Though I certainly know her name, and her books have always been highly recommended, I've never read a Kate DiCamillo book before. That's definitely on me. I have no excuse now. Her newest release, Beverly, Right Here has made me a fan.
Where to start? This was easily one of my favorite reads of the year so far. If you're still in the camp that middle grade books are just for kids and adults can't enjoy them, this will change your mind. It's a quick read and a profoundly beautiful one for something that uses such an economy of words.
DiCamillo introduces us to Beverly Tapinski, revisiting the world she created with Raymie Nightingale. Being the third in the series, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to get into it, as I haven’t read the first two. First of all, I plan to rectify that immediately, because I'll reiterate that I can’t believe I’ve gone all this way without being familiar with DiCamillo’s works. And secondly, there was nothing to worry about, as Beverly worked just fine as a stand-alone.
I loved the cast—these were flawed, lovable people filled with depth and humanity. DiCamillo is not overly wordy here, but she made such a clear world that drew me in. I couldn’t put this book down. And when it came to its all too quick end, I was in desperate search for more pages, because I just wanted to read more. I will absolutely be on the lookout for more books by this author. This is another huge win for Candlewick Press.
I received this book through NetGalley and Candlewick Press in exchange for a review, but I'm eager to buy and add this series to my collection.
Five huge stars!!