, by Robin Benway. I didn't like this book as much at first because it wasn't quite what I expected. It's a very small and immediate book--when the three sisters realize they have these marvelous powers, it doesn't thrust them onto a broader world stage. It changes their relationship with high school, their parents, each other, and themselves. It's about boys, friends, divorce, and being 14/15/16.At the beginning of the book, I was expecting something more--epic? adventurous?--and it felt like it was dragging. But as soon as I realized I was reading a high school drama that was mostly about dates and boys and figuring out who you are, I realized that it does that really, really well. The voices of the three sisters are sharp, witty, sarcastic, and young. I kind of hated all three characters at first, and really loved them all at the end, which is just the right path for the book.
There are places where it's a little heavy-handed--April's worrywarting has a breadth that is quite literally unbelievable (did you know white bread can kill you?) and June's ability to change the subject from, say, a car accident they were just in to what people will think of her new skirt is maybe a bit more teenagery than I remember real teenagers being. And the level on which their response to their superpowers--seeing the future, being invisible, reading minds--is "Omigawd!" (in every tone of voice you can imagine it uttered)--well, I'd have given teenagers more credit than that.
But what do I know? I'm 34. It was a really good book.
1 comment:
I have this on my to-read list! Hopefully I'll be able to manage my expectations so I can enjoy it.
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