4.5/5 stars
HMH Children's Paperback, 2012
204 pages
YA Contemporary with Historical Aspects
Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is such a "me" book-I loved the MC so much and completely clicked with the sense of humor displayed. The storyline is about the summer adventures of a young woman with a love of history, color, reading, Jane Austen...in other words, someone a lot like me!
In this case her name is Libby and she is going to be a historical reenactor at a 1791 village in Maine; this includes wearing historically accurate clothing, leading a group of little girls through time-era appropriate cooking and craft activities, and interacting with her peers including a seriously dedicated impersonator and the annoying nerdy Garrett who is investigating possible paranormal activities that are attracting more attention to little Camden Harbor.
Well, as I mentioned I loved Libby. She loves Mr. Tilney, who we both agree is seriously underappreciated and is far more our type than Mr. Darcy (although I still prefer Mr. Knightley most of all). She loves colors and fashion and has a great memory for history. She also stands up for her friends in an awesome scene where she punches a guy (totally justified). I totally want to be best friends with her and her best friend Dev, who had a bizarre story line in New York City before showing up to hang out with Libby for the rest of the summer. The other characters are not very well-developed but they are a lot of fun and add local color to Libby's time there.
This is a fast-paced book, going quickly over the whole summer, almost like little vignettes into Libby's life but still with an over-arching plot. I would have enjoyed knowing a bit more about Libby's life at home, maybe how her parents and school have shaped her interests. I also wanted a lot more about Dev's plot, which left me very confused.
Overall: Just hit all the right notes for me-if we often agree on books, this might be right up your alley!
Cover: Of course I love the polka dots and the pink but I think it would be better with some glitter (maybe the actual cover does?)
This sounds like a book I need to try! I think it would be so much fun to be a reenacter. I did try to read another book about a teen working at a historical reenactment village that didn't work for me but Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink sounds much more promising. Thanks for your review!
ReplyDeleteYA is not my genre but I like the historical aspects you have put in!
ReplyDeleteYay! Have you read the Leila Sales book about historical reenactments? I think you would love that too!
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