EVENTOWN
February 12, 2019
The world tilted for Elodee this year, and now it’s impossible for her to be the same as she was before. Not when her feelings have such a strong grip on her heart. Not when she and her twin sister Naomi seem to be drifting apart. So when Elodee’s Mom gets a new job in Eventown, moving—even in the middle of the year—seems like it might just fix everything.
And at first, life in Eventown is comforting and exciting all at once. Their kitchen comes with a box of recipes for Elodee to try. Everyone takes the scenic way to school or work—past rows of rosebushes and unexpected waterfalls. On blueberry-picking field trips, every berry is perfectly ripe. Sure, there are a few odd rules and the houses all look exactly alike, but it’s easy enough to explain—until Elodee realizes that there are only three ice cream flavors in Eventown. Ever. And they only sing one song in music class. Even more unsettling, everyone in Elodee’s family seems to be losing their memories from before—both the good ones and the bad. Suddenly, Elodee doesn’t feel quite so “even” in Eventown anymore. And as everything in their perfect new world begins to unravel, Elodee realizes there may be a price to pay for perfection—and pretending.
From the author of the critically acclaimed RULES FOR STEALING STARS and THE SOMEDAY SUITCASE, Corey Ann Haydu, comes a stunning and vulnerable new novel about the lasting impacts of loss, the stories that shape us, and love.
REVIEWS
* A Kirkus Best of 2019 Selection
* A Junior Library Guild Selection
* An Amazon Best Books of the Month Selection
A School Library Journal Best Book of 2021
Edgar Award Nominee
2019 Spring Indie Next List
“Engrossing”
– The New York Times
“thought provoking novel”… with a “memorable and brave heroine”
– Publishers Weekly, starred review ★
“At once enchanting, heart-rending, and bittersweet.”
– Kirkus, starred review ★
“An emotionally complex and wonderfully told story.”
– School Library Journal, starred review ★
“A wonderful and inventive story about being a kid in an imperfect world – beautiful, mysterious and deeply satisfying.”
– Rebecca Stead
“Haydu brings a different dimension with real poignancy…[Eventown] will reel in readers looking for family dramas as well as those seeking a little ideological stretching, and it will leave them with plenty to discuss about the price of walling yourself off from pain.”
– Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Readers will feel for the brave, unconventional Elodee, who both affirms her individuality but also feels the loneliness of it… A hope-tinged tale about the long aftermath of tragedy.”
– ALA Booklist