I am so blessed to have the time between Christmas and New Year’s off. Not only does this give me time to get ahead of things coming up in January, but it’s far easier for me to enjoy reading too.
I had the opportunity Via Lavie and the Friendship Code and I tore through it! What a charming book!
Before we get to my review, here’s a bit of what it’s about:
Via LaVie thinks she’s just an average fifth-grader. She has a mom and dad, an irritating older brother and a cat. She has friends (Molly Appleton is her bestie) and an enemy (bossy mean girl, Tailor Madison). And, she has plenty of worries about going to middle school in the near future.
But Via also has a secret that makes her far from average: she’s an undercover genius who remembers just about everything she sees.
It’s an ability that was encouraged by Via’s beloved grandmother while Via faced one of the biggest challenges in her life. And while her eidetic memory comes in handy for acing schoolwork, finishing science projects and learning how to say “dork” in foreign languages, Via finds it less than helpful for managing Gran’s mysterious disappearance… or for balancing old friendships with new ones when a special new friend moves onto Via’s street.
And then everything in Via’s world gets scrambled when a special opportunity puts Via on a collision course with her family, her friends and her enemy. She’ll need her fantastic memory, all her heart and a little mischief—and face a decision that tests her understanding of what matters most– as she cracks the case of the Friendship Code.
What I Thought:
Like I said, this was a charming book to read. I was captivated by the drama Via gets into with her friends (both old and new) and her enemies. This is a lesson of doing the right thing and having the right heart attitude while you pursue that “right thing.”
I’d say friendship and trust are at the core of this story. Via learns an important lesson in valuing her friendships and not accusing people without knowing the full story.
The authors have excellent characterization skills and draws me in close to Via’s whole world. Whether you have a middle-grade reader or you are a young reader at heart like me, you’ll want to pick up this book.
Purchase your copy on Amazon or add it to your GoodReads reading list.
About Scott Kyle, Liv Kyle, and Karyn Langhorn:
Scott is a financial advisor for Coast Wise Group out of San Diego and the co-author of a YA book called Via LaVie and the Friendship Code. He co-wrote this book with his eleven-year-old daughter, Liv. This is book one of a series. Scott compares this book to the series Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
A good review.