Genre: Contemporary Age Range: MG Star Rating: 4 stars Series: yes - first book
Synopsis:
Join Effie Kostas as she fights to become Student Council President in her new school.
With a campaign team of loveable misfits, she tackles the truly important subjects:
– gender imbalance
– outdated school conventions…
– and good-looking boys stealing the last slice of chocolate cake at lunchtime.
Synopsis taken from Goodreads. Add to your shelves here.
Review:
VOTE FOR EFFIE is a big hearted book about being loud and proud of what you believe in, standing up for yourself, and trying to change the world. It’s a rallying call for young students (particularly girls) to get involved with topics that are important to them, to not worry about being different and give in to pressure to be quiet and “nice”. I love seeing books that encourage people to get involved with politics, showing that no one is ever too young to make a difference and speak up for matters they believe in.
It is a very funny book. I was surprised by how much I was giggling my way through this. Effie’s outbursts and her tendency to get very passionate about ideas (much to the shock of people who didn’t know here) were brilliant (and a little daunting). Her violence-is-the-answer little sister stole a lot of scenes (“tell me whose knee-caps need breaking”) and Effie’s eclectic friends were the gang of misfit friends you want because they make life interesting – unlike the clone-ish friends Aaron had.
VOTE FOR EFFIE is a multi-media book. Among the prose are posters, school newspaper articles, and school council minutes. They were so much fun, allowing the personalities of other characters to come out, as the rest of the book is from Effie’s perspective. You have the exaggerated, gossip-hungry reporter, and Angelica’s trying-to-be-unbiased-but-really-failing notes along with her pedantry for details (the constant “Luna reminds everyone she needs to get to netball” made me giggle every time.)
There is also a more serious message, not only about getting involved in politics that I’ve already gushed about, but about not judging people and how to work with people you get off on the wrong foot with. The ending was not at all what I expected, but I really loved it – and it sets up an interesting scenario for the next book.
I know need to urgently read the second book, EFFIE THE REBEL.
Read my reviews of other books by Laura Wood:
Middle Grade:
Effie Costas (this series):
- EFFIE THE REBEL (#2)
Young Adult:
Trevelyan Sisters:
- A SKY PAINTED GOLD (#1)
- A SNOWFALL OF SILVER (#2)
Standalones:
Sifa Elizabeth Reads 