Eventown by Corey Ann Haydu
First Line: Jenny Horowitz likes horses and the color pink and asking lots of questions about things I don’t want to talk about.
Summary: Eventown follows eleven-year-old Elodee as her family moves to Eventown to get away from the difficult year and memories they are trying to forget. While Eventown seems nearly perfect at first, Elodee soon discovers that this perfection could mean giving up more than she realized.
My Thoughts: Elodee is a great character. She is fun but flawed and has a rich internal conflict. I also really enjoyed her voice. It encapsulated the dreamy and magical nature of Eventown, but being in first person, Elodee still sounded like a eleven-year-old, which closely showed her hopes and struggles.
This book was also layered, and I really enjoyed seeing the various threads come together, including the foreshadowing and intentional gaps that line up to reveal what Elodee’s family is trying to forget. And when they did, it makes for an emotional climax. This book sensitively shows kids that all emotions are important, even those that are difficult and easy to run away from.
Eventown is magical, heartwarming story that sensitively portrays grief and accepting your emotions all while weaving together an interesting plot and compelling protagonist.