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Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Unique Calvin Stands Out in the Contemporary YA Crowd—In A Very Good Way
7:14 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
"Now I was seventeen and a tiger was talking to me and I wasn't scared of the monsters under the bed. I was scared of the monster in the bed, which was me" (13).

First things first: Calvin has to ditch the delusive cat. As far as he can see, there's only one way to do that. If he can convince Bill Watterson to write one more Calvin and Hobbes story—this one sans Hobbes—the imaginary feline will disappear from existence. Writing to the comic's creator hasn't worked, so Calvin's taking his plea to Watterson's front door. It will mean tramping across frozen Lake Erie with a girl who may or may not be real, but Calvin is determined to stop a figment of his imagination from taking over his life.

True originality is not a quality often found in contemporary YA literature. That's one of the reasons Calvin by Martine Leavitt is such a gem. With a unique premise, an otherworldly setting, and an intriguing blend of adventure, humor, and psychological thriller, it's definitely different from the norm. Which is a good thing. A very, very good thing. At less than 200 pages, it's a quick read but a surprisingly complex one. Both tender and touching, Calvin is appealing, absorbing, and absolutely unforgettable. Destined to be a sleeper hit, this is one contemporary YA novel you don't want to miss.
(Readalikes: Reminded me of Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for scenes of peril and vague references to sex
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
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Reading
The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed By Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold

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The Other Mothers by Katherine Faulkner


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2025 Goodreads Reading Challenge
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