pages: 310
read: 2/18-26/2019
rating: good kids book / read
book: 23 in 2019
“If you didn’t have bad things, you wouldn’t have good things. They would all just be things. Did you ever think about that?”
In one day, four lives weave together in unexpected ways. Virgil Salinas is shy and kind hearted and feels out of place in his crazy-about-sports family. Valencia Somerset, who is deaf, is smart, brave, and secretly lonely, and she loves everything about nature. Kaori Tanaka is a self-proclaimed psychic, whose little sister, Gen, is always following her around. And Chet Bullens wishes the weird kids would just stop being so different so he can concentrate on basketball.
They aren’t friends, at least not until Chet pulls a prank that traps Virgil and his pet guinea pig at the bottom of a well. This disaster leads Kaori, Gen, and Valencia on an epic quest to find missing Virgil. Through luck, smarts, bravery, and a little help from the universe, a rescue is performed, a bully is put in his place, and friendship blooms.
“That’s the problem. People don’t want to listen to their thoughts, so they fill the world with noise.”
MY THOUGHTS
SHORT VERSION
man, what are kids made of these days? i know its a kid's read, but I'm glad i read it. i think if you have kids, this is something good to read with them.
LONG VERSION
another amazon win!
I picked this book up purely because of the cover but I ended up loving it.
I'm not sure if it's because I'm older but kids stories man, they kill me.
I love the whole fate theme. I'm a huge believer of fate and karma and timing and coincidence so this story appealed to me.
But I love it not only for that. I love it because Virgil finally finds his voice and that was one of the best things about this book. Sometimes shit has to hit the fan in order for you to find out who you truly are.
So glad I gave this book a read.
I'm not sure if it's because I'm older but kids stories man, they kill me.
I love the whole fate theme. I'm a huge believer of fate and karma and timing and coincidence so this story appealed to me.
But I love it not only for that. I love it because Virgil finally finds his voice and that was one of the best things about this book. Sometimes shit has to hit the fan in order for you to find out who you truly are.
So glad I gave this book a read.
I'd read it in bed close to bedtime so I'd read this as much as i could and then go to sleep happy to have read something with such a good message.
the synopsis gives you the entire gist of the book (duh, les. that's it's job!) so there's not a whole lot more i can say without spoiling it for ya.
all i can say is Virgil definitely has a lot of love to give. and you can tell that Valencia wants more than she leads on. everyone wants a friend. as much as being alone is great, it's still pretty painful to not have anyone at a time of need or just anyone period. i love her character for being so alert. i mean, obvs she has to be. but not only is she SO GOOD, she doesn't let that stop her from being kick ass. having someone with a disability and showing them in a positive light was such a good idea for this story. and i think it's a great thing that it's shown throughout the book continuously.
i loved grandma Lola and the relationship she has with Virgil. i think it's an amazing thing to have an adult talk to you like a human vs a kid who doesn't "know" things. i believe kids know more than we give them credit for. and the author does such a good job showing you that parents aren't always the best even though you know they definitely don't mean you any harm. they're just being parents.
I'm not a huge believer in Astrology mostly cause its not something that I've ever looked into but i liked reading about it in this book and i love that Kaori loves it with all her heart. i love even more that as much as she is right, she is wrong and for the most part her little sister is just as wise even if it's not as it says it is in the stars. i think she did a good job making this subject work both ways.
overall, this was a really cute, good read and it is aimed for younger kids so this is something that would be good for kids to read. just you know, don't let them go near a well. and maybe talk them and teach them to not be little shits to other kids. (:
jump over for spoilers!
thanks for reading!
Virgil goes to Kaori to talk to her about his "i have a crush on her but i just want to be her friend" situation in regards to Valencia.
K tells him to go find 5 stones and she will then tell him what to do.
so the next day he goes into the forest to look for the stones but he runs into Chet, the bully.
Chet being a dick, takes Virgil's backpack and tosses it into the well NOT KNOWING that Virgil's pet guinea pig, Gulliver was inside. (although tbh, i think that probably would have fueled him more.)
of course Virgil goes after G. at first he takes the ladder down but it only goes so far so he takes a leap and jumps off the last step. luckily he didn't hurt himself, break anything or land on G. but he does break his phone so he's screwed.
