What is a savvy? In the Beaumont family, a savvy is the special ability one gets when they turn thirteen. It could be the ability to control electricity, or to move the earth, or perhaps the ability to bottle up music in a jar. Mississippi Beaumont, or Mibs as she’s known, is about to turn thirteen. But right before her birthday, her father gets into a car accident, forcing her mother and older brother to leave home and go visit him in the hospital. With her parents away, the town’s preacher and his family members host her birthday party, which is a disaster. Amidst the chaos, Mibs discovers that one of her brother’s pet turtles, previously assumed dead, was awake and alive. Thinking that she might have the ability to wake people up, she decides to go to Salinas, where her father is staying to cure him herself.
Mibs brings along her two brothers, Fish, who can control the weather, and Samson, who can seem to disappear at will, along with the preacher’s two children, Bobbi and Will Junior. They hitchhike in the back of a pink bible salesman’s truck, getting to know Lester, the kind hearted man who owned the truck, and picking up other travelers along the way, such as Lilli, a waitress headed out to start a new life. Throughout the book, Mibs discovers her true savvy as well as some surprising truths about the preacher’s kids. Savvy is a beautiful book about friendship, family, and finding your true self.
Savvy is beautifully written, with well crafted alliterations and descriptive sentences, while also containing hilarious gibberish such as, “razzmatazz radio” and “oom-pah-pah polka music.” In this interesting world, the author spins a touching narrative on the topics of family, friendship, and self discovery. While admittedly a bit unevenly paced, Savvy makes up for that with it’s memorable and lovable characters. Each character is very well written, fleshed out, and receives a lot of character growth, which I loved to see. Additionally, Ingrid Law does an amazing job of writing descriptive visuals of the world, as well as going into depth with each character’s savvy. With it’s well written characters, beautifully crafted world, and touching plot, Savvy is a book you definitely don’t want to miss out on.
Review Written by Lindsey, 9th Grade