Showing Off

WOW! an amazing addition to the seriesIt’s not often that a book can bring a tear to the eye, or in this case, several tears. This book certainly did it. Superbly written and wonderfully fulfilling.I really appreciate the different outlooks that each character has brought to the stories. It is very well grounded and believable, while being set in a fantasy environment. Maybe the different world is what allows for the substance and emotions of these various characters to shine through as well as it does.The interactions between characters, their ups and downs and their personalities come across as true. It’s easy to see how any person would act in these situations, and the authors don’t shy away that there can be good and bad actors in any community. It’s all a matter of choice and shows the repercussions of such behaviour and that sometimes the bad actors still get away with such actions, but all still have choices that he or she can make along the way.I’m guessing that there are multiple book redemption arcs in place for Nory’s father and for Lacey, the 5th grade bully. Even though you can see that they may do this, it isn’t an obvious plot device, so the writing stays fresh and eventful. It’s easy for writers to be formulaic when adding something like this into their stories, but that hasn’t occurred in this series. It showed the betterment that Zinnia goes through and the very believable ups and downs using Pepper and Elliott to showcase her transformation, but also allowing that their doubt was not only reasonable but completely understandable.The biggest part for me though was having Nory finally realize that maybe the fault was more in her father’s outlook than taking on such negativity herself. I hate that a child has to learn that parents can have faults and can be wrong. This series has done well showing that you can be strong and stand up to the thinking of others, even when the person who is doing it is your own parent. Doesn’t mean you don’t love and respect them, but just that everyone can still have the option to grow and open their minds, if they choose to do so. That’s a hard lesson for any person to learn at any age, but addressing it this early on, and doing it so well, was inspiring.Great book and I look forward to reading the rest of the series to see where things will lead.