My First Book Review!

I'm going to start reviewing books. Or at least I'll try.

My first:

Cornelia and the Audacious Escapades of the Somerset Sisters by Lesley M. M. Blume

Description: Eleven-year-old Cornelia is the daughter of two world-famous pianists--a legacy that should feel fabulous, but instead feels just plain lonely. Then glamorous Virginia Somerset moves next door with her servant, Patel, and a mischievous French bulldog named Mister Kinyatta, and Cornelia discovers that the world is a much more exciting place than she had originally thought.

(I don't feel that it's a sufficient description, but that's just me.)

Time to read: About one day

Pages: 261+3(Acknowledgments)

Rating: 5

Review: I love Cornelia Street Englehart. She found some of the best word books ever! She's so lonely in the beginning, I felt horrible for her. I love the way the Blume describes all the characters, though. She makes each one seem real, and nearly all of them are very like-able.

Some parts are a little bit confusing, though. It was written in third person, but Virginia is almost always telling stories, so there were a few parts where it would say 'Virginia said,' but it seems like she said it at the time the story was taking place, not just while she told Cornelia the story.

I cried from about 240 to 252.

My absoloutly favorite is page 252, and a little before;

"Virginia," she said softly.

"Yes?"

Cornelia swallowed. "Are you afraid of dying?"

For the first time in their friendship, Virginia's eyes filled with tears.

"A little bit, Cornelia." She took a deep breath. "But you have to remember that I have done a lot of living in my seven and a half decades. And Alexandra, Beatrice, and Gladys have been gone for many years now. I miss them with all of my heart. Maybe I'll be with them again when I leave this world, and we'll have the biggest adventure of all." She was quiet for a moment. "You just never know what's going to happen."

Just at that moment, the record player finished playing and the old phonograph clicked off. Yet they could still hear the soft sound of Mozart playing. After a minute, Cornelia realized that it was Lucy playing the piano in the apartment next door.

For a long time, the two friends sipped tea and quietly listened to the faint music together through the sky-colored wall of Virginia's Indian bedroom.

Lesley M. M. Blume, p. 251-252-Cornelia and the Audacious Escapades of the Somerset Sisters

I cried there...

My suggested age group for this book is anywhere from 10 to... 14? I don't know. They use a lot of big words, but they always have the definition.

Anyone above about 10 can read it, really. It would also be a nice read-aloud book for younger siblings.

Enjoy your readings!

Cheerio, peeps!