Savvy by Ingrid Law

I'm reading a lot of books lately where the kids converse or think in ways more adult than their years. In The Mysterious Benedict Society, however, one could argue that it fit with the characters being "exceptional children." In Savvy, Mibs is a delightful character, confused as a thirteen year old girl should be, especially when coming into her special family talent. The problem comes when she figures things out.

In Mibs (short for Mississippi) Beaumont's family, coming of age has an interesting twist. On the day of their thirteenth birthday, children in that family discover their savvy, another word for a special gift that is uniquely theirs. Mibs' grandfather can move mountains. Her mother is perfectly perfect in every way. Her oldest brother conducts electricity and her other brother, Fish, raises storms with his emotions. Literally. The children are home-schooled after their 13th birthday because controlling a savvy is tricky. Which is why Mibs is a bit nervous about what hers will be.

And then, the day before her birthday, a terrible accident puts her beloved father in a coma. Now Mibs, Fish, and their youngest brother, are stuck under the protective watch of their pastor's wife. When Mibs' birthday dawns, and she starts to get hints that her savvy might help her father, she decides to stowaway on the bus delivering Bibles to the church (along with both her brothers and the pastor's two kids). This begins a wild adventure trying to get to the hospital, and all the wrong turns along the way that help Mibs discover that her true savvy may be something more than she even realizes.

I liked the originality of this book. It was an enjoyable read and the story pulled me in and carried me right along. My only issue, which I hinted at above, is that in the first person POV, Mibs tells us a little too much about what she's thinking. The conclusions she reaches about "growing up" are a bit too wise for someone her age, and come too easily within a 48 hour period. If only figuring yourself out at that age were so easy. I almost think that if the author had not explained so much about "how Mibs was feeling" and let her actions show us, it might not have felt as forced.

Still, I think the book has a wonderful message that each of us have a uniqueness that can have an impact. Definitely worth a read. 3 and a half bookmarks.