Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World by Ashley Herring Blake Published by Little Brown Books for Young Readers on March 6th 2018
Genres: Contemporary, Middle Grade, LGBTQIA
Goodreads
When a tornado rips through town, twelve-year-old Ivy Aberdeen's house is destroyed and her family of five is displaced. Ivy feels invisible and ignored in the aftermath of the storm--and what's worse, her notebook filled with secret drawings of girls holding hands has gone missing.
Mysteriously, Ivy's drawings begin to reappear in her locker with notes from someone telling her to open up about her identity. Ivy thinks--and hopes--that this someone might be her classmate, another girl for whom Ivy has begun to develop a crush. Will Ivy find the strength and courage to follow her true feelings?
I received a copy of this review from the publisher. This does not influence my thoughts on this book or this review.
I’ve been a huge fan of Ashley Herring Blake ever since her debut novel and I was thrilled to hear that Blake would also be releasing her first middle grade novel. I’m so happy that Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World did not disappoint at all.
Ivy Aberdeen has never felt more lost. Her relationship with her teenage sister, Layla, is rocky at best and a recent hurricane has left her house in shambles. Trying to make sense of these changes and a crush on her new friend June, Ivy turns to drawing just as she always has. In this debut novel, Ivy attempts to make sense of the changes in her life and to create her own letter to the world.
Ashley Herring Blake is great at creating real dimensional characters, and Ivy is no different. I really connected to her and definitely felt for her. I love reading about characters with unique interests and skills and Ivy’s artistry was definitely my favourite part of the book. I really liked reading about her love for drawing and the way Ivy used her art to make sense of her feelings. Family dynamics are always interesting to me and Ivy’s family was definitely a highlight of the novel. While Ivy first struggles to find a place in her changing family dynamic since the birth of her twin brothers, I really did find a place in my heart for the rest of the Aberdeens by the end of the novel.
This was definitely one of the more heart-wrenching but also uplifting books that I’ve read. I definitely recommend Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World.
Aww this sounds lovely! I’ve only read How To Make A Wish by this author and it was okay for me. Maybe her MG book will be more succesfull!
This one sounds interesting. I did enjoy How To Make a Wish I will need to check this one out. I did love the authors ability to create the characters and story.