I’ve been a big fan of Cassie Beasley’s middle grade books for a while, and it was with great anticipation and eager eyes that I picked up her latest release, Tumble and Blue.
This was a sweet middle grade story about friendship, fate, and sacrifices and included the point of view of an ancient creature of the bayou, which I found delightful.
Here are three things I enjoyed most about it:
- The characters. I loved Tumble and Blue. They both had emotional wounds, which made them three-dimensional and realistic, but they also had very distinct personalities—Tumble was the girl who wants to be a hero; Blue was the boy who always loses. What great irony to begin with. I also absolutely loved that they were a boy and a girl who could just be friends and nothing more.
- The concept. The story is based on the concept of fates—Blue’s family members are born with a particular fate that can be either good or bad, and in order to change that, they must track down a giant alligator called Munch on a red sickle moon. This concept gave the book the feel of a legend, and I enjoyed that immensely.
- The structure. The narrative was interrupted by sections written from the perspective of Munch. This introduced a sense of mystery and some tension while still propelling the story forward. And Beasley also used a bit of backstory that was relevant to the story in Munch’s excerpts. It was a great way to explain things in a way that felt natural, rather than forced.
The first line was intriguing enough to keep me reading. Here’s the first couple of sentences for you:
“From time to time, I bother to notice them.
“Tourists. They come reeking of their bug repellants and their sunscreens, and the clicker-snap of their cameras nibbles away at the song of the swamp until I wonder if they can hear it at all.
“In my memory, the humans who traveled the Okefenokee were a different sort. These new ones are less afraid. More curious. And, on the whole, they are quite a bit plumper.”
I absolutely loved the mystery and humor introduced in this first page of the novel.
Middle grade readers will love this tender tale of friendship and bravery.
The above is an affiliate link. I only recommend books that I personally enjoy. I actually don’t even talk about the books I don’t enjoy, because I’d rather forget I ever wasted time reading them. But if you’re ever curious whether I’ve read a book and whether I liked or disliked it, don’t hesitate to ask.
