Eventown - by Corey Ann Haydu (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Kirkus Best Books of 2019 * Kids' Indie Next Pick List * Bookpage Best Books of 2019: Middle Grade

"Beautiful, mysterious and deeply satisfying." --Rebecca Stead, Newbery Medal-winning author of When You Reach Me and Goodbye Stranger

The world tilted for Elodee this year, and now it's impossible for her to be the same as she was before. Not when her feelings have such a strong grip on her heart. Not when she and her twin sister, Naomi, seem to be drifting apart. So when Elodee's mom gets a new job in Eventown, moving seems like it might just fix everything.

Indeed, life in Eventown is comforting and exciting all at once. Their kitchen comes with a box of recipes for Elodee to try. Everyone takes the scenic way to school or work--past rows of rosebushes and unexpected waterfalls. On blueberry-picking field trips, every berry is perfectly ripe.

Sure, there are a few odd rules, and the houses all look exactly alike, but it's easy enough to explain--until Elodee realizes that there are only three ice cream flavors in Eventown. Ever. And they play only one song in music class. Everything may be "even" in Eventown, but is there a price to pay for perfection--and pretending?

"Engrossing." --New York Times Book Review

"Enchanting, heart-rending, and bittersweet." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"An emotionally complex and wonderfully told story." --School Library Journal (starred review)

"Thought-provoking." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

• The Price of Perfection: Eventown promises a fresh start, but Elodee soon discovers that a world with no sadness might also be a world with no real joy, choices, or memories.
• Conformity vs. Individuality: As her sister Naomi embraces the town's evenness, Elodee can't ignore the odd rules and unsettling lack of choice. Can she be herself in a place where everyone is the same?
• Dealing with Grief: A powerful and moving story about a family trying to escape a painful past, perfect for readers who love emotionally complex stories.
• Family Secrets: Elodee's family never talks about what happened before they moved. But as strange things begin to happen, she realizes that some memories refuse to stay buried.

Review Quotes

Praise for The Someday Suitcase:

"Beautiful, true, and magical. This book touched my heart." - Lauren Myracle, author of the Wishing Day series

★ "Quietly superb prose...Haydu doesn't romanticize illness, but she provides comfort through art, science, magic, love, and a purple suitcase. A sharp, clear-cut piece that knows life is beautiful and sickness isn't." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

★ "Haydu's second middle-grade novel is poignant and powerful. A heartbreaking story about the healing power of friendship amid human fragility." - Booklist (starred review)

★ "In this moving, exquisitely written story, Corey Ann Haydu explores the thin line between science and magic within an intense bond of friendship." - Shelf Awareness (starred review)

"Haydu does not shield readers from hard truths, creating complex characters who face difficult situations. This sensitive work will strike an emotional chord with middle-graders." - School Library Journal

★ "[A] thought-provoking novel... [A] memorable and brave heroine." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Corey Ann Haydu doesn't shy away from tough topics in her books. Eventown is no exception." - Time for Kids

"[An] original, thought-provoking and engaging novel exploring how our stories shape us and can help us heal from even the most terrible loss... Haydu offers an inspired creation in the "perfect world" of Eventown." - Buffalo News

★ "At once enchanting, heart-rending, and bittersweet." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

★ "An emotionally complex and wonderfully told story." - School Library Journal (starred review)

"Readers will feel for the brave, unconventional Elodee, who both affirms her individuality but also feels the loneliness of it... A hope-tinged tale about the long aftermath of tragedy." - ALA Booklist

"Haydu brings a different dimension with real poignancy... less The Giver and more Pleasantville... [Eventown] will reel in readers looking for family dramas as well as those seeking a little ideological stretching, and it will leave them with plenty to discuss about the price of walling yourself off from pain." - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"A marvelous defense of messiness, mistakes, and uncomfortable conversations ... this book is pure Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind meets Pleasantville." - Betsy Bird of Fuse 8

"Would life be better if we could forget the past? That's the question Corey Ann Haydu poses in her engrossing Eventown. With its embedded questions about the consequences of erasing all your problems, Eventown will doubtless hit many a middle grade reader's sweet spot." - New York Times Book Review

"Haydu is a masterful wordsmith." - Kirkus Reviews

"A wonderful and inventive story about being a kid in an imperfect world--beautiful, mysterious, and deeply satisfying." - Rebecca Stead, Newbery Medal-winning author of When You Reach Me and Goodbye Stranger

Praise for Rules for Stealing Stars:

★ "[A] lyrical story of love and loss. The way the sisters fight and love in equal measure, as well as their basic need for one another, rings poignantly true in this touching and heartwarming story, which contains a 'tiny bit of magic, right here in the real world." - Booklist (starred review)

"Haydu makes skilled use of her story's fantastical overlay to create a haunting narrative about the ways family members can fail-but also support-each other." - Publishers Weekly

"Tender, wise, and heartbreakingly lovely, this story is as brilliant as a stolen star, and every bit as magical. Prepare to be enchanted." - Katherine Applegate, Newbery-award winning author of The One and Only Ivan

"A gorgeous, profound, deeply felt book that lovingly explores intricate sibling relationships, the crushing weight of family secrets, and the delicate magic of hope. Rules for Stealing Stars is sublime." - Anne Ursu, author of Breadcrumbs and The Real Boy

"Silly and her sisters are flesh-and-bone characters; they gripped me by my very heart and pulled me into their tense and mysterious family story. With beguiling moments of magical realism and engaging turns of phrase, Corey Ann Haydu has crafted a glowing middle grade debut." - Leslie Connor, award-winning author of Waiting for Normal and Crunch