Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Weather-obsessed Savvy Montrose, who reads as white, dreams of following in her older sister Levi's footsteps by winning the Miss Liberty pageant and taking on the coveted role as the star of town Liberté's long-running Independence Day parade. It's a position that could open doors to future opportunities--and could mean that Savvy will never feel overlooked again. This year, the anxious 12-year-old hopes to finally show off her tap skills as part of the pageant's talent portion. But everything goes wrong: the pageant runner refuses to acknowledge her dance abilities, the parade is in danger of being canceled, and worst of all to Savvy, Levi uses the traditionally quiet and compliant Miss Liberty role to raise awareness of voting inequity following the closure of Liberté's voting center. In this heartfelt debut, Haley sensitively portrays a character who's struggling to hold on to the comfort of the familiar while contending with fear regarding an uncertain future. Savvy's personal ambitions ("Being Miss Liberty is the secret to getting everything you want in life") collide with her desire to support her sister's efforts (using her position as Miss Liberty to "guard and nurture" their town), making for engaging, relatable familial and internal drama. Ages 8--12. Agent: Molly O'Neill, Root Literary. (May)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A 12-year-old girl dreams of being the lead dancer in her small town's Fourth of July parade, the future of which is under threat. Savvy loves Glitter Season, when her town starts celebrating and counting down to the Fourth of July. She believes that if she can become Miss Liberty, everything will go well for her; anxious Savvy, who struggles with panic attacks, craves this reassurance. But her older sister, Levi, has other plans. Now in her third year as Miss Liberty, 17-year-old Levi, inspired by her honors civics class, is done being silent. She believes that Miss Liberty should stand for a cause, and hers is protesting a change that undermines voting access for the town's citizens. Savvy is convinced that Levi's planned protest will ruin the parade, which the town council decided will end after this year due to budget constraints. Will Savvy be able to fulfill her dream of someday being Miss Liberty? First-person narrator Savvy gives readers strong descriptions of her inner world, the weather forecast ("one less thing to worry about"), and her anxiety. The pacing is just right, and Savvy and her close friends, Seymour (who loves fashion) and Dulce (a student journalist activist), are likable as they support one another in what they each believe matters. Most main characters read white, and Dulce is cued Latine. A fierce, sparkly debut that shows the importance of taking a stand and being yourself.(Fiction. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
