A review by mrskatiefitz
Revenge of the Flower Girls by Jennifer Ziegler
4.0
Triplets Dawn, Darby, and Delaney Brewster love their older sister, Lily, but they really don't like Burton, the man she is about to marry. They much prefer Lily's old boyfriend, Alex, who made Lily laugh and was nice to them as well. As Lily gets closer to saying, "I do," the girls team up to sabotage her wedding and reunite her with her long-lost love.
Though the pink dresses on this book's front cover might suggest froth and frivolity, there is much more to the story than first meets the eye. For starters, it has great characters. Each of the triplets has her own strengths and opinions which sets her apart from the others. Dawn is usually the leader, while Darby is the brains and Delaney the brawn. All three girls are politically minded (they call their bedroom "the triangular office"), mischievous, feisty, and undyingly loyal to their family. They are the perfect mix of cocky and ignorant for their age, with just the right amount of swagger to convince the reader they can do anything. As they tell their tale in alternating chapters, the reader can't help but fall in love with their spunk and root for their success.
The author also has a wonderful talent for description. Through many small details, she builds the world of the story and provides vivid images to help the reader see things as the characters see them. For example:
Alex looks like an armadillo.
Someone else wears "a bun so tight it stretched her face."
The girls' mother's bathroom may or may not house a ghost.
The Brewsters' neighbors have the last name of Neighbors.
Each of these fun details contributes to the book's smart, fun tone, and they give the reader just a few more reasons to laugh out loud. Schemes and capers in middle grade novels often come across as a combination of the foolish and the impossible, but this book is a clear exception. Each of the girls' plans is realistic and age-appropriate in addition to being clever and the consequences that befall them as a result of their transgressions more than fit their crimes.
This intelligent feel-good story will appeal mainly to girls and is most appropriate for readers in late elementary school. This book compares well to the Hunter Moran books by Patricia Reilly Giff, as well as another wedding-themed tale for slightly younger readers, Cupcake Cousins.
Though the pink dresses on this book's front cover might suggest froth and frivolity, there is much more to the story than first meets the eye. For starters, it has great characters. Each of the triplets has her own strengths and opinions which sets her apart from the others. Dawn is usually the leader, while Darby is the brains and Delaney the brawn. All three girls are politically minded (they call their bedroom "the triangular office"), mischievous, feisty, and undyingly loyal to their family. They are the perfect mix of cocky and ignorant for their age, with just the right amount of swagger to convince the reader they can do anything. As they tell their tale in alternating chapters, the reader can't help but fall in love with their spunk and root for their success.
The author also has a wonderful talent for description. Through many small details, she builds the world of the story and provides vivid images to help the reader see things as the characters see them. For example:
Alex looks like an armadillo.
Someone else wears "a bun so tight it stretched her face."
The girls' mother's bathroom may or may not house a ghost.
The Brewsters' neighbors have the last name of Neighbors.
Each of these fun details contributes to the book's smart, fun tone, and they give the reader just a few more reasons to laugh out loud. Schemes and capers in middle grade novels often come across as a combination of the foolish and the impossible, but this book is a clear exception. Each of the girls' plans is realistic and age-appropriate in addition to being clever and the consequences that befall them as a result of their transgressions more than fit their crimes.
This intelligent feel-good story will appeal mainly to girls and is most appropriate for readers in late elementary school. This book compares well to the Hunter Moran books by Patricia Reilly Giff, as well as another wedding-themed tale for slightly younger readers, Cupcake Cousins.