Stephanie S. (skywriter319) -
At long last, Robin Benway, author of one of my favorite and most hilarious YA novels, Audrey, Wait!, has come out with her sophomore novel. THE EXTRAORDINARY SECRETS OF APRIL, MAY, & JUNE is (what else?) extraordinarily different from her debut novel, but its mixture of witty teen angst, sibling relationships, and magic should still make this a hit with readers of all ages.
The strongest part of THE EXTRAORDINARY SECRETS OF APRIL, MAY, & JUNE is the witty dialogue that the sisters throw at one another. Think Gilmore Girls without as many pop culture references. Think Biancas attitude and tone from 10 Things I Hate About You--on steroids. The wit is nonstop, and if you're a lover of snark and bite, youll get a kick out of the dialogue in this book. The story switches between April, May, and June's POV, and I appreciated that, while they could all engage in the same frenetic level of verbal sparring, they were all also distinct characters and personalities.
Unfortunately, the verbal jousting can also get petty and overwhelming. Reading the Stephenson sisters' endless snapping at one another feels a bit too much like watching a married couple fight onscreen--yes, that s**t happens in real life, but no one really wants it to occur nonstop in fiction. Additionally, the wit does not make for the shakiness of the plot, which was slow, with lots of red-herring subplots. I liked the idea of the magical powers, but I fear it clashed and was eventually defeated and subdued by the hands of the overpowering characters.
Readers who enjoyed the (mostly) harmless but still sharp humor in Audrey, Wait! will certainly get a surprise if they read THE EXTRAORDINARY SECRETS OF APRIL, MAY, & JUNE. It lacks a sound execution, but on the whole, this unique book is a delightful blend of the contemporary and the magic, and readers will be drawn into the lives of these three different but all endearing sisters as their powers change them beyond their wildest imaginations.
The strongest part of THE EXTRAORDINARY SECRETS OF APRIL, MAY, & JUNE is the witty dialogue that the sisters throw at one another. Think Gilmore Girls without as many pop culture references. Think Biancas attitude and tone from 10 Things I Hate About You--on steroids. The wit is nonstop, and if you're a lover of snark and bite, youll get a kick out of the dialogue in this book. The story switches between April, May, and June's POV, and I appreciated that, while they could all engage in the same frenetic level of verbal sparring, they were all also distinct characters and personalities.
Unfortunately, the verbal jousting can also get petty and overwhelming. Reading the Stephenson sisters' endless snapping at one another feels a bit too much like watching a married couple fight onscreen--yes, that s**t happens in real life, but no one really wants it to occur nonstop in fiction. Additionally, the wit does not make for the shakiness of the plot, which was slow, with lots of red-herring subplots. I liked the idea of the magical powers, but I fear it clashed and was eventually defeated and subdued by the hands of the overpowering characters.
Readers who enjoyed the (mostly) harmless but still sharp humor in Audrey, Wait! will certainly get a surprise if they read THE EXTRAORDINARY SECRETS OF APRIL, MAY, & JUNE. It lacks a sound execution, but on the whole, this unique book is a delightful blend of the contemporary and the magic, and readers will be drawn into the lives of these three different but all endearing sisters as their powers change them beyond their wildest imaginations.
