Although I predominately read and review young adult fiction, I cannot escape my upbringing. (End dramatic introduction). Now and then I have to pick up a children’s novel. While this may say a lot about my true maturity (nonexistent…), I prefer to say that it shows my open-mindedness for all sorts of books. Either way, no matter how you view it, Revolution was a great book that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Revolution features protagonist Sunny as she navigates the changing times of 1964. It’s Freedom Summer. In other words, people from the north are coming down south to help African Americans register to vote. Well, that’s how the people from the north describe it. To Sunny’s town, they’re invaders. They’re not welcome. But welcome or not, this is a summer of change. In fact, it’s a revolution.
I initially found Sunny excruciatingly annoying. She was immature, whiny, and stupidly reckless at times. Don’t get me wrong – I love reckless characters – but Sunny’s recklessness fell between stupid and stupid. However, I really enjoyed watching her grow up and develop throughout the novel. Sunny realized the errors of her actions eventually and became a more mature girl. What I loved about Sunny was her sass, even though her sass was what I also hated. Yeah, I know, I’m just making you more confused. Let’s put it this way – I think the best way to describe Sunny is the word “teenager.” She just became a teenager as a tween.
Every character is incredibly well thought out. I think characterization is probably Wiles’ best strength. From Gilette to Sunny, every single character is unique. The common problem of characters mushing together into one is nonexistent in Revolution. Instead, Wiles provides the reader with exceptionally created characters that truly add to the novel.
As Revolution targets middle-grade children ages seven to twelve, Revolution is not as intense as other books about civil rights are. Deborah Wiles offers an intriguing book that will make children think, but don’t worry that kids will get incredibly triggered and upset. In other words, the plot is relatively light considering the topic being addressed. While Sunny herself deals with issues involving both the civil rights movement and her own family, in the end, Revolution is still fairly appropriate for younger readers. I admire the author’s ability to talk about dark events in our history without having to resort to violence and language.
Just a warning, though: Revolution is five hundred and forty-four pages long. (Cue gasp). However, over a hundred of these pages are not part of the actual story. They are pictures and text from the 1960s that bring a reader back to the Civil Rights Movement. While I was initially confused by the first forty or so pages of pictures and words of the past, I eventually came to appreciate such a juxtaposition of past and present. At the same time, you can flip through all the pictures and still know what’s going on in the book.
Rating: 7 out of 10
Publisher: Scholastic (May 27, 2014)
Source: Netgalley
ISBN #: 9780545106078
Length: 544 (Hardcover)
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