review: ivy aberdeen’s letter to the World by ashley herring blake

When a tornado rips through town, twelve-year-old Ivy Aberdeen's house is destroyed and her family of five is displaced. Ivy feels invisible and ignored in the aftermath of the storm--and what's worse, her notebook filled with secret drawings of girls holding hands has gone missing.

Mysteriously, Ivy's drawings begin to reappear in her locker with notes from someone telling her to open up about her identity. Ivy thinks--and hopes--that this someone might be her classmate, another girl for whom Ivy has begun to develop a crush. Will Ivy find the strength and courage to follow her true feelings? ~ Goodreads





Source: arc provided in exchange for an honest review

Review:

Ivy Aberdeen is a 12 year old girl struggling to find her place. She’s an artist – often collaborating with her mother, an author of a popular children’s series, and drawing in her sketchbook. Only now, as her friends talk more and more about liking boys and asking them to school dances, Ivy keeps drawing girls holding hands. She’s not even sure what this means but senses that it’s something she should keep secret, especially after overhearing her sister react poorly to her best friend’s coming out.

After a tornado blows through their small town, destroying the Aberdeen home, the family is forced to live in close proximity (6 people in ONE room!) and things come to a head, leaving Ivy increasingly confused and isolated. Her mom has recently given birth to twins and has very little time to spend with Ivy. Her older sister is deemed helpful, while, middle child, Ivy’s questions and well meaning attempts to help just get in the way. Ivy's parents consider sending her to stay with a her best friend while they sort out better living arrangements, thinking she would have more fun, but Ivy sees it as yet another rejection by her family.

Ivy’s sketchbook goes missing after the chaos of the tornado and pages start appearing in her locker, sometimes with a note encouraging her to tell someone her secret. Ivy isn’t sure if it’s someone who is about to expose her or possibly June, the girl who makes Ivy’s stomach do flips whenever she’s around.

Ivy Aberdeen kept breaking my heart and putting the pieces back together again. Her confusion, her loneliness…I felt it bone deep. But I also felt her joy as she finds love and (self) acceptance from her friends and family.

Art as an outlet for expression of painful or confusing feelings is another strong theme in this novel. I love that even though not everyone is as good as Ivy, they still try and have fun with it. I’m not artistic, at all, but I could see the world in brushstrokes and colors through Ivy. She’s just a really relatable protagonist that you root for and want to wrap in a big protective hug.

I haven't read a lot of mid-grade, but the few that I have, have been wonderful - defying age classifications with universal themes. Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World is one such book, tackling family dynamics, new and changing friendship dynamics and self discovery, making it perfect for readers young and old.

It’s an especially great addition for LGBQT MG readers as it discuss Ivy’s growing feelings for girls and has supportive adult characters who help Ivy work things out, show that life is messy and adults don’t always get it right or have all the answers.

Friendships, family, love – they aren’t always easy or perfect but they can get better.