Emma's well-meaning grandpa is clueless. And her only friends are the local librarian and a precocious 10-year old adopted by the two old ladies next door.Smart, shy, and nearly six feet tall, Emma struggles to fit in at school, so she jumps at the opportunity to "home school" until that too turns into another of mom's half-baked ideas.
Taken from GoodReads.
I, Emma Freke follows the story of tweenage Emma, who has never quite in with her peers. She's too tall to blend, she's more comfortable with customers than those her own age, and she's certain that meeting the rest of her distant family will solidify her status as a freak forever. Along the way though, Emma learns that being a Freke doesn't mean she is actually a freak, and being her own person might be better than fitting in after all.
Remember those horrible in-between years where you wore glasses and braces, and you basically looked like a little wombat in clothes? Ok, maybe that was just me, but we all went through our awkward stages, and Emma is living them out in I, Emma Freke. With moments of cringe-worthy hilarity, sweet sensitivity to Emma's young age and personality, the author, Elizabeth Atkinson, cleverly weaves us along Emma's journey to self-discovery with her. Beautifully written in a tone that all ages can appreciate, it's a story that I really enjoyed reading.
I, Emma Freke is a mildly saccharin-sweet coming-of-age story that I can honestly say I've heard nothing about before. I think it is partially because it doesn't really step outside the box of your typical YA contemporary fiction. It's a very cute story, and it definitely has a message about finding one's true self and owning it no matter what. The plot didn't lag, and there was a definite focus throughout, but I can't fight that nagging feeling that it was missing a little something...different. I think it needed an extra edge of tension to be thrown into the mix to make the climax of the story a little more poignant. In that aspect alone, I, Emma Freke fell a little flat for me.
Nevertheless, I, Emma Freke is a very nice story. Well-written with good values and themes, I give it a strong 3.5 out of 5, and I'd recommend it to a lower YA to MG audience, especially those who enjoy contemporary fiction, realistic fiction, and drama.
I received this book free of charge from the publisher, Lerner Publishing Group and Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.
Remember those horrible in-between years where you wore glasses and braces, and you basically looked like a little wombat in clothes? Ok, maybe that was just me, but we all went through our awkward stages, and Emma is living them out in I, Emma Freke. With moments of cringe-worthy hilarity, sweet sensitivity to Emma's young age and personality, the author, Elizabeth Atkinson, cleverly weaves us along Emma's journey to self-discovery with her. Beautifully written in a tone that all ages can appreciate, it's a story that I really enjoyed reading.
I, Emma Freke is a mildly saccharin-sweet coming-of-age story that I can honestly say I've heard nothing about before. I think it is partially because it doesn't really step outside the box of your typical YA contemporary fiction. It's a very cute story, and it definitely has a message about finding one's true self and owning it no matter what. The plot didn't lag, and there was a definite focus throughout, but I can't fight that nagging feeling that it was missing a little something...different. I think it needed an extra edge of tension to be thrown into the mix to make the climax of the story a little more poignant. In that aspect alone, I, Emma Freke fell a little flat for me.
Nevertheless, I, Emma Freke is a very nice story. Well-written with good values and themes, I give it a strong 3.5 out of 5, and I'd recommend it to a lower YA to MG audience, especially those who enjoy contemporary fiction, realistic fiction, and drama.
I received this book free of charge from the publisher, Lerner Publishing Group and Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.
