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Savvy #2
Scumble
Nine years after Mibs's Savvy journey, her cousin Ledge has just turned thirteen . . . But Ledger Kale's savvy is a total dud--all he does is make little things fall apart. So his parents decide it's safe to head to Wyoming, where it's soon revealed that Ledge's savvy is much more powerful than anyone thought. Worse, his savvy disaster has an outside witness: Sarah Jane Cabot, reporter wannabe and daughter of the local banker. Just like that, Ledge's beloved normal life is over. Now he has to keep Sarah from turning family secrets into headlines, stop her father from foreclosing on Uncle Autry's ranch, and scumble his savvy into control so that, someday, he can go home. Starring a cast both fresh and familiar, Scumble brilliantly melds Ingrid Law's signature heart and humor with the legendary Wild West.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
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June 10, 2010
Things start to come apart for Ledger Kale on his thirteenth birthday. Literally. In Ledger's family, kids get a savvy, a special power, on their thirteenth birthday. Ledger had been hoping for super speed, but savvies don't work that way. They're unpredictable. And Ledger's savvy seems to be the power to destroy man-made objects. After he demolishes his uncle's barn at his cousin's wedding, Ledger's parents decide it'll be best for him to spend the summer at his uncle's ranch in Wyoming learning to scumble his savvy. But Ledger's afraid he'll never be able to control his new power. To make matters worse, Sarah Jane, a girl from the nearby town of Sundance, keeps following him everywhere, determined to uncover the secret of his strange family. What will happen if the world finds out about their savvies?
I really enjoyed the Newbery-honor-winning Savvy, but I think I liked Scumble even more! It's got the same rich tapestry of description and language that Ms. Law employed in writing Savvy. While Savvy is about a girl anticipating her power and wishing and hoping for it, Scumble is about what happens afterward - the struggle to grow into this newfound ability. It's about learning to take the world into account, moving from your self-centered childhood into a more worldly young-adulthood.
Scumble's got that same wonderful tall-tale feel to it, complete with tall-tale words, stories, and characters that are larger than life. There are family feuds, broken hearts, first loves, and fresh starts contained within the 400 fast-moving pages of this novel. It's a thick book that didn't feel like I thick book because the characters, even with their fantastic abilities, feel like real people.
I really enjoyed the Newbery-honor-winning Savvy, but I think I liked Scumble even more! It's got the same rich tapestry of description and language that Ms. Law employed in writing Savvy. While Savvy is about a girl anticipating her power and wishing and hoping for it, Scumble is about what happens afterward - the struggle to grow into this newfound ability. It's about learning to take the world into account, moving from your self-centered childhood into a more worldly young-adulthood.
Scumble's got that same wonderful tall-tale feel to it, complete with tall-tale words, stories, and characters that are larger than life. There are family feuds, broken hearts, first loves, and fresh starts contained within the 400 fast-moving pages of this novel. It's a thick book that didn't feel like I thick book because the characters, even with their fantastic abilities, feel like real people.
December 22, 2016
When I read this book I was hoping for a spectacular continuation of Savvy. So, I was kind of disappointed. I don't like that in some ways the family is falling apart, and there are long term problems that can't be fixed. Plus, yes it was fun but not as much of a page turner as Savvy. I knew what was coming and instead of really getting inside of the head of the main character, like I did with Mississippi (Mibbs) in Savvy, I just got fed up with Ledger. Overall, I really liked this book, just didn't love it like Savvy.
September 14, 2010
Ledger Kale is the most recent thirteen year old of the Beaumont clan. With high hopes that his "savvy" would give him a super wondrous athletic quality Ledger anticipates his birthday to be spectacular. Unfortunately his high hopes are diminished when his savvy is a sad ability to destroy everything technological. While he deals with his inner fears of disappointing his father, who wants him to be an award winning athlete, along with his concerns of destroying all the belongings his family treasures, and protecting the family secrets from the outside world, he tries to overcome his "savvy" by learning to “scumble� it.
After hopelessly failing he is left at the ranch for the summer in order to perfect his keep-it-together control of his savvy. In that time an adventure unfolds that is entertaining, enduring, and comical. This is a story about following your own dreams, being all that you can be, and learning to love the family you were given.
A friend of mine mentioned that she wished she had reread , or read it right before reading Scumble. I agree. I found myself slightly confused. It took me a little while to remember some of the Savvy jargon and people. So brush up on your “Savvy� vocabulary and characters before you start. I also expected Mibs to be the storyteller and was surprised to find out this one took place 9 years later, and told by her cousin.
I personally thought this book to be just as well written and entertaining as the first. After the first few chapters I was very concerned that Law would be stealing from s series. However, she didn’t disappoint, put her own spin on a fun gifted family and weaved a charming tale.
While others balked at the possibility that this could win a Newbery, I gave pause. Recalling another charming, and enjoyable series written by , I had to wonder. was a Newbery Honor (it lost the Newbery to by ) and the very next year it’s sequel, , won the Newbery. Since I enjoyed Scumble just as much as it’s predecessor, it seemed likely that the Newbery committee would at least read it. It probably isn’t “distinguished� (the main criteria for the Newbery Committee) because of its predecessor, but it is worth mentioning. So there it is.
Even if the Newbery Committee doesn’t see Scumble as a possibility it is one that I and my daughter read and loved. Law has created a fun family that children and adults can enjoy together. In the end, does anything else really matter?
After hopelessly failing he is left at the ranch for the summer in order to perfect his keep-it-together control of his savvy. In that time an adventure unfolds that is entertaining, enduring, and comical. This is a story about following your own dreams, being all that you can be, and learning to love the family you were given.
A friend of mine mentioned that she wished she had reread , or read it right before reading Scumble. I agree. I found myself slightly confused. It took me a little while to remember some of the Savvy jargon and people. So brush up on your “Savvy� vocabulary and characters before you start. I also expected Mibs to be the storyteller and was surprised to find out this one took place 9 years later, and told by her cousin.
I personally thought this book to be just as well written and entertaining as the first. After the first few chapters I was very concerned that Law would be stealing from s series. However, she didn’t disappoint, put her own spin on a fun gifted family and weaved a charming tale.
While others balked at the possibility that this could win a Newbery, I gave pause. Recalling another charming, and enjoyable series written by , I had to wonder. was a Newbery Honor (it lost the Newbery to by ) and the very next year it’s sequel, , won the Newbery. Since I enjoyed Scumble just as much as it’s predecessor, it seemed likely that the Newbery committee would at least read it. It probably isn’t “distinguished� (the main criteria for the Newbery Committee) because of its predecessor, but it is worth mentioning. So there it is.
Even if the Newbery Committee doesn’t see Scumble as a possibility it is one that I and my daughter read and loved. Law has created a fun family that children and adults can enjoy together. In the end, does anything else really matter?
November 29, 2010
This is really good. The companion novel to Savvy, a Newbery Honor book maybe 2 years ago. These kids have "savvies", special powers that make thenselves known on the 13th birthday. Ledger's savvy causes mechanial things to explods, sending their component pieces flying - and he can't control it. His whole family has dealt with some savvy or other - his grandfather could move mountains, his uncle handles big bugs, his cousin is literally electric. Until they manage their own savvy, they are a danger to everything around - so the plot follows how Ledger learns to manage his savvy. Leanring to manage a savvy is called "scumbling". The dictionary tells us that scumble means: 1. To soften the colors or outlines of (a painting or drawing) by covering with a film of opaque or semiopaque color or by rubbing.
2. To blur the outlines of: a writer who scumbled the line that divides history and fiction. The definition comes from the art world but definitely works here, and also provides an apt analogy for all adolescents who are learning how to manage themselves in the big world. This story is great and will hav emany readers; these readers may gain glimmers of how to scumble their own more subtle savvies.
