Book Review: Kind of a Big Deal by Shannon Hale
There’s something inherently intriguing about the idea of jumping into a story and becoming part of it. As a lifelong book lover, that concept captured my imagination in Kind of a Big Deal, penned by the talented Shannon Hale. When I discovered that 17-year-old Josie "Pie" Sergakis could literally leap into different narratives, I couldn’t wait to join her on what I assumed would be a whimsical adventure. However, I quickly realized that my excitement was met with an unexpected dissonance throughout the narrative.
At its core, Kind of a Big Deal is meant to illustrate the struggles of adolescence and the crushing weight of past glory. Josie, once the darling of her high school stage, is now adrift in Missoula, Montana, nursing a deep sense of loss over her Broadway aspirations. Instead of the vibrant life I imagined, I found her drowning in self-pity and a deeply flawed sense of entitlement. “Sometimes younger students stopped Josie in the halls to ask for her autograph." It reflects her former popularity, but it also underscores her disconnect from reality.
As I navigated through Josie’s experiences, I often found her unlikable, teetering on the edge of self-obsession. While the concept of exploring different genres—from romance to dystopia—should have been a magical escapade, it felt like a repetitive cycle of dissatisfaction. Each time she returned to her reality, she was left unchanged, plagued by a sense of failure rather than growth. The narrative often hammered home the message that “there is nothing worse than peaking in high school,” which, while poignant, became tiresome.
While the writing itself was engaging and the pacing kept me trudging through, I couldn’t help but feel the narrative’s choices destabilized the potential impact it could have had. The notion that she sang Spice Girls songs to exit her magical adventures came off as bewildering rather than empowering. Did I mention her relationship with friends and family felt painfully superficial? The climax had Josie confronting her responsibilities, but it read more like a checklist than true character development.
Hale shines brightest in her sharp wit and vibrant prose—there are moments of true humor mixed with biting insights about the complexities of teenage life, like when Josie muses about the futility of waiting for Broadway to “call her name.” Still, the choices Josie makes, particularly in her friendships and personal aspirations, left me yearning for more depth. I couldn’t help but think the biggest lesson Josie needed to learn was how to be a better friend and individual, yet these themes felt buried beneath the weight of her self-centered narrative.
In the end, while Kind of a Big Deal may resonate with younger readers still grappling with high school identity, I’m left contemplating its broader implications. The messages about striving for dreams and acknowledging reality are wrapped in a narrative that has misplaced its focus. I found myself sensing a disconnect between Josie’s internal struggles and the relatable lessons many may expect from their reading journeys.
If you’re into light-hearted reads with musical flair and a touch of magical realism, this book might just work for you, provided you’re prepared for discussions about dreams, ambition, and the sometimes unrelenting nature of growing up. Often felt like I was stuck in a waiting room, but by the end, I realized that wasn’t quite as satisfying as I hoped. Overall, it’s a mixed bag—the potential is there, but its execution didn’t quite hit the mark for me.