Review: Iva Honeysuckle Meets Her Match by Candice Ransom

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Uncertain, Virginia is no place for an explorer like Iva Honeysuckle to spend the summer. When Iva finds out her family is going on vacation, she's thrilled. She knows she will make her next great discovery at Stingray Point. The very name promises adventure and danger.
Iva soon realizes that Stingray Point isn't the exciting place she thought it was. But then Iva hears about the legend of Chessie, the town's very own sea monster. Spotting Chessie would blow all other discoveries out of the water.
Stalking a sea monster isn't as easy as it looks. Iva needs a partner--all the best discoverers have one. Iva may have the brains and determination to find Chessie, but she needs someone with a healthy dose of luck. When Iva realizes just who happens to be her perfect match, it will be her greatest discovery of all.

MY TAKE:
Interesting summer adventure stories about spunky heroines are few and hard to come by.

In Iva Honeysuckle Meets Her Match, Iva is going to Stingray Point with her mom, aunt and cousins.As an aspiring explorer, Iva hopes to find pirates' treasure. Will she find what she's looking for there?

The premise and the plot twists of the book are all interesting enough and something that kids can relate to in some way, especially if they spend the summer with their cousins and their families. Summer adventures are something that kids tend to hope for. My biggest issue with this book, however, is that I found Iva to be selfish and annoying. She tricked her sister, she lied to her mom and she's mean to her cousins. Of course, she has her nice moments too, particularly near the end when she stopped thinking about herself and started to think about other people.

Thanks to NetGalley and Disney Book Group for the e-ARC. Publication date of Iva Honeysuckle Meets Her Match is on June 11, 2013.

THE GOOD:

1. It gets you in the mood for summer.
2. Adventurous kids might find it inspiring.
3. The dynamics between the family members are fun to read.

THE BAD:

1. Iva can be annoying and selfish.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

Iva handed over the rest of Lily Pearl's money and received a green basket with six deep-fat-fried cheesecake bites resting uneasily on a square of grease-soaked paper.

READ IT IF:

1. You're looking for a fun summer read for your child.
2. Your kid is adventurous.
3. You have a close relationship with your cousins.

RATING:


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