2. To blur the outlines of: a writer who scumbled the line that divides history and fiction. The definition comes from the art world but definitely works here, and also provides an apt analogy for all adolescents who are learning how to manage themselves in the big world. This story is great and will hav emany readers; these readers may gain glimmers of how to scumble their own more subtle savvies.
January 15, 2017
Amazing just like Savvy!
August 25, 2017
This is a charming middle-grade fantasy about a boy in a magic-wielding family finally getting his own "savvy" on his 13th birthday. Ledger (all the kids in the family have bizarre names) hopes that he will become a super-fast runner, the track star that his father hopes for. Instead, his talent seems to be making mechanical things fall apart. He hopes that he'll have something useful and controllable, like his twin cousins who can move things with their mind, or his mother, who can make people obey with a smile. Instead he's more like his cousin Rocket (like I said, bizarre names) who has never really learned to control his power and is hiding out on the ranch until he can learn to control it.
Trouble comes pretty early on when Sarah Jane, the tomboy daughter of the richest man in town, stows away and comes to the ranch where all Ledger's magical family are gathered for a wedding. The idea that any preteen girl with even a modicum of self-preservation would stow away in a stranger's car felt as unrealistic as kids getting magic powers on their 13th birthday, but the whole book is a bit over-the-top and goofy. Ledger doesn't say "my parents are going to kill me if they find out" he says things like "if they find out, I'm ding-dong, deader-than-a-doornail-dead." A lot of the dialogue, especially Ledger's internal voice, felt like a family-friendly wild-west show, with its exaggerated colloquialisms; funny, but sometimes trying too hard. Kind of like a cross between the Xanth novels and Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
This was a pretty good middle-age fantasy novel with some solid themes: coming of age, learning to live your own dreams and not your parent's, learning responsibility, first love, and getting touched by adult troubles (in this case, the poor financial states of the town of Sundance) for the first time. I liked that not everyone learned to "scumble" (control their savvy) at the same pace, and that Ledger was neither the most skilled nor the least skilled. That felt pretty authentic and true, which was a nice grounding in what was a somewhat silly book.
I definitely recommend this for people who like middle-grade fantasy, and for people who like middle-grade books in general.
Trouble comes pretty early on when Sarah Jane, the tomboy daughter of the richest man in town, stows away and comes to the ranch where all Ledger's magical family are gathered for a wedding. The idea that any preteen girl with even a modicum of self-preservation would stow away in a stranger's car felt as unrealistic as kids getting magic powers on their 13th birthday, but the whole book is a bit over-the-top and goofy. Ledger doesn't say "my parents are going to kill me if they find out" he says things like "if they find out, I'm ding-dong, deader-than-a-doornail-dead." A lot of the dialogue, especially Ledger's internal voice, felt like a family-friendly wild-west show, with its exaggerated colloquialisms; funny, but sometimes trying too hard. Kind of like a cross between the Xanth novels and Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
This was a pretty good middle-age fantasy novel with some solid themes: coming of age, learning to live your own dreams and not your parent's, learning responsibility, first love, and getting touched by adult troubles (in this case, the poor financial states of the town of Sundance) for the first time. I liked that not everyone learned to "scumble" (control their savvy) at the same pace, and that Ledger was neither the most skilled nor the least skilled. That felt pretty authentic and true, which was a nice grounding in what was a somewhat silly book.
I definitely recommend this for people who like middle-grade fantasy, and for people who like middle-grade books in general.
January 19, 2019
Independence and responsibility are part growing up and realizing who you are and want to be. In the book, before Ledge had a savvy, which happens when you turn thirteen, his dad always wanted him to be a fast runner, like him. But Ledge ended up getting a savvy that made him break and tear apart things. In the end, he realized that in the savvy he got, he learned that he was an artist. He could make, bend new things out of another object. He realized he could control them, fix and bring things together. During the battle of stopping the Cabots from tearing his uncle's ranch down, Ledge thought, "Now it was time for me to step up, just as Samson had. To show the world who Ledger Kale really was... Not the kid his dad wanted him to be. Not the kid his mom made him be. No Cowboy. No Sledgehammer. Not defective either." "But I knew too, just as Winona had known, that sometimes things have to come apart before becoming something different, something better." It takes bravery, courage, faith, and determination to find out the true you, to fight for what you believe in. Not just strength or talent.
March 20, 2018
This is such a awesome book I would recommend this book to anyone who likes people with magical powers make sure you read the first one though
May 23, 2016
Okay so yeah, the book... I liked it but at the beginning... it was really frustrating. I read Savvy, the first book, and I didn't write a review for it but, I remember what happens, and I REALLY liked it. So anyways going back to this book, Ledge is a very... annoying character... He runs away from his problems and I don't like that. My personality makes me comfort my problems head on even if I don't want to, not run away from them and then figure out that if I want to solve them I can't run away - Something Ledge was doing. Let's be honest, we judge book characters depending to our characteristics, that's what I'm doing.
Okay now, Sarah Jane, she is just as annoying as Ledge. She lies and steals and what makes my head explode is that when Ledge goes to her house to comfort her, she asks Ledge to tell her what's different about his family, I really would've expected him to lie to her, but noooooo, he tells her EVERY SINGLE secret that his family said to keep. Also, when Ledge gets angry and scrapes Sarah's elbow he feels bad and stops trying to scare her into giving him what she STOLE. I don't know if I'm too savage or something like that but, I would have threaten her.
And another thing is that, Ledge is extremely afraid of Rocket for some reason. I mean yeah Ingrid makes Rocket sound like an asshole that doesn't care about any one but, I honestly don't see that in him. I personally like Rocket.
But, I get it in the end everything fell into place. Yeah at first it was very annoying the way Ledge's actions seemed extremely stupid but, in the end there came a happy ending.
I would've liked to know more about Samson though, he seemed interesting...
If you read Savvy and liked it and want to proceed to the next book I think you... should do it but, prepare to be at least a little disappointed. Compared to Savvy, this book's... ehhh...
Okay now, Sarah Jane, she is just as annoying as Ledge. She lies and steals and what makes my head explode is that when Ledge goes to her house to comfort her, she asks Ledge to tell her what's different about his family, I really would've expected him to lie to her, but noooooo, he tells her EVERY SINGLE secret that his family said to keep. Also, when Ledge gets angry and scrapes Sarah's elbow he feels bad and stops trying to scare her into giving him what she STOLE. I don't know if I'm too savage or something like that but, I would have threaten her.
And another thing is that, Ledge is extremely afraid of Rocket for some reason. I mean yeah Ingrid makes Rocket sound like an asshole that doesn't care about any one but, I honestly don't see that in him. I personally like Rocket.
But, I get it in the end everything fell into place. Yeah at first it was very annoying the way Ledge's actions seemed extremely stupid but, in the end there came a happy ending.
I would've liked to know more about Samson though, he seemed interesting...
If you read Savvy and liked it and want to proceed to the next book I think you... should do it but, prepare to be at least a little disappointed. Compared to Savvy, this book's... ehhh...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2012
gr.5+ David Kremenitzer has done an excellent job of reading this fun, delightful, coming of age story about a 13-year-old boy who has to learn how to control his "savvy." I read Savvy a while ago and have been looking forward to this second book. "Scumble" can be read alone, although a few of the characters like Rocket and Grandpa Bamba, play central roles and others, like Mibs, the main character in "Savvy", make brief appearances. Even though delightful on its own, reading Savvy first, I think, will increase the enjoyment of this story.
