Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

There’s a winter storm warning for today, which is completely great, since we need the snow desperately. I’m also scheduled for my carpal tunnel surgery, however, AND we need milk, so I really ought to go to Costco beforehand. (It should be cold enough for milk to sit in the car, and it will undoubtedly be easier to lift it to and from the cart before my wrist gets cut into.) And honestly? I’m just so tired. I did not sleep well last night.

On the other hand, I finished Kate Beasley’s Lions & Liars at least a week ago, and I’m feeling relatively motivated to get it out of my ‘to be reviewed’ pile–especially since I’m passing it on to my littles. Now, about the actual review…

The simplest way to describe Lions & Liars is calling it a mashup of 2/3 Louis Sachar’s Holes and 1/3 Gordon Korman’s Ungifted, written (less humorously than usual) by Carl Hiaasen. Frederick Frederickson is already having a terrible week when he finds himself adrift on the Omigoshee River in a boat small enough to make alligators a concern. When he finally bumps ashore he finds himself at Camp Omigoshee–“where boys are ‘transformed'”–and jumps at the chance to reinvent himself. That isn’t as easy as it sounds, however, and he’s about to admit himself the same old Frederick Frederickson when a major hurricane comes along to provide some next-level growth opportunities.

In the interest of full disclosure, I didn’t think this had the same emotional impact as Holes. It’s entertaining and fast moving, however–just because it isn’t (quite) Hiaasen level funny doesn’t mean it isn’t funny–and I rather suspect it would have resonated more with me if I were a middle school aged boy. I’ll let you know what mine thinks (not to mention my elementary aged girl); in the meantime, wish me luck for the day!