Book Review: Louisiana’s Way Home by Kate DiCamillo
Media Type: Ebook (ARC)
Title: Louisiana’s Way Home
Author: Kate DiCamillo
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Pages: Hardcover; 240
Release Date: October 2, 2018
Source: NetGalley/Publisher
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Content Screening: Nothing of note.
HDB Rating: 4 Keys to My Heart
Recommended to: Readers who enjoy real characters who face real life issues, with a touch of magic.
Add it on: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
From two-time Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo comes a story of discovering who you are — and deciding who you want to be.
When Louisiana Elefante’s granny wakes her up in the middle of the night to tell her that the day of reckoning has arrived and they have to leave home immediately, Louisiana isn’t overly worried. After all, Granny has many middle-of-the-night ideas. But this time, things are different. This time, Granny intends for them never to return. Separated from her best friends, Raymie and Beverly, Louisiana struggles to oppose the winds of fate (and Granny) and find a way home. But as Louisiana’s life becomes entwined with the lives of the people of a small Georgia town — including a surly motel owner, a walrus-like minister, and a mysterious boy with a crow on his shoulder — she starts to worry that she is destined only for good-byes. (Which could be due to the curse on Louisiana’s and Granny’s heads. But that is a story for another time.)
Called “one of DiCamillo’s most singular and arresting creations” by The New York Times Book Review, the heartbreakingly irresistible Louisiana Elefante was introduced to readers in Raymie Nightingale — and now, with humor and tenderness, Kate DiCamillo returns to tell her story.
Absolutely adorable, although I expected no less from the sensational Kate DiCamillo. Louisiana Elefante is a character that middle grade readers will understand and fall in love with. Coincidentally, so will adult readers if my reaction is any indication. DiCamillo writes a character who is brave and kind, while still showing her youth. She writes Louisiana in a way that makes you proud of how strong she is standing, but also remember that she still need someone to care for her. I’m telling you, I fell hard for this girl. It was inevitable.
I can’t say too much more without giving something crucial away, so I’ll wrap things up. This is one of those stories that toes the line of magic, but exists firmly and beautifully within our own world. It’s a story made up of people are flawed,and alive. Any author that can write for young people and still manage to put real world problems in front of their readers has my heart. Kate DiCamillo continues to prove that she is more than capable of that very thing, and I love her for it.
FTC Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion.
