Thank you so much to Fierce Reads for allowing me to take part in the blog tour for Saving Montgomery Sole in honor of Pride Month!! You can visit this link to find the full blog schedule! I'm on this tour for my blog, ShootingStarsMag, but since this is an LGBT+ read, I wanted to share here too!
Saving Montgomery Sole by Mariko Tamaki
Review by Lauren
Source: copy for review; all opinions are my own
Official Summary:
In sight not see
black light not be
This is the curious instruction that comes with the Eye of Know, the possibly powerful crystal amulet that Montgomery Sole buys online for $5.99. It’s also the next topic of discussion at Mystery Club (members: Monty and her two best friends, Thomas and Naoki), dedicated to the exploration of the strange and unexplained.
When Monty wears the Eye of Know, strange things happen, all targeted at people she despises. Maybe it will help Monty take down her newest enemy, a preacher who has come to save her town from so-called sinners—sinners like Monty’s moms. Or will its mysterious powers mean the end of the friendships Monty cherishes most?
Review: This book is suitable for pride month because Monty has two moms and a gay best friend named Thomas. Not only do these characters appear full-fledged in the book, but Monty has to deal with the idea that other people don't think being gay is alright. There is a new Reverend in town who is putting up posters about the true way to be a family and every time Monty sees one, she gets so angry and starts tearing them down. I appreciated Monty's loyalty to those she loves, but she also has to learn a lot herself about not judging others, as well as talking out her problems instead of trying to rely on things like the Eye of Know.
The Eye of Know was interesting! Monty wears it and bad things happen to people that she doesn't like, but is it coincidence or the actual Eye? Regardless, if Monty believes it's real, she shouldn't be wearing it at all unless she truly wants to hurt people. Along with the Eye of Known, Monty and her two best friends have a Mystery Club they created at school where they look into things like hypnotism and other "mysteries." I thought this was cool, and I liked that she had a couple people in her life that were interested in the same things she was!
I think Monty is a good person, but the book is definitely a growth for her. She does things you wouldn't necessarily agree with, but she's coming into her own and learning what is right and wrong. Sure, she understands that being gay doesn't mean something is wrong with you, but she has her own ideas and prejudices about people that she needs to overcome. I appreciated that though!
Sounds like suitable pride month book indeed. The mystery club sounds like a nice addition and it's always a good think to have friends or people in your live with the same interests. I often like seeing character growth in a book and it sounds like it was handled well in this one.
ReplyDeleteThis does sound good! Is it YA? I can't tell for sure.
ReplyDeleteI really love it when a book focuses on a character's growth, and that as a reader you get to witness them grow and change. It always feels like the glimpse that the book gives you into the character's life is one of great importance.
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds really interesting, especially the part about the amulet that Monty buys! Whether or not it is magical, or whether the events are coincidental intrigues me a lot.
I'm really glad you enjoyed this one, because it sounds quite lovely. Although, I know that I would hate the reverend character, for sure.