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A review by enchantressreads
Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World by Ashley Herring Blake
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is a book I needed when I was younger.
Ivy Aberdeen is the middle child of her family; she has an older sister, and new twin brothers. She sometimes feels that she's left out, and turns to art for comfort. When she starts drawing herself with girls, sometimes holding hands, she's not sure what's happening, only that she wants it to happen in real life.
A tornado sweeps through her small Georgia town and demolishes her family's home, along with everything she's taken comfort in, except for her one journal. She keeps it in her pillow case as she and her family are escorted to the elementary school for shelter. Until, that is, her journal goes missing.
Ivy must then navigate the difficult process of living in a hotel with her family, being the middle child, while also now battling with her new feelings, along with her missing journal.
This book is a sad book, but it's also a feel-good book. It's all about the journey of self-exploration. It's about navigating the confusing world as a pre-teen, looking for guidance and unsure how to communicate your needs. Ivy grows in this book--not just age wise (she turns thirteen!), but emotionally. While reading Ivy losing her house was heart-wrenching, I loved seeing her turn into her true self.
I recommend this book to not only middle grade readers, but everyone in between. LGBTQIA+ readers of all ages will love this book. Parents of LGBTQIA+ kids will love this book. Any sexuality young child will love this book, because it's not only about exploring sexuality, but exploring who you are as a person in general.
Ivy Aberdeen is the middle child of her family; she has an older sister, and new twin brothers. She sometimes feels that she's left out, and turns to art for comfort. When she starts drawing herself with girls, sometimes holding hands, she's not sure what's happening, only that she wants it to happen in real life.
A tornado sweeps through her small Georgia town and demolishes her family's home, along with everything she's taken comfort in, except for her one journal. She keeps it in her pillow case as she and her family are escorted to the elementary school for shelter. Until, that is, her journal goes missing.
Ivy must then navigate the difficult process of living in a hotel with her family, being the middle child, while also now battling with her new feelings, along with her missing journal.
This book is a sad book, but it's also a feel-good book. It's all about the journey of self-exploration. It's about navigating the confusing world as a pre-teen, looking for guidance and unsure how to communicate your needs. Ivy grows in this book--not just age wise (she turns thirteen!), but emotionally. While reading Ivy losing her house was heart-wrenching, I loved seeing her turn into her true self.
I recommend this book to not only middle grade readers, but everyone in between. LGBTQIA+ readers of all ages will love this book. Parents of LGBTQIA+ kids will love this book. Any sexuality young child will love this book, because it's not only about exploring sexuality, but exploring who you are as a person in general.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment and Grief
Minor: Homophobia
Includes a scene of the family losing their home to a tornado.