By Paige Waskow
The book of the week is:
Where'd Ya Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
What's it about?
What would you do if your strange but brilliant and lovable mother vanished in thin air? In a spiral of emails, notes, and quirky narration, Maria Semple creates a world in which high school aged Bee attempts to figure out what happened to her disappeared mother, Bernadette. The novel delves into the family's history- a promise that Bee can have anything she wants if she gets perfect grades (she chooses to take a family trip to Antarctica), Bernadette's work in architecture, the move of Bee and her parents to Seattle, and the obscure events leading to and including Bernadette's disappearance.
Hoping for answers, and her trip to Antarctica, Bee's journey spans the past and present. It's perfectly odd in all the right ways, and the story loops the reader through this change of events, never pausing in action. Besides the main family members Bee, Bernadette, and Elgin, a whole array of fun and diverse cast of characters adds complexity and context. Semple writes with wit and satire while then blending it into the seriousness (and often troubling) parts of life.
Why did I choose it?
I quickly sped through this amazing book one summer. I loved it because of the plot, of course, but also the nature in which Semple creates her narrative. As mentioned above, the book is made up of components such as letters and files. (There is also narration, which portrays Bee's experience, but mostly stands to make the story a story.) This immediately got my interest, but also reflected what I felt the story taught me and was trying to get across. Not only did I learn way more about the antarctic continent, but of the struggle to be creative and thrive in a confusing world. Ultimately, I loved Where'd Ya Go, Bernadette for its honesty and weird fun.
Where can you get Where'd Ya Go, Bernadette?
This book is available at Coe's library as well as the Cedar Rapids Public Library. If you don't have a CRPL card, you can get one for free!
If you have a book you love and want to see as a BOTW, leave a comment below.
Happy reading!
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