Book Review: "All the Answers" by Kate Messner

Welcome back everybody! It has been SO long since I last posted, so I apologize. Today I will be reviewing the book All the Answers by Kate Messner. If you haven't already been here before, please read the "About" section on this website to learn more about it. I will start out by introducing the characters, telling you what you should know about the book, and then I will give you a plot summary and what my thoughts are on the book. Let's get to it!

**WARNING: May Contain Minor/Major Spoilers**

Main Character:

• Ava Anderson, the story's protagonist, a 12 year old girl.

- She describes herself as having "skinny arms and sprindly legs and [someone who] wilted easily"(Messner 2).

- She is afraid of a lot of things and is not someone who takes risks. She also tends to get nervous when it comes to test-taking— she studies, but then her mind blanks out and she forgets everything.

Supporting Characters:

• Sophie, Ava's best friend, who is also a girl.

- Sophie is always trying to get Ava to try new things and participate in things like jazz band. Ava also said early on in the book that Sophie was the one who helped her survive preschool— Ava was afraid of everything—including people— back then.

• Emma Anderson, Ava's younger sister, who is in 2nd grade.

- Because there are five different Emma's in her class, she is called Emma A-2. But, she does not want to be called Emma A-2, so she wears a name tag all day long with a random name on it. (Ex. Cleopatra)

• Marcus Anderson, Ava's older brother.

- He is a few grades above Ava and Sophie, and he believes his 97.3 grade average is not good enough.

- He made himself an atheist a while back.

• "Dad," Ava, Marcus, and Emma's dad.

- "Dad's" first name is unknown.

- He is trying to save his general store (because he heard they are building a new supermarket nearby) by making it famous for having the "World's Largest __________" or "Home of the World Famous ______________."

•"Mom," Ava, Marcus, and Emma's mom.

- "Mom's" first name is unknown

- She has this thing with Ava where they read books together and try to quote the characters in real life.

- She also has disagreements about politics with Ava's dad.

• "Gram," Ava, Marcus, and Emma's grandmother.

- Gram is Ava's father's mom.

- Even though Ava's family is not religious, Gram prays to God about things like wars and presidents and things that Gram has heard on the CNN news.

- Gram is always the first to know when Ava is anxious, because she can see body language that shows Ava is stressed.

• "Grandpa," Ava, Marcus, and Emma's grandmother.

- Grandpa is Ava's mother's dad.

- He is under the care of a nursing home called Cedar Bay, and Ava doesn't really understand him. He doesn't talk much, either, and not much is known about him.

Plot:

The book is about Ava Anderson, a 12 yr. old girl, who is always afraid of trying new things. Her friend Sophie is actually the one who helped her get through Kindergarten—back then she was afraid of everything, including people. She discovers a tiny voice talking to her one day when she is taking a math test, and soon discovers that the pencil she took from her junk drawer is actually magical. It holds answers to specific questions, and with it she discovers many new things she never knew before. But a pencil can only hold so many answers...

What you Need To Know About the Book:

• Ava describes early on that her family is weird when it comes to religion. For example, Marcus declared himself an atheist a while back, and Gram prays to God and Jesus about things she sees on CNN. But the rest of her family doesn't go to church, which is the weird part.

• Ava is afraid of a lot of things that she encounters. She is definitely not a risk taker, and she probably will never be one unless she somehow learns to overcome her fear of a lot of things. She uses the words "What if" a lot and worries a lot. Just a heads up, in case you don't like the type of character that constantly has anxiety attacks.

• You will be pretty surprised by how the book ends. It takes an unexpected turn towards the middle and I thought it was pretty interesting. You will also find out more about the voice inside the pencil... but I won't spoil it for you. *Minor Spoiler Begins* Ava also does become a bit braver and more sure of herself towards the end of the book. *Minor Spoiler Ends* And I also thought that you really could consider this to be an adventure (in a way), just like the "official" book description says.

My Thoughts:

I think this is a book worth reading. It is a pretty decent middle grade novel, and the "magical pencil" factor in the book makes the story very interesting. I can sort of relate to Ava, because I worry a lot and I am definitely not a risk taker, and I know what it feels like to have all these worries and to be anxious about everything.

If you like middle grade novels, this book is for you. Though it was not as interesting as "Matched," which I previously reviewed, it was still quite enjoyable and a decent novel. I would give it 4.25 to 4.5 stars and I thought this was very captivating and quite thought-provoking close to the end.

Image Credits: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22313641-all-the-answers

#literature #Bookreviews #KateMessner #middlegrade