Reviews

A summer in the bayou helps a little girl find her own sense of self and place. Maddy borrows the magic of her ancestors as she explores the mysterious landscape of the bayou with her new friend bear. As her magic grows, she finds the courage to help her friend and the community survive an ecological disaster. Great story for children who struggle with finding their place in their family.

clumsycrane's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

merisaurum's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

martinhope19's review against another edition

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4.25

Audiobook. An adorable novel that made me ache for Louisiana and the bayou! Love the pinch of magic, connection to Earth, and lessons on being kind to the planet and different beliefs/cultures.

laphenix's review against another edition

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4.0

Sweet and endearing. A beautiful story, never preachy, with great lessons of real life.

jkribbit's review against another edition

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5.0

What an incredibly beautiful book! I was captivated by the voice and cadence of the storytelling. The lines between waking and dreaming, reality and imagination, were blurred so effectively that the book became a beautiful Bayou Impressionist painting. The Black and Bayou folklore and love of nature paired with the harsh realities of man made environmental disasters offer such a bleak, and poignant, and yet hopeful fable. Like our protagonist, Maddy, I long for next summer in Bon Temps with the fireflies and mermaids.

Content warning: child abuse, alcoholism, animal death, environmental disaster.

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