Initially, I had thought that this book would be Mibs' brothers stories. Turns out that it is primarily about a cousin instead. When Ledger Kale turns 13-yrs-old, he gets his savvy, although not the one he and his dad had hoped for. Instead of super speed, Ledger is like a Captain Destructo: his nervousness and built-up anger cause things around him to explode, and the harder he tries to control it, the bigger the damage. For example, during his cousin's wedding reception, he is trying his best to be on his good behavior, but when his sister and cousins tease him unmercifully and then he trips, his combined embarrassment and smoldering annoyance/hurt causes him to unintentionally destroy his uncle's barn, where the reception is being held. Ledger finally learns to "scumble," but I will let you read about how on your own!
I hope that Ingrid Law continues to write about this remarkable family. I would love to see what adventures Gypsy and Felicia get into, as they come into their own savvys. Hint, hint.
Initially, I had thought that this book would be Mibs' brothers stories. Turns out that it is primarily about a cousin instead. When Ledger Kale turns 13-yrs-old, he gets his savvy, although not the one he and his dad had hoped for. Instead of super speed, Ledger is like a Captain Destructo: his nervousness and built-up anger cause things around him to explode, and the harder he tries to control it, the bigger the damage. For example, during his cousin's wedding reception, he is trying his best to be on his good behavior, but when his sister and cousins tease him unmercifully and then he trips, his combined embarrassment and smoldering annoyance/hurt causes him to unintentionally destroy his uncle's barn, where the reception is being held. Ledger finally learns to "scumble," but I will let you read about how on your own!
I hope that Ingrid Law continues to write about this remarkable family. I would love to see what adventures Gypsy and Felicia get into, as they come into their own savvys. Hint, hint.
February 28, 2012
Unfortunately, I found Scumble was not as satisfying a read as Savvy. The underlying theme of both these books involves dealing with personal demons and family � the good, the bad, and the just plain weird. As part of a family filled with ostensibly more useful and controllable abilities, thirteen year old Kale is learning (not so well) to cope with his recently acquired, seemingly destructive savvy while his new-found “friend� Sarah Jane fare’s with personal and family problems of her own. In contrast, the stories peripheral characters and their various savvy’s and backgrounds were fascinating (with the exception of the twins Marisol and Mesquite who are just irritating). Scumble is slow to get moving, and I found the main characters Kale and Sarah Jane initially a bit irritating. One shouldn’t have to weed through over half a book for a tale to get rolling, but thankfully, we finally begin to understand the characters, their personal foibles and hidden strengths and talents. Themes of overcoming personal demons, early teenage angst, and staying together to fight for what is right dominate the story. As the reader progresses through Scumble’s journey, we finally reach an interesting and satisfying ending destination.
May 18, 2015
When I read Savvy last summer I must admit that though I thought it was good I didn't *love* it for some reason. Maybe because I tend to prefer edgier fiction written for older teens, maybe it was just the wrong book at the wrong time. Nonetheless, I expected to feel the same way about Scumble. Instead I found myself really enjoying it. It's well-written, pitch-perfect, and an overall fantastic bit of magical realism for juvenile level readers. It's touching, original and really held my interest. The characters learn lessons without the tone ever being too didactic or preachy. In fact God and prayer are mentioned several times but in such a natural, matter-of-fact way that you know it's more a representation of who the characters are than a point the author is trying to get across. I think we would have a lot of readership for it in our library, and I'll be adding it to my "wish list" and waiting for the next volume.
Reread for my tween book club May 2015. Still love this book! And can't wait for Switch this fall!
Reread for my tween book club May 2015. Still love this book! And can't wait for Switch this fall!
September 10, 2021
(3.5)
A cute and satisfying sequel to Savvy that happens to suffer from one of my least favorite tropes on this planet, but nonetheless kept me reading all the way through.
There's not much more to say than that: if you like Savvy, I think you'll have a great time! You get the same bright narrative style, many of the same characters, and a great new perspective with Ledger. I love his plotline (because of course I do-- he wants to impress his dad!) and I found Ledge's savvy to be a really neat idea. What do you do if your talent is destructive? What do you do if your talent is, well... bad? This book does a great job of both providing its own engaging storyline and widening the overall world of Savvy, and I wasn't lost despite it having been a while since I'd read Savvy; the last book I read from the series was the third ( Switch ).
My one complaint is this strange trope that I keep seeing, specifically with young boys' POV. (Compare to my review of Al Capone Does My Shirts ; I'll talk more about this trope there in later books.) For some reason, there's a trend of having little girl antagonists in these books who are just Too Darn Pretty For Their Own Good. Thus, even as the MCs have their lives ruined-- and I promise I am not exaggerating!-- in completely indefensible ways, usually involving warped power dynamics, they also form a crush on their pastel-dressed tormentors.
I have kind of had it with this trope. I am sick of female antagonists/villains getting defanged because they are "cute" or the MC likes them or whatever else nonsense. It seems very obviously anti-feminist to suggest that women/girls can do no harm, and both times I've seen this trope we're not talking about "she spat on me on the playground," we're talking "she used a power differential to make me worry that my entire way of life and family would be destroyed". Obviously I also want nuance in writing Evil Little Children, but is there a reason we can't have it without 1) making the girls attractive 2) acting as though it is their looks/gender which makes their actions less of a problem? In fact, Scumble did a solid job with making Sarah Jane clearly a victim as much as a villain; it just stumbles by throwing in this nonsense.
It's also not just a "let women be evil" thing-- I am very uncomfortable with presenting young boys with overtly unhealthy relationships as models. It is not cute for someone to threaten you or steal from you or whatever else is going on in these books. I'm sure this sounds like I'm getting too deep into it, but it makes me extremely uncomfortable to read books like this, and I had a bad taste in my mouth throughout most of Scumble because of it. It just reads as justifying cruelty because, again, the person being cruel is a woman and feminine.
Here's my take: if you want a cute little belligerent romance for kids, for whatever reason, go back to "she teased me on the playground." If you want an evil little girl, stop defanging her because the MC is googly-eyed. Have your big antagonist, or have your love interest, but stop making them the same character, because they perpetuate some really weird and harmful ideas.
It really sucks to write out this whole rant about something that takes up 3/4s of the book, because I LOVED everything else. I loved the development of other characters, I loved the bonding, I loved the overall messaging about love and family and relationships. I loved Rocket... I read this in one sitting! This is a really, really good book; just as good as Savvy... if not for this one weird element, which made me uncomfortable the entire time.
In conclusion: I can't make myself rate this two stars or something like that, because as bad as this trope is, I get why it's so easy to fall into it. Both books I listed are written by women. It happens. My guess is that people who aren't me will not be as queasy about it, and will enjoy it just fine. I would absolutely recommend it to people who like Savvy; I'm just personally not as comfortable reading it, and probably won't read it again.
A cute and satisfying sequel to Savvy that happens to suffer from one of my least favorite tropes on this planet, but nonetheless kept me reading all the way through.
There's not much more to say than that: if you like Savvy, I think you'll have a great time! You get the same bright narrative style, many of the same characters, and a great new perspective with Ledger. I love his plotline (because of course I do-- he wants to impress his dad!) and I found Ledge's savvy to be a really neat idea. What do you do if your talent is destructive? What do you do if your talent is, well... bad? This book does a great job of both providing its own engaging storyline and widening the overall world of Savvy, and I wasn't lost despite it having been a while since I'd read Savvy; the last book I read from the series was the third ( Switch ).
