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A review by sunshine_librarian
Kind of a Big Deal by Shannon Hale
4.0
I was SO excited for this book! I mean, who doesn't want to live inside of their favorite book, at least for a little while? After being a "big deal" in high school having lead in all the school shows, the perfect boyfriend, and the ultimate best friend, Josie Pie drops out of to school to make it big on Broadway at the urging of her theater teacher.
Unfortunately, it does not work out quite so well for Josie and she doesn't land any roles. She takes a job being a nanny for a recent divorcee who moves her daughter, Mia, and Josie to Montana for a new start. While walking with Mia one day, Josie happens upon a book store called "Walking Shadow Books." Inside she meets Deo, who flirts wildly, suggests a book, and gives her a pair of reading glasses when her eyes don't seem to be adjusting well to the elevation. While Mia is playing at a park, Josie starts reading the book, a swashbuckling romance. Next thing she knows, she is IN THE BOOK! She sees various people she has met in Montana playing different characters as well as Deo and all the other bookstore workers. Most importantly, her boyfriend Justin is in the book as well as her best friend, Nina.
Josie finds that while she feels out of control in the real world (Is Justin falling for another girl? Are she and Nina still best friends?), she can control the story in the book and live out the life she misses from high school where she was a big deal. Josie figures out the key to jumping into books and lives in different stories, all the while trying to reconnect with Justin and Nina, as well as take care of Mia. The problem is, the longer Josie spends in a story, the harder it is to get out.
I loved experiencing the different stories with Josie, but the book got bogged down with all the all the threads Shannon Hale tried to connect in one single book: depression, mother issues, a trans best friend, loneliness, lost dreams, distant boyfriend, reevaluating one's entire high school experience... I did feel as though it picked up the pace towards the end, and I couldn't put it down. However, the twist that explained why Josie was able to go into stories, again, seemed like it belonged in another novel.
I will be purchasing this for my library, and I will be recommending it to students to read. I just feel like it missed the mark, but still a fun fantastical read.
Thank you to Netgalley for access to an arc in exchange for my honest review.
Unfortunately, it does not work out quite so well for Josie and she doesn't land any roles. She takes a job being a nanny for a recent divorcee who moves her daughter, Mia, and Josie to Montana for a new start. While walking with Mia one day, Josie happens upon a book store called "Walking Shadow Books." Inside she meets Deo, who flirts wildly, suggests a book, and gives her a pair of reading glasses when her eyes don't seem to be adjusting well to the elevation. While Mia is playing at a park, Josie starts reading the book, a swashbuckling romance. Next thing she knows, she is IN THE BOOK! She sees various people she has met in Montana playing different characters as well as Deo and all the other bookstore workers. Most importantly, her boyfriend Justin is in the book as well as her best friend, Nina.
Josie finds that while she feels out of control in the real world (Is Justin falling for another girl? Are she and Nina still best friends?), she can control the story in the book and live out the life she misses from high school where she was a big deal. Josie figures out the key to jumping into books and lives in different stories, all the while trying to reconnect with Justin and Nina, as well as take care of Mia. The problem is, the longer Josie spends in a story, the harder it is to get out.
I loved experiencing the different stories with Josie, but the book got bogged down with all the all the threads Shannon Hale tried to connect in one single book: depression, mother issues, a trans best friend, loneliness, lost dreams, distant boyfriend, reevaluating one's entire high school experience... I did feel as though it picked up the pace towards the end, and I couldn't put it down. However, the twist that explained why Josie was able to go into stories, again, seemed like it belonged in another novel.
I will be purchasing this for my library, and I will be recommending it to students to read. I just feel like it missed the mark, but still a fun fantastical read.
Thank you to Netgalley for access to an arc in exchange for my honest review.