Review by Kim Harris Thacker, writer, mommy, and Bookshop Talk Host
My mother-in-law bought this book for me at a used-book store, and I’ll admit that I was skeptical. I know I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but when I saw a picture of a girl with feathery bangs and a perm wearing a pink mock-turtleneck sweater and sitting in a pensive pose in soft glamour lighting, I thought, “This is going to be too 80s for me.”
Though there were plenty of “terrifics!” and other words that seemed a bit dated, the story is anything but dated. In fact, if I were a drivers’ education teacher, I would require my students to read this.
The characters in this book were so believable, from Izzy, the sudden amputee, to her new friend, the slightly-dumpy-but-wonderfully-supportive Rosamunde. I find it ironic that I almost didn’t read this book because of its cover. One of the themes of this book is to get to know a person before you judge them. While there were plenty of opportunities to get frustrated with Izzy or her parents or siblings or “friends,” I also believed the characters would act the way they did, because of Voigt’s strong writing.
IZZY, WILLY-NILLY isn’t what I would call an action-packed book, but I literally couldn’t put it down. The final scene is completely satisfying, even though it is no epic battle scene. I closed the book with a big grin on my face. I very much recommend this book!
Market: Young Adult, realistic fiction
Language: Mild
Sensuality: Mild (more implied than anything)
Violence: Moderate (There is a car accident, and while it isn’t described outright, its repercussions are the theme of the book.)
Mature Themes: drunk driving; permanent injuries resulting from riding in a car with a person who is driving under the influence of alcohol; loss of friendships; developing new friendships outside prior comfort zones...I could really go on and on, because this is very thought-provoking book
Book formats:
Paperback
e-book
Book formats:
Paperback
e-book
1 comment:
Thanks for the awesome review, Kim. I've heard so many great things about this book. I really need to read it!
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