chelford 's review for:

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

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Alexis Bledel's narration, which is what inspired me to re-read this childhood favorite, was absolutely spot on. 10/10. So perfect. The book itself wasn't quite everything I remembered. Maybe I was conflating it with memories of the film or maybe I just aggrandized the scale of adventure, but this is very much the story of a child who is kidnapped and witnesses a murder, then sides with the killers because they told her a fairy story. Wild! And the whole Jesse Tuck sub-plot is far more creepy and cringey than romantic (though I do believe that was different in the film). Still a worthwhile read, and the opening lines are so iconic I've thought of them every summer for actual decades.