Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book. Opinions shared are mine.
Craving a cute, sassy book that is delightfully derpy? Sasquatch, Love, and Other Imaginary Things will give you a good giggle or two. Imagine Elizabeth Bennet in Naked and Afraid, and you’ll have a little bit of an idea of the book’s concept! This reality-TV version of Pride and Prejudice blends lore with the loony.
The book went on vacation with me this summer. It was the perfect poolside read — not too serious, but interesting enough to keep my attention despite the noise from splashing, squealing kids. My children thought I was crazy when I brought the book into the pool….it was too hot to sit out, but I couldn’t stop reading!
The three sisters in this story follow clearly defined personality profiles that don’t always match up with traditional birth order stereotypes. The main character, Sam, is the middle sister who is constantly trying to keep the peace within her quirky family. She’s the perfect example of the belief that “I can say what I want about my family, but NO ONE ELSE better say anything about them!” I loved her fiery spirit, quick wit, and determination. Next in my favorites list were her parents. They acted like teenagers in love, which is a refreshing sight to see from couples who have stuck it out through a long marriage. Then, there’s Beth — the production assistant who is on the autism spectrum. It’s so nice to see authors give an ASD character a strong, competent role in a successful field.
Sasquatch, Love, and Other Imaginary Things isn’t the type of book I’d normally choose on my own, but I wanted to see if it was a story my middle school students might enjoy. The conclusion was….this is an adorable teen book that keeps things clean without being too pristine. I’d definitely put this book on my classroom bookshelf. Sam is a good character to push strength into the hearts of those students who feel frustrated by normalcy. Plus, kudos to the authors for finding a way to make a Pride & Prejudice retelling completely new! When reading this with teens, ask them to consider the idea that Sasquatch represents tough-to-achieve dreams and goals. Are they worth looking for?
Do you believe that Sasquatch exists?
The plot of this book sounds awesome. I love books with mythical creatures and magical things and just got done reading a book that had a Yeti on the Moon. This story sounds like a winner.
It really is, Steph! I admired how smart Sam was, and that she was realistic about her situation.
This Sasquatch book looks like fun, and the cover is fun, too!
haha, this seems like so much fun! “Imagine Elizabeth Bennett in ‘Naked and Afraid'”… I laughed at that. I also love the cover.
This sounds like a wonderful summer read. The plot sounds so intriguing.
They had me at the title! It sounds wonderfully quirky.
This sounds like a great read! If I don’t win I just may have to go out and buy it!
It sounds like a good read.
Definitely looks like a cute story. I remember watching Unsolved Mysteries with my family when I was a kid and I was always intrigued by the bigfoot type stories.
There’s nothing better than a story with a quirky characters.
With Ohio roots myself, I’d love to read this one!
This sounds like a good book, I’m skeptical on weather or not Sasquatch exists.