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A review by acej8
Look Out for the Fitzgerald-Trouts by Sydney Smith, Esta Spalding
4.0
I receive this as a giveaway from Goodreads, in exchange for fair review.
To start off with, I absolutely love the look and feel of this book. Complete with a blue font lettering and hued illustrations. I read this book and less than 24 hours, probably the quickest 200+ page read for me this year thus far. I have since imparted the gift of literacy, and given the book away to extended family.
The Fitzgerald-Trouts is in many ways a unique book, as well as an amalgam of others. First off Spalding's writing style/technique is very similar to that of Lemony Snicket's in the Series of Unfortunate Events. She refers to herself a lot while also writing about a group of misfortunate siblings. Essentially the main protagonists consists of Kim and Kimo, a twin sister and brother respectively and their young siblings Pippa and Toby. They're more step siblings than real full blooded ones, sharing four different parents among them. All four of them are living together in a green car in a beach parking lot having been abandoned by their parents. They rarely see them, and when they do it is to collect some money or other resources. They take it upon themselves to survive. Meaning, getting to school, washing their clothes, finding a house, etcetera. Along the way they hit some snags and innovate success in their own young minded ways.
The story was really reminiscent of Lewis Sacher's "Holes", and "The Boxcar Children Series" by Gertrude Chandler Warner. It reminded me of a sense of nostalgia for my younger grade school years. The Island theme was an awesome addition to the story. My only caveats were some fanatical situations the siblings find themselves in. That being said the theme of the story is that you may find your self in tough situations, and bad things may happen to you, but you have the power to move on, and left yourself above the fray with collaboration, and positive thinking/actions. Another great addition to the middle grade fiction genre.
To start off with, I absolutely love the look and feel of this book. Complete with a blue font lettering and hued illustrations. I read this book and less than 24 hours, probably the quickest 200+ page read for me this year thus far. I have since imparted the gift of literacy, and given the book away to extended family.
The Fitzgerald-Trouts is in many ways a unique book, as well as an amalgam of others. First off Spalding's writing style/technique is very similar to that of Lemony Snicket's in the Series of Unfortunate Events. She refers to herself a lot while also writing about a group of misfortunate siblings. Essentially the main protagonists consists of Kim and Kimo, a twin sister and brother respectively and their young siblings Pippa and Toby. They're more step siblings than real full blooded ones, sharing four different parents among them. All four of them are living together in a green car in a beach parking lot having been abandoned by their parents. They rarely see them, and when they do it is to collect some money or other resources. They take it upon themselves to survive. Meaning, getting to school, washing their clothes, finding a house, etcetera. Along the way they hit some snags and innovate success in their own young minded ways.
The story was really reminiscent of Lewis Sacher's "Holes", and "The Boxcar Children Series" by Gertrude Chandler Warner. It reminded me of a sense of nostalgia for my younger grade school years. The Island theme was an awesome addition to the story. My only caveats were some fanatical situations the siblings find themselves in. That being said the theme of the story is that you may find your self in tough situations, and bad things may happen to you, but you have the power to move on, and left yourself above the fray with collaboration, and positive thinking/actions. Another great addition to the middle grade fiction genre.