BUTTERFLY INK: An UPPER MG/YA Book Review by Guest Blogger, Georgie Bartlett

Today we have a special treat! Lori Keating, who you now know as my picture book reviewer, is also the author of THE MEMORY QUILT and BUTTERFLY INK. Today, teen reader, Georgie Bartlett, provides a review of this clean-read upper MG/YA novel which came out this summer from Monarch.

REVIEW

BUTTERFLY INK is a fun read with important themes of first love, friendship, loyalty, and self-confidence.   

When Calli’s childhood best friend Becca moves away with her father to an island off the coast of Florida, Calli is left missing her from back home in the mountains of Arkansas. When Calli has the opportunity to stay with Becca for the summer, she gleefully accepts the invitation. Calli knows it will be amazing to see Becca again, but what she doesn’t know is that with a little bit of magic, everything will change that summer.   

This book is one that I enjoyed immensely. It is a tale of friendship and self-acceptance, and it has a swoony love story that I adore. Jake, Calli’s friend and love interest, is a sweet character, and I valued how Calli had a support system between him and Becca that she could lean on even when others failed her. They are great friends, and good role models for young readers. Jake and Calli’s love story was wholesome, pure, and altogether refreshing. Becca is a sassy and vibrant character, and her and Calli’s friendship is heartwarming. 

I loved the speculative aspect of the story as well as the magic element. The tattoo was an interesting and unique way for the magic to be presented, and the allure of the tattoo’s promise of beauty was understandable. Calli’s constant struggle with self-image and comparison is something that every teenage girl can relate to. There is also humor, heart, and lots of swoon that perfectly balances out the more serious themes.  

RECOMMENDATION

With the hyper self-awareness that social media produces, this is an important book for young girls to read. If you are interested in an impactful story that proves that a life of purpose is more meaningful than a life of superficial beauty and fame, this is a book that I cannot recommend enough. I am excited to read more by this author.

Our Guest Blogger

Georgie Bartlett is a high school junior living in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina with her family and two mischievous rescue dogs. She enjoys writing, crocheting, journaling, gardening, playing the drums, and above all, reading. 

GIVEAWAY NEWS

Lori is giving away an autographed copy of BUTTERFLY INK! To enter this giveaway, please request the book from your local library or share this post on SOCIAL MEDIA. If you do both, I’ll enter your name three times! Please let me know what you do in the comments by September 3. This would make a great gift for the middle-school or high school teen on your Christmas list!

Congratulations to Carrie Scmidt, a substiute teacher in Washington who won ME AND THE MISSOURI MOON.