A review by katherinevarga
Eventown by Corey Ann Haydu

mysterious sad medium-paced

3.5

Mixed feelings. There were many parts of this book I enjoyed, especially the baking / cooking, the importance of stories and emotions, and the way feelings were described. I’m realizing “kid who likes to make up recipes” is one of my new favorite middle grade trends. And the parts about feeling lonely / isolated within a family resonated with me.

I also enjoyed Eventown the place, probably a bit more than I was supposed to. There are parts of Eventown that I think are worth fighting for in our world - it's environmentally ideal (no cars, fresh local foods, no climate issues) with a strong education system, caring communities, and no hint of income equality. It felt sad to see this type of world depicted as dependent on the lack of diversity & innovation, or only possible if you suck out what makes life worth living. I read this as an unintentional underlying pessimism that made it hard to love the book, even though I admired some of the writing.