Author: Robin Benway
Release Date: July 29th, 2010
Published By: Razorbill
Goodreads Rating: 3.73 stars
Amazon Rating: 4.50 stars
Synopsis: Three sisters share a magical, unshakeable bond in this witty high-concept novel from the critically acclaimed author of Audrey, Wait! Around the time of their parents' divorce, sisters April, May, and June recover special powers from childhood--powers that come in handy navigating the hell that is high school. Powers that help them cope with the hardest year of their lives. But could they have a greater purpose?
April, the oldest and a bit of a worrier, can see the future. Middle-child May can literally disappear. And baby June reads minds--everyone's but her own. When April gets a vision of disaster, the girls come together to save the day and reconcile their strained family. They realize that no matter what happens, powers or no powers, they'll always have each other.
Because there's one thing stronger than magic: sisterhood.
Review: This was a fun read that was definitely serious, too. I wasn't actually sure how much I would enjoy it, because the main reason I picked this up was the interesting cover and title, and the synopsis didn't sound that great to me. However, I'm really glad I decided to read it after all, because I had a hard time putting it down!
One big aspect that I really loved was the humor. There were all these one-liners that provided the perfect comic relief, be it May's sarcasm or just the funny situations that arise. It worked perfectly, without making the book seem any less serious while still providing a break from the tension.
Something I was worried about when I started the book was that the sisters would all be these walking, talking stereotypes. After all, April was described as the worrying big sister, May the sarcastic delinquent, and June the shallow social climber. But really, they each had their own developed personality, and there was a lot more to them than initially described. Each sister was flawed and imperfect, and each grew throughout the book.
I wouldn't say this is something I would remember much of several months from now, but I did like reading it and I would definitely recommend it. I wish the superpower aspect was developed a little more - all the explanation we got was that they had the powers when they were little and they suddenly came back, which isn't an explanation at all - but then again, this book isn't really about powers. It's about sisterhood and friendship and family, and made me badly want a sister.
Grade: B
3 comments:
Thanks for a great review. I've got this one sitting at home, just haven't gotten around to reading it. It does sound interesting.
I hope you like it when you do get around to it! :)
I agree with so much of what you just said - "The Extraordinary Secrets..." was by no means a life-changing read, but the characters were well developed and the story line was a whole lot of fun. I'll definitely continue to recommend it to some of my kiddos!
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