Bloomability (1998)

Sweet, predictable, somewhat formulaic- kid goes to Switzerland, adjusts, makes friends, is sad to leave, grows in understanding, becomes more mature. Still, charming in parts, and quite readable. ( )

This book was really cute. It's about a girl, Dinnie, who has moved around all her life (12 times in her 12 years) and doesn't really know what the concept of "home" means, you know? So her two older siblings are starting to get into some mischief (each in their own way), so her parents send her to live with her aunt and uncle for the school year. In Switzerland. So in this area of Switzerland, where she attends an "American" school, she has to learn Italian and meet a lot of new people from all over the world (Spain, Japan, India, Korea, Italy, France, etc.)

Dinnie isn't a super-active main character, she mostly is nice and quiet and observes people around her. And I think there is a very stark contrast drawn between two of her friends, Lila and Guthrie. And what I draw from it is that we should look on the bright side — look for the good and positive things around you and enjoy life, rather than only noticing the bad/negative things and complaining all the time. What a great message about being optimistic!

Other themes that ran through the book that I thought were great were how all of these kids at the school look different, speak different languages, are from different parts of the world, and yet they all have things in common — have something in common with middle-schoolers EVERYWHERE... And that is that they are worried about fitting in and having friends and being happy, you know? And it doesn't matter what you APPEAR to be — what is on the surface is not always the way things really are. You can't judge what someone is truly like by the way they look. That was a lovely message. ( )

Bloomability by Sharon Creech was one of my favorite books as a child. I had all but forgotten it until recently, only recalling that it had made an impact on my adolescence. Once I picked it up to reread as an adult, it was like I was a kid again. I understood the narrator, Dinnie, and her confusion with life. Her family dynamic is complicated, so you'd think that having her aunt and uncle whisk her away to a middle school in Switzerland would be an adventure and relief. But Dinnie knows about adventure, and what she needs is stability and opportunity to just be herself. And that's exactly what she finds, in the last place she'd expect. ( )

Bloomability is a book written by Sharon Creech about a 13 year old girl named Dinnie Doone who lives with her family in Abiquiu New Mexico, when her aunt and uncle take her all the way Switzerland where she will attend her uncle’s boarding school. The term Bloomability comes from her new Japanese friend keisuke, as his version of possibilities. This book is a great read for a school assignment, a quick read, a group read or even book clubs. Even though it is a fiction book it has a little geography and a hint of romance. Sharon does a great job creating Dinnie’s character, even though we have nothing in common I could easily relate to her pain and loneliness. There are many other intricate characters and I guarantee you will find one you can connect with. I was a little disappointed with the ending, I personally like when books have a solid ending but many other people I know like cliff hangers where they can choose the end so that it satisfies them. Other than that I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to all age groups, even adults will enjoy this exciting story of Dinnie’s adventures. ( )

Bloomability is about a girl named Dinnie. She moves a lot because her dad is looking for new “opportunities”. By the time she’s 13, she has already moved 13 times and has gotten used to adapting to a new place. While living in New Mexico, her aunt and uncle whom she has never met before whisk her away to a small town on the border of Switzerland. There, she goes to an American boarding school where everything is so different then back home; even though she doesn’t know where home is anymore.

At first she can’t decide if she likes it there or not, she wants to rebel. Just run away. But of course she adapts, she’s used to adapting. While in Switzerland; she makes new friends, meets lots of people, sees famous landmarks, learns new things, and has the time of her life. But once the school year is over, she’s forced to make a life changing decision. Stay in Switzerland or go “home”? Stay with your aunt and uncle or finally get to see/live with mom and dad again? Stay with your new friends or go home to no friends?

I really liked this book. I have a hard time getting into books, and I don’t have many on my “favorites” list, but I can tell you that of the few on there- this one is around the top. I would recommend this book for girls aged 9-13. It’s a pretty easy read and really interesting. One thing I loved about this book is that it really made me think. The main character is pretty quiet so there’s not a whole lot of dialog and a lot of her thinking, which is really cool because you feel like your inside her head and you can really connect with her. Over all this is a really great book and highly recommended for someone looking for a fast, fun, and easy read.