My one complaint is this strange trope that I keep seeing, specifically with young boys' POV. (Compare to my review of Al Capone Does My Shirts ; I'll talk more about this trope there in later books.) For some reason, there's a trend of having little girl antagonists in these books who are just Too Darn Pretty For Their Own Good. Thus, even as the MCs have their lives ruined-- and I promise I am not exaggerating!-- in completely indefensible ways, usually involving warped power dynamics, they also form a crush on their pastel-dressed tormentors.
I have kind of had it with this trope. I am sick of female antagonists/villains getting defanged because they are "cute" or the MC likes them or whatever else nonsense. It seems very obviously anti-feminist to suggest that women/girls can do no harm, and both times I've seen this trope we're not talking about "she spat on me on the playground," we're talking "she used a power differential to make me worry that my entire way of life and family would be destroyed". Obviously I also want nuance in writing Evil Little Children, but is there a reason we can't have it without 1) making the girls attractive 2) acting as though it is their looks/gender which makes their actions less of a problem? In fact, Scumble did a solid job with making Sarah Jane clearly a victim as much as a villain; it just stumbles by throwing in this nonsense.
It's also not just a "let women be evil" thing-- I am very uncomfortable with presenting young boys with overtly unhealthy relationships as models. It is not cute for someone to threaten you or steal from you or whatever else is going on in these books. I'm sure this sounds like I'm getting too deep into it, but it makes me extremely uncomfortable to read books like this, and I had a bad taste in my mouth throughout most of Scumble because of it. It just reads as justifying cruelty because, again, the person being cruel is a woman and feminine.
Here's my take: if you want a cute little belligerent romance for kids, for whatever reason, go back to "she teased me on the playground." If you want an evil little girl, stop defanging her because the MC is googly-eyed. Have your big antagonist, or have your love interest, but stop making them the same character, because they perpetuate some really weird and harmful ideas.
It really sucks to write out this whole rant about something that takes up 3/4s of the book, because I LOVED everything else. I loved the development of other characters, I loved the bonding, I loved the overall messaging about love and family and relationships. I loved Rocket... I read this in one sitting! This is a really, really good book; just as good as Savvy... if not for this one weird element, which made me uncomfortable the entire time.
In conclusion: I can't make myself rate this two stars or something like that, because as bad as this trope is, I get why it's so easy to fall into it. Both books I listed are written by women. It happens. My guess is that people who aren't me will not be as queasy about it, and will enjoy it just fine. I would absolutely recommend it to people who like Savvy; I'm just personally not as comfortable reading it, and probably won't read it again.
December 31, 2021
It was cute.
I personally enjoyed the first book more. I felt like the plot was frustrating and the character of Sarah Jane at the start was straight-up annoying.
I liked Fe though, and I wish that we could have gotten to know Samson more.
Again I feel like Rocket is underrated and has not done justice. He was in his late twenties and it took a kid aged thirteen to make him figure out his savvy?
By the end, everything was wrapped up, but I didn't really understand his savvy by the end. Or why he could go to school, but Mibs couldn't. Her savvy was not nearly as dangerous.
I personally enjoyed the first book more. I felt like the plot was frustrating and the character of Sarah Jane at the start was straight-up annoying.
I liked Fe though, and I wish that we could have gotten to know Samson more.
Again I feel like Rocket is underrated and has not done justice. He was in his late twenties and it took a kid aged thirteen to make him figure out his savvy?
By the end, everything was wrapped up, but I didn't really understand his savvy by the end. Or why he could go to school, but Mibs couldn't. Her savvy was not nearly as dangerous.
July 23, 2018
400 pages. This one took a while to read but it was very, very good. I enjoyed the drama and unexpected consequences of Ledger’s savvy as he tries to control it. This one will keep a reader’s attention right up to the end. Characters are well developed and believable. The humor sprinkled throughout keeps hope alive as the plot moves along. This is quite an interesting series, unlike anything else I have ever read. I can’t wait to read Switch next. The only thing that I would recommend is since the main characters are 13 years old, it might appeal to middle school aged kids, but I still think high level fifth grade readers would enjoy it. Highly recommended.
October 23, 2018
There is something so rich about Ingrid Law's writing. It is as if every word has a purpose, as it should be, but beyond. My daughter and I enjoyed this book. I think it invites the reader further into the family. We are excited to read the next book because we hear it will focus on one of our favorite characters of this series!
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October 18, 2017i really liked it
January 28, 2022
3.5 stars from me, but rounded up because it would be a great read for tweens. It’s a coming of age story about embracing what makes you unique and learning to balance yourself, or your savvy.
April 15, 2018
3.5 stars. A sweet-if-far-fetched continuation of the Savvy story, probably a fun read for late elementary and early middle schoolers.
January 24, 2018
It was good because I like how at the wedding it was all the magical people and they were all using there powers
February 6, 2018
The book,”Scumble� by Ingrid Law is a book that really tries to show you the importance of family. The book is basically about a boy named Ledger, and he comes from a family that has these powers that are called a savvy, Ledge later goes to Wyoming for a wedding where he faces many problems, trying to keep his savvy under control, and also trying to keep his family secret from a reporter. The details in this book are really describing, I purely understood every little thing that happened in the book because of those details. There was a lot of diversity with the characters, everyone has their own unique trait that feels really nice because they all have their own personality and not one of the characters seem like they have the same trait as any of the other characters. The plot of the story was really well thought out, the whole time I was the reading the book I felt extremely hooked on to the story and I just kept on reading it, wanting to finish the story because it was so good. There was quite a bit of dialogue in the story and it was made very nicely, there was a bit of description with the dialogue so you could get a bit of detail about how the person is feeling when they are talking. I encourage anyone that likes fantasy and a bit of good family moments put into it to read this book.
May 15, 2017
Allgemeines:
Titel: Der Schimmer des Ledger Kale
Autor: Ingrid Law
Genre: Fantasy
ISBN-10: 3551581940
ISBN-13: 978-3551581945
Preis: 8,99� (Kindle-Edition)
12,90� (Gebundene Ausgabe)
Weitere Bände: Schimmer
Inhalt:
Stell dir vor, deine Schwester wagt sich nur noch mit Sturzhelm in deine Nähe. Die Harley Davidson des Sheriffs zerfällt in ein Chaos aus Chrom und Stahl, nur weil du zufällig daran vorbeiläufst. Und eine neugierige Möchtegern-Journalistin wittert die Story ihres Lebens und heftet sich an deine Fersen.
All das ist mir passiert, seit mich an meinem dreizehnten Geburtstag mein Schimmer erwischt hat. Ich bin Ledger Kale, der Junge, der alles zerstört, was aus Metall ist. Und ich habe keine Ahnung, wie ich diesen Schimmer in den Griff bekommen soll....
Über die Autorin:
Ingrid Law war lange auf der Suche nach ihrem Schimmer. Sie hat Schuhe verkauft, im Buchhandel gearbeitet und anderen Menschen geholfen, einen Job zu finden. Heute lebt sie mit ihrer Tochter in Colorado. Ihr erstes Buch, "Schimmer", wurde aus dem Stand heraus ein großer Erfolg.
Bewertung:
Dieses Buch habe ich vor kurzem bei einer Buchaktion gekauft und sofort gelesen. Der erste Teil "Schimmer" habe ich irgendwann mal geschenkt bekommen und zuerst nicht sonderlich gemocht, da die Geschichte doch etwas schräg ist. Als ich das Buch aber ein weiteres Mal gelesen habe, habe ich das Buch wirklich geliebt, gerade weil es so anders ist!
"In meiner Familie waren dreizehnte Geburtstage wie Zeitbomben, nur ohne brennende Zündschnur oder piepsenden Countdown, der einem verriet, wann man besser Ohrstöpsel einsetzen, in Deckung gehen und sich auf etwas gefasst machen oder schleunigst Reißaus nehmen sollte."
Auch dieses Buch ist wieder erfrischend komisch. Diesmal geht es nicht mehr um die junge Mibs, sondern um ihren Cousin Ledger. "Der Schimmer des Ledger Kale" ist also zwar Fortsetzung zu "Schimmer", kann aber als Einzelband ohne Verständnisschwierigkeiten gelesen werden.
Trotzdem geht es im Grunde um dasselbe - Ledgers und Mibs Familie hat eine besondere Gabe: einen Schimmer, der ganz außergewöhnlich sein kann. Sein Opa versetzt Berge, die Oma sammelt Lieder in Einmachgläsern, sein Cousin Fish verursacht Stürme, Rocket sprüht elektrische Funken. Und dann Mibs, die mit Tattoos sprechen und so Gedanken lesen kann.
Das Cover ist grundsätzlich im selben Stil wie Band 1 gestaltet, unterscheidet sich aber trotzdem sehr. Bei Band 1 ist ein Mädchen mit Zöpfen von hinten zu sehen, hier ein Junge, dessen Gesicht hinter einem Vorhang aus braunen Haaren verborgen ist. Beide Male kann man die Gesichter nicht erkennen, was auch als Metapher gesehen werden kann, wenn man beide Bücher gelesen hat. Das Cover ist in hellem Mint-Grün gehalten, durch metallische Gegenstände und orangene Linien wird der Stress verdeutlicht, der durch seinen Schimmer ausgelöst wird. Das war bei Teil 1 genauso, wo um die junge Mibs verzerrte Bilder zusehen sind, darunter eine Person, die sich die Ohren zu hält. Das passt sehr gut, da sie mit Stimmen konfrontiert wird, die sie eigentlich nicht hören will. Der Titel "Schimmer" steht wieder geschwungen auf dem Körper des Jugendlichen, diesmal jedoch in klaren Großbuchstaben.
Wie all seine Verwandten wird auch Ledger an seinem 13. Geburtstag eine besondere Gabe erhalten und die ganze Verwandtschaft hält den Atem an, was seine ganz besondere Eigenschaft wird. Doch Ledgers Geburtstag geht enttäuschender Weise überraschungslos vorbei - bis er merkt, dass er mechanische Geräte aus seiner Umgebung zerstört. Dumm nur, dass die Familie zu einer Hochzeit eingeladen ist - die Reise gestaltet sich sehr pannenreich. Und gerade erst angekommen, stolpert er über die neugierige Möchtegern-Reporterin Sarah Jane, ebenfalls dreizehn, die eine große Story wittert und ihm schnurstracks zum Hof seines Onkels folgt. Als Ledger aus Versehen die Hochzeitsparty sprengt und Sarah Jane alles brühwarm mitbekommt, denkt er schlimmer könnte es nicht mehr kommen. Als Gefahr für sich selbst und seine Umgebung darf er die Farm nicht mehr verlassen, bis er den Schimmer beherrscht- was für immer bedeuten könnte. Doch dann lernt er, nicht nur anderen, sondern auch sich selbst Vertrauen entgegenzubringen. Als die Farm seines Onkels und seine Kusine in Gefahr geraten, schlägt seine große Stunde...
"Unsere Familie ist genau wie alle anderen. Wir werden geboren, und irgendwann später sterben wir. Und in der Zwischenzeit sind wir glücklich und traurig, wir empfinden Liebe und Angst, wir essen und schlafen und wir haben Schmerzen wie alle anderen."
In erster Linie ist das Buch eine schöne Abhandlung über die Pubertät und dass jeder Mensch etwas Besonderes ist. Es geht darum, wie sich die Jugendlichen verändern und sich in sich selbst oft nicht wohlfühlen. Sie müssen lernen sich so zu akzeptieren wie sie sind, was oft nicht einfach ist und unterschiedlich lange dauern kann. Dabei werden der Charakter und die Veränderungen eines heranwachsenden Jungen auf witzige Weise beschrieben.
"Der Schimmer des Ledger Kale" ist vor allem für eine Zielgruppe zwischen 11 und 15 Jahren ausgelegt, kann aber auch von Älteren oder Jüngeren problemlos gelesen werden, da der Stil zum einen erfrischend, einfach und locker ist, die fantasievollen Ideen, schräge Aktionen und wunderbare Wahrheiten aber jeden verzaubern können.
Nachdem Band 1 eher etwas für Mädchen war und Probleme angesprochen wurden, die eher weibliche Teenager interessieren, ist dieses Buch eher für Jungs angelegt, kann natürlich aber jeweils von beiden Geschlechtern gelesen werden.
Hier hat Ledger Probleme mit der Selbstbeherrschung, dem Umgang mit Mädchen, Bevormundung durch die Eltern und permanente Verlegenheit. Natürlich dürfen auch die erste Liebe und die dazugehörigen Schmetterlinge nicht fehlen...
Der Hauptcharakter ist natürlich Ledger Kale, der die Ereignisse aus der Ich-Perspektive schildert. Der Junge ist wirklich interessant, da er eine Entwicklung durchläuft.
Er ist 12 Jahre alt, geht wie alle Kinder in die Schule, hat Freunde und sein großes Hobby ist Laufen. Diese Leidenschaft verbindet ihn mit seinem Vater. Auf dem ersten Blick also alles ganz normal...
Doch die Familie hat ein großes Geheimnis: der Schimmer. So ist auch Ledger gespannt, was auf ihn zukommt. Natürlich will er einen "coolen Schimmer", etwas ganz besonderes sein und ist deshalb erstmal enttäuscht von seiner Gabe, wenn man das überhaupt so nennen kann: da zerlegt er sämtliche Gegenstände, ob Türgriff oder ein komplettes Motorrad, nichts ist vor ihm sicher und am Ende liegt alles in Einzelteilen da. Alles was aus Metall besteht ist potentiell in Gefahr. Völlig überfordert muss er versuchen, sich in den Griff zu bekommen. Er probiert dies auf verschiedenste Weisen, bis er am Ende nach viel Chaos erkennt, dass seine Familie wichtig ist, ihn liebt wie er ist, ihm Rückhalt gibt, egal was er tut. Langsam lernt er, was er mit seinem Schimmer machen kann und schafft es, ihn zu kontrollieren und positiv einzusetzen.
"Unsere Familienregel lautete: Mund halten. Niemand ging das Risiko ein, das Familiengeheimnis zu verraten, es sei denn, er hatte keine andere Wahl."
Und genau dieses Familiengeheimnis, das unter keinen Umständen verraten werden sollte, ist in Gefahr als Ledgers Gegenspielerin, die neugierige Möchtegern-Reporterin Sarah Jane aufkreuzt und in Ledgers Familie eine heiße Story wittert. Zuerst wirkt sie sehr nervig, aufdringlich und unverschämt, doch im Laufe der Geschichte erfährt man mehr über sie...
Das klingt zwar erstmal wirklich schräg, doch ich denke im übertragenen Sinne steckt eine Wahrheit hinter der ganzen Sache, die für jeden Jugendlichen nur gut und bestärkend sein kann: Jeder Mensch will etwas ganz besonderes können oder besitzen - mit ein bisschen Übung und Selbstvertrauen kann jeder seinen individuellen Schimmer haben und einzigartig sein.
Fazit:
Insgesamt ein wunderschönes Jungendbuch, das durch verrückte Charaktere, süße Aussagen und die wohl schrägste Story aller Zeiten punkten kann.
Titel: Der Schimmer des Ledger Kale
Autor: Ingrid Law
Genre: Fantasy
ISBN-10: 3551581940
ISBN-13: 978-3551581945
Preis: 8,99� (Kindle-Edition)
12,90� (Gebundene Ausgabe)
Weitere Bände: Schimmer
Inhalt:
Stell dir vor, deine Schwester wagt sich nur noch mit Sturzhelm in deine Nähe. Die Harley Davidson des Sheriffs zerfällt in ein Chaos aus Chrom und Stahl, nur weil du zufällig daran vorbeiläufst. Und eine neugierige Möchtegern-Journalistin wittert die Story ihres Lebens und heftet sich an deine Fersen.
All das ist mir passiert, seit mich an meinem dreizehnten Geburtstag mein Schimmer erwischt hat. Ich bin Ledger Kale, der Junge, der alles zerstört, was aus Metall ist. Und ich habe keine Ahnung, wie ich diesen Schimmer in den Griff bekommen soll....
Über die Autorin:
Ingrid Law war lange auf der Suche nach ihrem Schimmer. Sie hat Schuhe verkauft, im Buchhandel gearbeitet und anderen Menschen geholfen, einen Job zu finden. Heute lebt sie mit ihrer Tochter in Colorado. Ihr erstes Buch, "Schimmer", wurde aus dem Stand heraus ein großer Erfolg.
Bewertung:
Dieses Buch habe ich vor kurzem bei einer Buchaktion gekauft und sofort gelesen. Der erste Teil "Schimmer" habe ich irgendwann mal geschenkt bekommen und zuerst nicht sonderlich gemocht, da die Geschichte doch etwas schräg ist. Als ich das Buch aber ein weiteres Mal gelesen habe, habe ich das Buch wirklich geliebt, gerade weil es so anders ist!
"In meiner Familie waren dreizehnte Geburtstage wie Zeitbomben, nur ohne brennende Zündschnur oder piepsenden Countdown, der einem verriet, wann man besser Ohrstöpsel einsetzen, in Deckung gehen und sich auf etwas gefasst machen oder schleunigst Reißaus nehmen sollte."
Auch dieses Buch ist wieder erfrischend komisch. Diesmal geht es nicht mehr um die junge Mibs, sondern um ihren Cousin Ledger. "Der Schimmer des Ledger Kale" ist also zwar Fortsetzung zu "Schimmer", kann aber als Einzelband ohne Verständnisschwierigkeiten gelesen werden.
Trotzdem geht es im Grunde um dasselbe - Ledgers und Mibs Familie hat eine besondere Gabe: einen Schimmer, der ganz außergewöhnlich sein kann. Sein Opa versetzt Berge, die Oma sammelt Lieder in Einmachgläsern, sein Cousin Fish verursacht Stürme, Rocket sprüht elektrische Funken. Und dann Mibs, die mit Tattoos sprechen und so Gedanken lesen kann.
Das Cover ist grundsätzlich im selben Stil wie Band 1 gestaltet, unterscheidet sich aber trotzdem sehr. Bei Band 1 ist ein Mädchen mit Zöpfen von hinten zu sehen, hier ein Junge, dessen Gesicht hinter einem Vorhang aus braunen Haaren verborgen ist. Beide Male kann man die Gesichter nicht erkennen, was auch als Metapher gesehen werden kann, wenn man beide Bücher gelesen hat. Das Cover ist in hellem Mint-Grün gehalten, durch metallische Gegenstände und orangene Linien wird der Stress verdeutlicht, der durch seinen Schimmer ausgelöst wird. Das war bei Teil 1 genauso, wo um die junge Mibs verzerrte Bilder zusehen sind, darunter eine Person, die sich die Ohren zu hält. Das passt sehr gut, da sie mit Stimmen konfrontiert wird, die sie eigentlich nicht hören will. Der Titel "Schimmer" steht wieder geschwungen auf dem Körper des Jugendlichen, diesmal jedoch in klaren Großbuchstaben.
Wie all seine Verwandten wird auch Ledger an seinem 13. Geburtstag eine besondere Gabe erhalten und die ganze Verwandtschaft hält den Atem an, was seine ganz besondere Eigenschaft wird. Doch Ledgers Geburtstag geht enttäuschender Weise überraschungslos vorbei - bis er merkt, dass er mechanische Geräte aus seiner Umgebung zerstört. Dumm nur, dass die Familie zu einer Hochzeit eingeladen ist - die Reise gestaltet sich sehr pannenreich. Und gerade erst angekommen, stolpert er über die neugierige Möchtegern-Reporterin Sarah Jane, ebenfalls dreizehn, die eine große Story wittert und ihm schnurstracks zum Hof seines Onkels folgt. Als Ledger aus Versehen die Hochzeitsparty sprengt und Sarah Jane alles brühwarm mitbekommt, denkt er schlimmer könnte es nicht mehr kommen. Als Gefahr für sich selbst und seine Umgebung darf er die Farm nicht mehr verlassen, bis er den Schimmer beherrscht- was für immer bedeuten könnte. Doch dann lernt er, nicht nur anderen, sondern auch sich selbst Vertrauen entgegenzubringen. Als die Farm seines Onkels und seine Kusine in Gefahr geraten, schlägt seine große Stunde...
"Unsere Familie ist genau wie alle anderen. Wir werden geboren, und irgendwann später sterben wir. Und in der Zwischenzeit sind wir glücklich und traurig, wir empfinden Liebe und Angst, wir essen und schlafen und wir haben Schmerzen wie alle anderen."
In erster Linie ist das Buch eine schöne Abhandlung über die Pubertät und dass jeder Mensch etwas Besonderes ist. Es geht darum, wie sich die Jugendlichen verändern und sich in sich selbst oft nicht wohlfühlen. Sie müssen lernen sich so zu akzeptieren wie sie sind, was oft nicht einfach ist und unterschiedlich lange dauern kann. Dabei werden der Charakter und die Veränderungen eines heranwachsenden Jungen auf witzige Weise beschrieben.
"Der Schimmer des Ledger Kale" ist vor allem für eine Zielgruppe zwischen 11 und 15 Jahren ausgelegt, kann aber auch von Älteren oder Jüngeren problemlos gelesen werden, da der Stil zum einen erfrischend, einfach und locker ist, die fantasievollen Ideen, schräge Aktionen und wunderbare Wahrheiten aber jeden verzaubern können.
Nachdem Band 1 eher etwas für Mädchen war und Probleme angesprochen wurden, die eher weibliche Teenager interessieren, ist dieses Buch eher für Jungs angelegt, kann natürlich aber jeweils von beiden Geschlechtern gelesen werden.
Hier hat Ledger Probleme mit der Selbstbeherrschung, dem Umgang mit Mädchen, Bevormundung durch die Eltern und permanente Verlegenheit. Natürlich dürfen auch die erste Liebe und die dazugehörigen Schmetterlinge nicht fehlen...
Der Hauptcharakter ist natürlich Ledger Kale, der die Ereignisse aus der Ich-Perspektive schildert. Der Junge ist wirklich interessant, da er eine Entwicklung durchläuft.
Er ist 12 Jahre alt, geht wie alle Kinder in die Schule, hat Freunde und sein großes Hobby ist Laufen. Diese Leidenschaft verbindet ihn mit seinem Vater. Auf dem ersten Blick also alles ganz normal...
Doch die Familie hat ein großes Geheimnis: der Schimmer. So ist auch Ledger gespannt, was auf ihn zukommt. Natürlich will er einen "coolen Schimmer", etwas ganz besonderes sein und ist deshalb erstmal enttäuscht von seiner Gabe, wenn man das überhaupt so nennen kann: da zerlegt er sämtliche Gegenstände, ob Türgriff oder ein komplettes Motorrad, nichts ist vor ihm sicher und am Ende liegt alles in Einzelteilen da. Alles was aus Metall besteht ist potentiell in Gefahr. Völlig überfordert muss er versuchen, sich in den Griff zu bekommen. Er probiert dies auf verschiedenste Weisen, bis er am Ende nach viel Chaos erkennt, dass seine Familie wichtig ist, ihn liebt wie er ist, ihm Rückhalt gibt, egal was er tut. Langsam lernt er, was er mit seinem Schimmer machen kann und schafft es, ihn zu kontrollieren und positiv einzusetzen.
"Unsere Familienregel lautete: Mund halten. Niemand ging das Risiko ein, das Familiengeheimnis zu verraten, es sei denn, er hatte keine andere Wahl."
Und genau dieses Familiengeheimnis, das unter keinen Umständen verraten werden sollte, ist in Gefahr als Ledgers Gegenspielerin, die neugierige Möchtegern-Reporterin Sarah Jane aufkreuzt und in Ledgers Familie eine heiße Story wittert. Zuerst wirkt sie sehr nervig, aufdringlich und unverschämt, doch im Laufe der Geschichte erfährt man mehr über sie...
Das klingt zwar erstmal wirklich schräg, doch ich denke im übertragenen Sinne steckt eine Wahrheit hinter der ganzen Sache, die für jeden Jugendlichen nur gut und bestärkend sein kann: Jeder Mensch will etwas ganz besonderes können oder besitzen - mit ein bisschen Übung und Selbstvertrauen kann jeder seinen individuellen Schimmer haben und einzigartig sein.
Fazit:
Insgesamt ein wunderschönes Jungendbuch, das durch verrückte Charaktere, süße Aussagen und die wohl schrägste Story aller Zeiten punkten kann.
June 18, 2014
In her debut novel Savvy, Ingrid Law introduced us to the big, unconventional Beaumont family, in which each child manifests a unique super-power (called a "savvy") on his or her thirteenth birthday. The challenge is to recognize what that savvy is and scumble it, or figure out how to control it, before something big happens. Otherwise people could get hurt; or, even worse, outsiders might find out about the family's secret. In this sequel, we meet some of the Beaumonts again, as well as their cousins the O'Connells and the Kales. The birthday kid this time is Ledger "Ledge" Kale, whose special ability to "Bust! Things! Up!" literally brings down the house at a family wedding reception.
Suddenly Ledge's hopes of gaining super-speed, so he can win a father-son half-marathon with his Dad, must now make way for a summer sentenced to the Flying Cattleheart Ranch near Sundance, Wyoming. There he joins other "defective misfits" in his family as they work out how to scumble their savvy. There's cousin Rocket, whose ability to shoot lightning out of his fingertips has caused a lot of brownouts, fried circuitry, and even some bodily harm. There's Rocket's brother Samson, who was last seen blowing out the candles on his thirteenth-birthday cake, and now spends most of his time invisible. Like these guys, Ledge needs to master the fears, the anger, and other upsetting emotions that make it hard to control his gift. If only his power were good for something besides smashing things and making people mad at him...
But Ledge may have even bigger problems. On his first day in Sundance, he bumped into a local girl named Sarah Jane Cabot, who publishes her own weekly newspaper of the bizarre. From the moment they meet, SJ picks up the scent of a big scoop. Soon Ledge is torn between frustration at not being able to shake the girl off his trail, and the disturbing sense that he may not want to. Uncle Autry, the insect whisperer, certainly doesn't want Ledge hanging around with the girl; and her father, the meanest, foreclosingest mortgage lender in town, wants Ledger around even less. The harder Ledge tries to make things right, the more trouble he causes—even after he starts to get a handle on how to use his savvy for good. By the time he realizes the truth about the junior journalist and her own special gift, it may be too late to save the ranch from an angry man with a wrecking ball.
Scumble is a funny, fast-paced, family-friendly adventure, filled with quirky characters and their unique magic. Besides a grip of suspense and a glow of emotional uplift, it also offers some youthful romance, and gently touches on themes relevant to these economically tough times. The combination of fantasy elements with Ledge's athletic leanings could make this book equally attractive to jocks and nerds. And hey, if they can agree on anything, it must be good! A third book in this series, titled Switch, is promised for 2015.
Suddenly Ledge's hopes of gaining super-speed, so he can win a father-son half-marathon with his Dad, must now make way for a summer sentenced to the Flying Cattleheart Ranch near Sundance, Wyoming. There he joins other "defective misfits" in his family as they work out how to scumble their savvy. There's cousin Rocket, whose ability to shoot lightning out of his fingertips has caused a lot of brownouts, fried circuitry, and even some bodily harm. There's Rocket's brother Samson, who was last seen blowing out the candles on his thirteenth-birthday cake, and now spends most of his time invisible. Like these guys, Ledge needs to master the fears, the anger, and other upsetting emotions that make it hard to control his gift. If only his power were good for something besides smashing things and making people mad at him...
But Ledge may have even bigger problems. On his first day in Sundance, he bumped into a local girl named Sarah Jane Cabot, who publishes her own weekly newspaper of the bizarre. From the moment they meet, SJ picks up the scent of a big scoop. Soon Ledge is torn between frustration at not being able to shake the girl off his trail, and the disturbing sense that he may not want to. Uncle Autry, the insect whisperer, certainly doesn't want Ledge hanging around with the girl; and her father, the meanest, foreclosingest mortgage lender in town, wants Ledger around even less. The harder Ledge tries to make things right, the more trouble he causes—even after he starts to get a handle on how to use his savvy for good. By the time he realizes the truth about the junior journalist and her own special gift, it may be too late to save the ranch from an angry man with a wrecking ball.
Scumble is a funny, fast-paced, family-friendly adventure, filled with quirky characters and their unique magic. Besides a grip of suspense and a glow of emotional uplift, it also offers some youthful romance, and gently touches on themes relevant to these economically tough times. The combination of fantasy elements with Ledge's athletic leanings could make this book equally attractive to jocks and nerds. And hey, if they can agree on anything, it must be good! A third book in this series, titled Switch, is promised for 2015.
August 13, 2011
Scumble is a hilarious, rollicking, fun-filled adventure. If not for the groan-inducing romance, I would have given it five stars. Brilliantly conceived and written with down-to-earth yet fanciful prose, it’s a vivid story of a boy trying to harness, or “scumble�, his “savvy�, a unique power which runs through his family, manifesting itself on each person’s thirteen birthday.
The havoc which ensues during the wedding reception scene made me giggle like a small child. The prose wasn’t overly descriptive, but the vivid imagery left me playing the scene out in my mind as I read, making it even more hilarious. Sometimes when I read, I feel like the author is telling me what happened in their own imagination, this time, I “saw� it happen, making it much more hilarious.
Speaking of hilarious, Fedora or Fe, the little sister of the protagonist, is fantastic. Her brother, Ledger, has a savvy which breaks stuff apart- stopwatches, toasters, bicycles� (And I could say much more if not for SPOILERS!) Armed with her second grade teacher’s often punny safety tips, Fe marches around with an oversized football helmet, prepared for the havoc which follows in her brother’s wake. She’s hilarious and mostly true-to-life. I only have one complaint: We’re told she’s EIGHT. But her antics and speech more befit a kindergartner. She’s often just like my 5ish sister, not at all like eight-year-old kids I know. Despite this, she’s a fun and realistic representation of little kids, even if she acts younger than her given age.
I just loved the writing style of this book! It was fresh, funny, and VIVID. I didn’t have to try to picture the surroundings, I just did, and the book was a lot more realistic and believable than I expected- barring the romance, that is. Only one savvy comes to mind that I thought was far-fetched or silly. All the others are clever, interesting, and believable. It’s especially fun to read how characters learn to balance their savvies, control them, and use them as helpful tools. Another nice aspect is that the story isn’t set in a fantasy world; it’s right here in America. Fantasy blends in with the reality we all know to be true.
As a sequel, this book performs well. It is not only superior to its predecessor, but includes characters from the previous book in a fun way where you’re excited to see glimpses back into past character’s lives, yet does not bewilder someone who hasn’t read the first book.
This was a good read, and I’d recommend it to ages 11 and up.
The havoc which ensues during the wedding reception scene made me giggle like a small child. The prose wasn’t overly descriptive, but the vivid imagery left me playing the scene out in my mind as I read, making it even more hilarious. Sometimes when I read, I feel like the author is telling me what happened in their own imagination, this time, I “saw� it happen, making it much more hilarious.
Speaking of hilarious, Fedora or Fe, the little sister of the protagonist, is fantastic. Her brother, Ledger, has a savvy which breaks stuff apart- stopwatches, toasters, bicycles� (And I could say much more if not for SPOILERS!) Armed with her second grade teacher’s often punny safety tips, Fe marches around with an oversized football helmet, prepared for the havoc which follows in her brother’s wake. She’s hilarious and mostly true-to-life. I only have one complaint: We’re told she’s EIGHT. But her antics and speech more befit a kindergartner. She’s often just like my 5ish sister, not at all like eight-year-old kids I know. Despite this, she’s a fun and realistic representation of little kids, even if she acts younger than her given age.
I just loved the writing style of this book! It was fresh, funny, and VIVID. I didn’t have to try to picture the surroundings, I just did, and the book was a lot more realistic and believable than I expected- barring the romance, that is. Only one savvy comes to mind that I thought was far-fetched or silly. All the others are clever, interesting, and believable. It’s especially fun to read how characters learn to balance their savvies, control them, and use them as helpful tools. Another nice aspect is that the story isn’t set in a fantasy world; it’s right here in America. Fantasy blends in with the reality we all know to be true.
As a sequel, this book performs well. It is not only superior to its predecessor, but includes characters from the previous book in a fun way where you’re excited to see glimpses back into past character’s lives, yet does not bewilder someone who hasn’t read the first book.
This was a good read, and I’d recommend it to ages 11 and up.
October 4, 2015
The book Scumble by Ingrid Law is pretty good and it tells the story about a boy who gets savvies (a special power) at the age of 13. Unfortunately, he didn't get the savvy that he wanted which is super speed and he ends up getting the ability to destroy anything he wanted to. Savvies are unpredictable like that. Ledger is afraid that he will never be able to control his new savvy. He has to cope with trying not to tear everything apart. To make matters worse, a girl named Sarah Jane from the nearby town of Sundance in Wyoming wants to know everything that there is to know. The story has up and downs of having to deal with family and secrets. The plot is basically about how Ledger learns how to scumble and learn about his savvy. The definition or scumbling is when you apply a coat of something to art or a painting so when you're scumbling through life, it means that you apply a new coat to your life to make it better.
The only real thing I would recommend about this is to make the beginning of the story more interesting because the beginning is what really hooks the reader in. This isn't as good like the other books I read like Hunger Games trilogy and the Maze Runner series. I would recommend this book to people who like paranormal powers, fantasy and adventure. Overall, this book is great and it really teaches you about finding yourself and it teaches you how to scumble.
The only real thing I would recommend about this is to make the beginning of the story more interesting because the beginning is what really hooks the reader in. This isn't as good like the other books I read like Hunger Games trilogy and the Maze Runner series. I would recommend this book to people who like paranormal powers, fantasy and adventure. Overall, this book is great and it really teaches you about finding yourself and it teaches you how to scumble.
December 26, 2016
Another fantastically fun and heart-warming savvy adventure! When I first read this I liked it better than the first book, and though it still holds a special place in my heart, I've decided to lower my rating to four stars this time around. Once again I found the beginning quite hard to get to grips with and I definitely think it could have been shortened in some places. Also, the first time I read this I thought the lead-up to the reveal of was really clever, but this time the hints felt very placed which made the writing in that section feel totally unnatural to me. Maybe it's just because I'm now outside the target age range, or because I knew what was coming, but the execution of that was just quite disappointing for me.
Apart from those small criticisms I really think this book had as many awesome twists and turns as the last one, not to mention seriously cute relationships between the characters. Ingrid Law's characters are never stagnant - there's always something going on with them or something under the surface, and that makes for not only really realistic, but constantly interesting stories. I thought the plot was very complexly constructed and the Rocket storyline was utter perfection. On the whole just a really feel-good and well-written book - I miss reading it already!
Apart from those small criticisms I really think this book had as many awesome twists and turns as the last one, not to mention seriously cute relationships between the characters. Ingrid Law's characters are never stagnant - there's always something going on with them or something under the surface, and that makes for not only really realistic, but constantly interesting stories. I thought the plot was very complexly constructed and the Rocket storyline was utter perfection. On the whole just a really feel-good and well-written book - I miss reading it already!
December 30, 2012
I was so excited to see another book after Savvy! Though I did have misgivings because I had loved Savvy so much and I wasn't sure how any other book could deliver. Thankfully this story did not disappoint! The characters provided such amusement and wonder. I loved the setting and the way people dealt with their relationships and powers. It was good to be back in this world and see it being further explored. I found myself loving the characters just as much as Savvy and I didn't want the story to end. I really liked this novel and I would contiue reading other books by Ingrid Law. This story was as rich as Savvy: I'd recommend it!
*Taken from my book reviews blog:
*Taken from my book reviews blog:
June 5, 2018
This book is the second one in the series the first on is Savvy.
Ledger's family has special powers. They are called savvy. On your 13th birthday you get your savvy. On Ledgers 13th birthday he waits to get his savvy. His dreams of his savvy are running the fastest. Instead he breaks a clock. All the pieces come out, screws and all. Ledger is frustrated his savvy is not suppose to be this. There family starts to travel to a wedding in Wyoming. Everything goes wrong. Ledger can't control his savvy. When they stop at Willies 5 and Dime he explodes a bike. Will Ledger be able to control his savvy? Will he no wreak things anymore?
Ledger's family has special powers. They are called savvy. On your 13th birthday you get your savvy. On Ledgers 13th birthday he waits to get his savvy. His dreams of his savvy are running the fastest. Instead he breaks a clock. All the pieces come out, screws and all. Ledger is frustrated his savvy is not suppose to be this. There family starts to travel to a wedding in Wyoming. Everything goes wrong. Ledger can't control his savvy. When they stop at Willies 5 and Dime he explodes a bike. Will Ledger be able to control his savvy? Will he no wreak things anymore?
May 24, 2020
Eh. This one was neither great nor terrible, though it started off pretty bad. I found Ledge to be pretty self-centered at times, Sarah Jane never redeemed herself in my opinion (a criminal brat all the way through), and I wanted to punch the twins, but who doesn't love the magic of savvy cousins and scrapyard artists and giant butterflies and kids pulling through to save the day?
April 3, 2011
Scumble is a wonderful sequel the much-loved book, Savvy. One reason why I loved it is because Ledger's savvy was revealed at the beginning. The story was about how he learned to control it, rather than his waiting to find out what it was. I loved that the characters from Savvy were background characters. For example, Ledger's cousin, Fish, got married. His counsin, Tucker, was the newborn baby announced in Savvy.
I recommend Scumble to all book lovers, especially to Savvy fans.
I recommend Scumble to all book lovers, especially to Savvy fans.
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