Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

I’m posting on track–on a Saturday! Wahoo! And the BEST part is that I’ve had The Cure for Cold Feet on my shelf for ages, partly because it’s a verse novel and I kept thinking that ‘oh, that’s so short that I can read it anytime’ and partly because I kept not being in the mood–anytime. I finally committed myself to it out of sheer obstinacy (and the knowledge that it would free up a spot on my 12-year-old’s library card).

That 12-year-old of mine read Cold Feet‘s predecessor–Izzy Kline Has Butterflies QUITE some time ago. I read it before passing it on to her, and I enjoyed it as well, which is why its sequel has been sitting on my shelf. I don’t know that she’ll care enough about the sequel to read it after so much time has passed, however, and so I’m returning it to the library–because for whatever reason, I just didn’t like it as well. It’s possible I’ve read a few too many middle grade novels in the last year or so that involve a friend being dropped by another friend upon entering middle school/junior high; I’m not saying Cold Feet did it badly, but there’s only so much of that I can take in a given block of time. It’s also possible that Beth Ain’s style of verse feels a bit poetic for its subject matter to me. (There’s nothing wrong with Izzy expressing herself poetically, but I guess it started to feel like too much mental/emotional effort for what I was getting out of it. Admittedly, my age vs. the age of the intended audience is part of the problem…) Perhaps I also wanted more closure than provided? Ultimately, this is a poetically lovely story, and kids with divorced parents who are transitioning into other relationships may find it perfect; I, on the other hand, clearly need a break from this sort of middle grade novel!