YA Book Review- Invaluable
Invaluable
by Holly J. Wood
Hardcover, 352 pages
Published December 26th 2011
by Deseret Book
ISBN1609088352
Source: author
4 stars
Book Summary from Deseret Book: help wanted
Sixteen-year-old girl seeks advice on how to reach out to a sister who has become distant; how to make up with my best friend, who spends every moment with her new boyfriend;how to avoid losing my job over working on Sundays; and how to figure out who has been putting love notes in my locker.
Applicants are also required to provide advice on how to handle being head-over-heels for my prom date’s best friend—who happens to be the hottest guy in school.
Math tutoring a plus.
Interested persons may contact Eliza Moore.
Sound like a tall order? Well, that is what Eliza Moore is up against during her sophomore year of high school. But when her great-grandmother begins visiting Eliza in her dreams, everything starts to change. These dreams take Eliza back in time to see extraordinary women who help teach her about eight important values. As Eliza learns more about these women and the values they lived by, she discovers the courage and confidence she needs to face her challenges—and her secret admirer.
Heather’s Review: I met Holly J Black at the Deseret Book Flagship store a couple of weeks ago and right away was impressed without even having read her book. Now having read it, I can say Invaluable is perfect for Young Women in our generation who are fighting to stay true to their values.
Eliza Moore, the main heroine is a sophomore in High School who is going through the transitions many her age do- a strained relationship with her sister, balancing work and a job, figuring out just who she is and getting attention from older boys… but not the one she is hoping for. Mysterious notes start showing up in her locker from a secret admirer during the day, and at night Eliza is being visited by her grandmother in her dreams. Life is all about to change.
Taking the reader through time to meet influential women in history, Invaluable teaches us that there is more to life than texting, gossip, crushes and trying to get to the top of the class the wrong way. Eliza learns to choose a better destiny than the one she is carving out by every day choices, and a long the way an unexpected surprise lands her right where she longs to be.
I loved Invaluable! The plot was a little slow in some places but it progresses the characters well as they mature over the course of the school year. It’s a book I would gladly pass on and wholeheartedly recommend to tweens and teens, as well as adult women.
Content: Clean. Mention of the dangers of underage drinking, pornography, and immorality.
Heather
Author Bio: If you had told me 5 yrs. ago that I’d be writing an author bio for myself—we would have enjoyed a good, long laugh together! However, at this point you could tell me that someday I’ll be living in a hut on the outskirts of Siberia and I’d be tempted to believe you, because I’ve learned that anything is possible! I currently live in Mountain Green, Utah with my husband and two small children. I’ve lived in Utah for most of my life, and aside from the incredibly long winters, I love it here! I am passionate about: travel, reading, enjoying the outdoors (when it’s warm), eating, spending time with family and friends, Disneyland, music, and napping.
