Bloomability by Sharon Creech

 

My new favorite book from Sharon Creech!

Bloomability is about Dinnie, a girl who grew up moving around from state to state in the United States because her father keeps finding a new job frequently. Then one day when she's 13, her aunt and uncle come and take her to stay with them in Switzerland for a a while. That's because Dinnie's uncle became the headmaster of a new international school in the Italian-speaking part of the country, and they want to give Dinnie the opportunity to go there. Dinnie is initally unhappy about this, but as she starts meeting and befriending so many interesting other students at her new school and gets to learn more about Switzerland and the rest of the world, she grows to love the experience.

I don't know what else to say about this book because it had all of the magic of a typical Sharon Creech book: a relatable protagonist, a coming of age story, learning the hard way people aren't always what they seem, and difficult topics handled in a compassionate manner. That's why I love her books so much.

Fun fact #1: This book takes place in the same universe as Absolutely Normal Chaos, Walk Two Moons, and Chasing Redbird. These are three of the author's other books.

Fun fact #2: Sharon Creech taught in an international school in Switzerland for a short amount of time. That's where she got the inspiration to write Bloomability! 

I gave it 4 stars. This is because of some of the difficult topics discussed that might trigger some readers. Plus, an avalanche happens in a later chapter as the characters go skiing. Don't worry, there's a happy ending. 

Have you read any books set in Switzerland?