Scholastic Canada
ISBN: 978-1443124324
Published Feb 1, 2013
Softcover, 240 pages
Ages 11 - 13
This is the third and last book that
follows Words That Start With B and Love is a Four-Letter Word. Once
again my daughter and I read it together and we enjoyed it. It's
summertime and it seems that everyone is busy but Clarissa. Her mom
is planning her wedding, her friend Mattie is away at camp and her
friend Benji is busy with his drama friends. When Clarissa starts
going through her mom's high school yearbooks she discovers a few
things and decides to track down the dad she never met.
Once again, as in her other books,
VanSickle explores emotions that are strongly felt in teens—accepting
a parent's new mate, the need to search or know more about a
long-lost parent, accepting changes in friendships and accepting the past. Both my
daughter and I found this to be more of a serious book than the first
two. Clarissa spends most of her summer alone and her friends don't
play such a big role (my daughter noted this especially) as in the
first two books. Clarissa is true to herself and we can see that
after all she's been through she's strong and more mature.
There are strong words exchanged
between Clarissa and adults in this book, on two separate occasions.
In the verbal fight with her mom, Clarissa uses a derogatory word (sl*t) whose significance I had to explain to my daughter. I'm not sure how
appropriate some words are for middle-grade novels. I know such
exchanges can happen in family situations taut with anger and hurt
feelings, but I think I would have preferred it left out. Same with
the profanity. Perhaps saying he cursed would have sufficed. The
writing in this novel is strong and solid and my daughter and I
understood the heavy emotions. No crude words needed.
Apart from this, the story ends well.
The major theme seems to be about acceptance on various levels, and with
family and friends. We can't change the past, only learn from it and
accept what happened and move on, having a positive outlook for the
future without looking back. This was a good message and an excellent
way to end this 3-book series.
Note: This book is rated P = profanity with religious expletives, among them g*da*n. This surprised me. However, it was said by an adult in anger and not any of the kid characters.
Reviewed by Laura and Daughter
And now for the giveaway!
Scholastic Canada has graciously offered to give away all 3 books in this series:
Words That Start With B (read our review)
Love is a Four-Letter Word (read our review)
Days That End in Y
How to enter:
Mandatory:
Leave a comment stating why you want to win these books. Include an email address. If you do not include an email address your entry will not be valid.
Extra entries:
1) If you are a follower, new or current, leave a comment telling us so.
*Buttons for following found on top left-hand corner of blog.
*Giveaway ends April 10, 2013.
*Giveaway ends April 10, 2013.
*Open to Canada only.
Disclosure: Thanks to Nikole Kritikos from Scholastic Canada for sending us this book for review. We were not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.
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