Brenda Novak

A Novel

Seaside Library

         I almost wish the publication date on this one was later in the spring, this would have been the perfect book to bring with me on my weekend excursions.  Yes, I realize I could have waited, but I can never hold off on a Brenda Novak book.  I can barely wait for it to get to my door on pub day, so there wasn’t any chance this was going to last, unread, until June. 

            The first time I had planned a slumber party when I was in middle school, my mom said I needed to invite an odd number of friends (as opposed to an even number, not because my friends were weird).  I argued with her for days, but she stayed firm.  According to her, even numbers at parties mean nobody gets left out.  I disagreed.  We were all friends, why would anybody get left out.  I only invited three friends because we lived in a pretty small apartment and there were already six of us living there.  We ate pizza, wandered the neighborhood until the streetlights came on, then retired to my living room to watch horror movies and try our best to get cavities.  A few weeks later, one of those friends had their own party, and she did not invite an odd number of people, and sure enough, somebody was left out.  There were tears and slamming doors, it was awful in the way only middle school girls are capable of making things awful.  It was then I realized my mother was right (ugh, she was always right).  This book is a prime example of why odd numbers don’t work well.  The three main characters here battled forms of jealousy beginning in childhood, and it never really went away. 

            Novak does a great job with some thought-provoking questions here, not just with the jealousy amongst the friend groups.  The sibling jealousy here is extreme, but I think all of us with brothers and/or sisters can understand the dynamics of a sibling rivalry.  I have never had the desire to ACTUALLY physically harm my brothers and sisters (at least, not since I was like ten-years-old), but I do recall being jealous of each of them at some point. 

            I’m always going to love Brenda Novak’s books, even if the publication dates don’t coincide with when I personally want to read them (that’s on me, I have no shelf-control).  This one encompasses all the elements of Novak I’ve come to love: moral questions; cozy, small-town setting; mystery; and romance.  It is a great summer read (or spring, in my case).    

Kristen Claiborn

         I almost wish the publication date on this one was later in the spring, this would have been the perfect book to bring with me on my weekend excursions.  Yes, I realize I could have waited, but I can never hold off on a Brenda Novak book.  I can barely wait for it to get to my door on pub day, so there wasn’t any chance this was going to last, unread, until June. 

            The first time I had planned a slumber party when I was in middle school, my mom said I needed to invite an odd number of friends (as opposed to an even number, not because my friends were weird).  I argued with her for days, but she stayed firm.  According to her, even numbers at parties mean nobody gets left out.  I disagreed.  We were all friends, why would anybody get left out.  I only invited three friends because we lived in a pretty small apartment and there were already six of us living there.  We ate pizza, wandered the neighborhood until the streetlights came on, then retired to my living room to watch horror movies and try our best to get cavities.  A few weeks later, one of those friends had their own party, and she did not invite an odd number of people, and sure enough, somebody was left out.  There were tears and slamming doors, it was awful in the way only middle school girls are capable of making things awful.  It was then I realized my mother was right (ugh, she was always right).  This book is a prime example of why odd numbers don’t work well.  The three main characters here battled forms of jealousy beginning in childhood, and it never really went away. 

            Novak does a great job with some thought-provoking questions here, not just with the jealousy amongst the friend groups.  The sibling jealousy here is extreme, but I think all of us with brothers and/or sisters can understand the dynamics of a sibling rivalry.  I have never had the desire to ACTUALLY physically harm my brothers and sisters (at least, not since I was like ten-years-old), but I do recall being jealous of each of them at some point. 

            I’m always going to love Brenda Novak’s books, even if the publication dates don’t coincide with when I personally want to read them (that’s on me, I have no shelf-control).  This one encompasses all the elements of Novak I’ve come to love: moral questions; cozy, small-town setting; mystery; and romance.  It is a great summer read (or spring, in my case).    

Seaside Library A Novel

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