up
Ingrid Law’s first novel, Savvy, has many wonderfully colorful characters who collaborate on an unexpected and heartfelt journey. The story revolves around the Beaumont family and, in particular, Mississippi (Mibs for short). Every family has its quirks, but none are quite as unique as the Beaumonts. Each person in Mibs’ family possesses a magical ability, a ‘savvy.’ When a member of her family turns 13, their supernatural gift shows itself. For some, it is a clever awareness, and for others, a significant life change that has the potential to be a good resource once they learn to contain its unique power – such as creating hurricanes and electricity, like her brothers.
A few days before Mib turns 13, her poppa ends up in the hospital after a car accident. The morning of her birthday, Mibs awakens to believe that her savvy is just right for saving her poppa’s life. The only problem is that the hospital is miles from her house. Her solution is to sneak onto a bus belonging to a bible salesperson, and this is where the real fun begins, and the unforgettable adventure takes off!
Not thinking through the plan, Mibs discovers that the bus is not heading straight to town. The driver has some deliveries to make along the way, which turns the relatively short trip into an overnight saga. During the journey, Mibs discovers a lot about herself and realizes that she might not be the only one with a secret.
Savvy is undoubtedly a novel aimed at tweens and manages to convey pitch-perfect messages dealing with peers, guilt, and growing up. While the story is based on the family’s supernatural powers, the emotion and events are certainly the main features of this powerful story. I am positive that any child who reads this will find an element to connect with truly. When an author’s first published novel is this ‘savvy,’ one can only look forward to her future books.
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