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April, Maybe June
“April is the book’s delightful narrator, both witty and unintentionally funny, one of those kids people sometimes say were ‘born old,’ but young and earnest and energetic too. She is fiercely loyal to family and takes this to its logical conclusion in a twisty magical plot full of both humor and terror.” — PAMELA DEAN, Author of Tam Lin and The Secret Country Maybe magic. Maybe trouble. Homeschooled siblings April and June Bliss are inadvertently sucked into their older cousin Arlene’s troubled life when that street-savvy 17-year-old disappears and then sends for their help via an inscrutable grimoire and a mesmerizing silver ring. Although new to the realm of magic, the sisters concoct an assortment of spells (not altogether successfully) as they attempt to find and rescue wannabe sorceress Arlene. Throughout their journey, smart April and brash June explore family values, encroaching maturity (April’s been spying on dishy Justin Fink with a treehouse telescope) and their own stubborn differences. But when life in an adult world takes a turn toward the supernaturally spooky, the two must quickly pull together in order to survive. What is an appropriate sacrifice for family, and what is too much to give for a worthy cause? The girls soon find out what truly matters in life.
- GenresFantasy
248 pages, Paperback
First published March 6, 2014
241 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 13, 2017
What a fun read this was! It's a fascinating story, about two intelligent home-schooled sisters, ages 12 and 14, who find themselves confronting some malevolent magical forces after their older cousin is abducted and they take off in search of her.
April, who tells the story, is one of the most entertaining (and literate) young narrators I've come across in YA fantasy. I loved her snarky humor, her puns, and her many references to popular culture.
If you enjoy this sort of relatively light contemporary fantasy, don't miss out on this one. It's a gem.
April, who tells the story, is one of the most entertaining (and literate) young narrators I've come across in YA fantasy. I loved her snarky humor, her puns, and her many references to popular culture.
If you enjoy this sort of relatively light contemporary fantasy, don't miss out on this one. It's a gem.
June 13, 2015
I received this book through Goodreads First Reads.
First off, I did enjoy the story. That's why I gave it 4 stars. However, I did have some issues with the writing. It didn't ruin the story, but it made it a little harder for me to get into the book at first. April is a thirteen year old girl. However, most of what she says wouldn't be said by someone much older than her. She uses big "SAT" words. I know she's supposed to be precocious, but this got annoying, especially when she used big words and then paragraphs later said something about her "tummy." That word usage was jarring. It did remind me that April is young, but it also felt like the author didn't really know how a young teenager would talk. She goes from high level words to baby words just like that.
I also felt like this book doesn't work for readers that are the age of the characters. There was some swearing and minor sexual references that I don't think would be appropriate for thirteen year olds. This kind of sucks because I found it harder to get into the story being five years older than the main character. Anyone older than me would probably find it even more difficult to relate to the precocious thirteen year old that is April.
Despite these problems, I honestly did enjoy the story once I got into it. Toward the end, I didn't even want to put it down. April's narration did even make me laugh once or twice. Besides her use of big words that seemed to fade as I got into the story, this was a really good book. I would just recommend skipping the last couple of pages. They get a little preachy and I found myself skimming just so I could finish.
First off, I did enjoy the story. That's why I gave it 4 stars. However, I did have some issues with the writing. It didn't ruin the story, but it made it a little harder for me to get into the book at first. April is a thirteen year old girl. However, most of what she says wouldn't be said by someone much older than her. She uses big "SAT" words. I know she's supposed to be precocious, but this got annoying, especially when she used big words and then paragraphs later said something about her "tummy." That word usage was jarring. It did remind me that April is young, but it also felt like the author didn't really know how a young teenager would talk. She goes from high level words to baby words just like that.
I also felt like this book doesn't work for readers that are the age of the characters. There was some swearing and minor sexual references that I don't think would be appropriate for thirteen year olds. This kind of sucks because I found it harder to get into the story being five years older than the main character. Anyone older than me would probably find it even more difficult to relate to the precocious thirteen year old that is April.
Despite these problems, I honestly did enjoy the story once I got into it. Toward the end, I didn't even want to put it down. April's narration did even make me laugh once or twice. Besides her use of big words that seemed to fade as I got into the story, this was a really good book. I would just recommend skipping the last couple of pages. They get a little preachy and I found myself skimming just so I could finish.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews