Book Info:
The Art of Running Away by Sabrina Kleckner
Genre: Middle Grade Contemporary
Publishing Date: November 16, 2021
Synopsis:
Twelve-year-old Maisie is an artist. When she’s in front of her sketchbook or apprenticing at Glenna’s Portraits, the family-run art shop her grandmother started, the world makes sense. She doesn’t think about Calum, her brother who mysteriously left home and cut ties with her family six years ago, or her parents’ insistence that she “broaden her horizons” and try something new—something that isn’t art.
But when Glenna’s Portraits falls on hard times, Maisie’s plan to take over the shop when she’s older and become a lifelong artist starts to crumble. In desperation to make things right, Maisie runs away to London to reconnect with her adult brother, hoping he might be the key to saving the shop. But as Maisie learns about her family’s past from Calum, she starts to rethink everything she’s ever known. Maisie must decide not only if saving her family’s art shop is worth it, but if she can forgive her parents for the mistakes they’ve made.
Book Links:
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-art-of-running-away-sabrina-kleckner/1138700633?ean=9781631635779
Book Depository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Art-Running-Away-Sabrina-Kleckner/9781631635779?ref=grid-view&qid=1634742609071&sr=1-1
IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781631635779
About the Author:
Sabrina Kleckner is the author of THE ART OF RUNNING AWAY, a middle grade contemporary novel about family and identity. She began writing at the age of twelve, and is grateful to not be debuting with the angsty assassin book she toiled over in her teens. When she is not writing, she can be found teaching ESL or gushing about her three cats to anyone who will listen.
Author Links:
Website: https://www.sabrinakleckner.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sabkleckner
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sabkleckner/
Tour Schedule:
First off I want to thank TBR Tours & Beyond for allowing me yet again to be part of their wonderful blog tours. Initially I already had a Netgalley arc for for the The Art of Running Away but when I saw the tour I knew this was a way of making me the book and boy I was not disappointed at all.
Here we find Maisie who I absolutely adored and felt all the emotions going through her as she reconnects with her elder brother Calum after so many years apart. Seeing them getting to know each other again was a beautifully handled by Sabrina especially when we begin to hear Calum's side of the story and that literally broke me. I can understand why Calum is the way he is. I especially loved Calum's room mates Benji and Rose were a hoot and were able to help Maisie learn to get to know her brother through their eyes. I loved how both London and Edinburgh were turned into characters. I would of liked to have seen more of Alicia and Aunt Lisa but found Maisie's mum controlling and wish her dad was much stronger than he actually was as I felt Maisie could of done with that support.
I felt throughout the book Sabrina wrote with loving care and yet was still able to have a lot of light too. I honestly felt for Maisie when she received the news from back home she wanted to help but she was also upset at how Calum was treated.
I admit it took me a while to get my thoughts together before I actually did this review and I am adamant that this book should be read and shouted about as much as possible as there are important issues covered in such a beautiful way. So for all these reasons it is a 5 star read.
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