Chet was in the forest looking for a snake just to show off. he was going to grab it by the tail and show off at school.
Valencia was in the forest on her way to Kaori's house (this was after she had seen K's ad at the market). she went that way to feed the stray dog and because she's okay with the woods.
she comes across the well and sees Virgil's stones and that the well is open so she throws the stones in and then closes it. of course Virgil is losing his shit. he thinks its Chet that's throwing the stones messing with him.
Valencia makes it to K's house and by this point K is freaking out because she hasn't seen Virgil and they had an appointment earlier and Virgil is NEVER late.
so they device a plan to have Valencia go to Virgil's house and ask for him and because of course he is not there, they go back to K's house to get her crystals to help her find him.
they get the crystals, go into the forest to look for another rock they need which of course is nowhere near them because you can only find that rock by a beach. so they get worried and look for a substitute rock.
then they hear a scream.
(in the well, Virgil starts talking to a spirit his grandmother had told him about and at this moment, i thought the girls heard his scream.)
it turns out that it was Chet. he got bit by a snake.
he was being a punk, Valencia put him in his place and told him he'd be fine (she's read all of this stuff) and then they set off to the well.
before Chet, K's sister had mentioned the 5 stones and Valencia remembered the stones she threw in the well so they go to the well and they find him.
i think Valencia climbs down the stairs and then hands him K's sister's jump rope (after K had told her to leave that damn thing home. HA!) and he manages to escape.
on the way home, Virgil ends up taking the stray dog with him. this time instead of a shortcut, he goes straight home from K's house. which means passing through Chet's house.
Chet is playing basketball when he sees Virgil. he wants to talk smack but he sees the dog and panics (Chet is afraid of dogs).
that's when Virgil stands up to him and tells him that if he ever calls him a retardo again he will regret it.
Chet just says whatever.
the end.
Chet was in the forest looking for a snake just to show off. he was going to grab it by the tail and show off at school.
Valencia was in the forest on her way to Kaori's house (this was after she had seen K's ad at the market). she went that way to feed the stray dog and because she's okay with the woods.
she comes across the well and sees Virgil's stones and that the well is open so she throws the stones in and then closes it. of course Virgil is losing his shit. he thinks its Chet that's throwing the stones messing with him.
Valencia makes it to K's house and by this point K is freaking out because she hasn't seen Virgil and they had an appointment earlier and Virgil is NEVER late.
so they device a plan to have Valencia go to Virgil's house and ask for him and because of course he is not there, they go back to K's house to get her crystals to help her find him.
they get the crystals, go into the forest to look for another rock they need which of course is nowhere near them because you can only find that rock by a beach. so they get worried and look for a substitute rock.
then they hear a scream.
(in the well, Virgil starts talking to a spirit his grandmother had told him about and at this moment, i thought the girls heard his scream.)
it turns out that it was Chet. he got bit by a snake.
he was being a punk, Valencia put him in his place and told him he'd be fine (she's read all of this stuff) and then they set off to the well.
before Chet, K's sister had mentioned the 5 stones and Valencia remembered the stones she threw in the well so they go to the well and they find him.
i think Valencia climbs down the stairs and then hands him K's sister's jump rope (after K had told her to leave that damn thing home. HA!) and he manages to escape.
on the way home, Virgil ends up taking the stray dog with him. this time instead of a shortcut, he goes straight home from K's house. which means passing through Chet's house.
Chet is playing basketball when he sees Virgil. he wants to talk smack but he sees the dog and panics (Chet is afraid of dogs).
that's when Virgil stands up to him and tells him that if he ever calls him a retardo again he will regret it.
Chet just says whatever.
Virgil gets home and his family is shocked at the state he is in.
the dog follows him and his mom tries to protest it but grandma Lola steps in and they keep him. and then he tells his mother he wishes they'd stop calling him Turtle to which his mother says "ok."
Valencia & K go into business. kinda physic deal. K reads the stars and Valencia has facts.
then Virgil finally has the guts to text Valencia.
the end.
ahhh!!! i really liked this book!
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