I will say, this isn’t a book I would normally read. But I’m glad I did. As I went along the largely plot-less novel, it reminded me of something I had watched, but it took a moment to remember what it was. Then it hit me: My Neighbor Totoro. Like that famous and lovable film, this book is a celebration of being a kid. These vignettes, as the kids investigate the unnatural things in their home, perfectly capture the wonder and innocence of children:from being amazed at the view from atop a tree to being scared of spiders under the bed to wondering just how old their old lady babysitter is. Bennett had a knack for kids and she perfectly captured their dialogue and nuances, I could hear kids talking like this.
While the book is almost a series of vignettes, there is a through line, the continuing problem of Susie trying to come with terms about her parents’s death. It doesn’t overshadow the story nor make it dark, but I liked that the thread was continually picked up and tied into the main narrative. I feel the book would have been lessened without having it in there, as characters in most stories need to grow, as these kids do.
This is a quick read for adults but will be quite enjoyable for younger readers, or a great bedtime story. All in all, a magical book.
