Hi!
Although my bookshelf contains many of my favorite novels, re-reading has always been a rare occurrence for me. I didn’t form this habit with intention, but when it comes to choosing between a beloved, but “old,” story, or a new, never-read book, my thirst for discovering new worlds and characters usually makes my decision. However, there are several novels I want to revisit, from childhood favorites to first books in a series – I just need the push to do so!
Hannah and Kelly’s Re-Read Challenge has been the perfect incentive so far {I first wrote about it HERE}. To keep track of the books I re-read, I created the feature,”Take Two,” a brief recap on each novel I revisit for a second time. Hannah and Kelly created a simple format that makes reviewing re-reads a breeze. Easy-peasy for a bonus weekend post! :)
Title: The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, and June
Author: Robin Benway
Published: August 3rd, 2010 by Razorbill
Pages: 281
Genre: Young Adult / Magical Realism
Source: Gifted / Paperback
Series: N/A
Summary: Three sisters share a magical, unshakeable bond in this witty high-concept novel from the critically acclaimed author of Audrey, Wait!Around the time of their parents’ divorce, sisters April, May, and June recover special powers from childhood–powers that come in handy navigating the hell that is high school. Powers that help them cope with the hardest year of their lives. But could they have a greater purpose?
April, the oldest and a bit of a worrier, can see the future. Middle-child May can literally disappear. And baby June reads minds–everyone’s but her own. When April gets a vision of disaster, the girls come together to save the day and reconcile their strained family. They realize that no matter what happens, powers or no powers, they’ll always have each other. Because there’s one thing stronger than magic: sisterhood. {Goodreads}
When I First Read It: I first read The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, and June, four years ago in the summer, a few months before I began blogging! Before Ciao Bella was born, I discovered several young adult authors that remain some of my go-to writers today, such as Gayle Forman, Morgan Matson, and of course, Robin Benway.
What I Remember: Like any book blogger, how I read, discuss, and rate books have all changed greatly since I started blogging; I think my first reactions to reading this would have been different had I read it while reviewing books consistently. Nevertheless, all I can remember is loving this book to pieces!
Why I Wanted to Re-Read It: I remembered how much I enjoyed this story, but it had been so long ago {with hundreds of books in between} that I had forgotten much of the plot and character development. Nothing like a re-read to help jog the memory! I’m such a big fan of Benway’s books, that I also thought it would be interesting to “re-live,” in a sense, my first experience with her writing.
How I Felt After Re-Reading: I didn’t end it disappointed, but I don’t think I’ll ever be able to match my first level of love for the novel. And that’s okay! It’s only to be expected that I would have different feelings about a book I read over three years ago. There were a handful of plot lines I wanted more of, such as the backstory behind the sisters’ powers or the divorce between the girls’ parents, that I must have overlooked – or not noticed – the first time around.
Would I Re-Read Again: I’m on the fence, but I going to say I will probably not re-read The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, and June for a third time. I’m glad I gave it a second look, but upon finishing it, I felt satisfied. I would, however, like to revisit another early Benway novel: Audrey, Wait!.
Let’s discuss! Are you a frequent re-reader? Are you participating in any reading challenges? Finally, have you read any of Robin Benway’s books? Her spy novels are the cutest, and I can’t wait to read her June release, Emmy and Oliver.
Have an awesome Sunday + enjoy the extra hour of sunlight! :)
Bella
I’ve never heard of this novel before but I want to read it now that I know how much you enjoyed it! I think that I’m the opposite of you, re-reading is a hobby for me because when I love a novel, I find joy in experiencing the world and characters over and over again. I think that I’ve read the entire Twilight saga about 6 times which admittedly seems kind of extreme but revisiting past loved novels always helps to get me out of reading slumps. Lovely post, Bella!
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Good point! I’ll have to consider re-reading a good book next time I find myself in a slump. Thank you so much for stopping by! :)
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I love rereading books! I usually reread the same books every year (Jellicoe Road, John Green books, etc.) and I think it’s really cool to see how my opinions change from year to year. I’m participating in the same challenge as you.. hooray! :)
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I liked seeing how my opinions differed from read to read – it’s so interesting how just a year or two can change your thoughts! I hope your challenge has been going well! :)
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I LOVE re-reading! I’m actually thinking of making myself pick one re-read each month to put on my TBR! I don’t know if that will work for me but it’s a good idea I might try out.
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I’ve been doing that, and it’s worked pretty well so far! I picked twelve books I wanted to re-read this year, and I do my best to choose one to read each month :)
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I love this feature! It is such a great idea. I don’t always reread books, but sometimes I do if I haven’t read the first book of a series in a while and wish to refresh my memory. I definitely may borrow this feature, hope that’s okay! (No worries, I will mention it came from you.) Thank you! :)
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Certainly! All credit, however, is due to Hannah at So Obsessed With and Kelly of Belle of the Literati; it’s their format and challenge :)
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Great! I’ll be sure to give them credit :)
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[…] The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, and June by Robin Benway | “I’m on the fence, but I going to say I will probably not re-read The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, and June for a third time. I’m glad I gave it a second look, but upon finishing it, I felt satisfied.” […]
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[…] Of Books You Read: 110 Number of Re-Reads: Only two! They were Robin Benway’s The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, and June and Caroline Kennedy’s A Family Christmas. Genre You Read The Most From: Contemporary, no […]
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