“Mustaches for Maddie”: I Will ‘Shave’ This for Later

I finally found a book worth posting about!  Please forgive my neglect.  It’s been difficult to enjoy and analyze new and somewhat-okay books when I’m so flippin’ excited for Sanderson’s Stormlight 3 release in November.
My last read might have been a foil, causing anything and everything to seem brilliant in comparison (it was terrible – like *1.3 star* rating).  My co-worker asked me to read it so we could make fun of it together.

On the flip side, I have a suggestion for my co-worker to read “Mustaches for Maddie,” by Chad Morris and Shelly Brown because I loved it and want to share it with others.
Yep, that’s right.  I said I loved it.

You know I’m a hard reader to please, but I Really liked this book.  It’s based on a true story and from the imaginative perspective of a young girl with a brain tumor.  It’s easy to fall in love with Maddie’s abundant creativity and tender heart, though it’s probably in part because it was written by her parents.  Of course they love their daughter, but they do a great job at making you love her too.

I love that it was written from 12-year-old Maddie’s perspective.  This way, we see her dreams as she imagines what she’d like to say, do, and play.  We know her fears when she doesn’t act on her bold thoughts, or when she faces the miseries of tumor treatment.  Then we see her courage as she battles the challenges of grade school friendships and tumor treatment by using her imagination and love for mustaches.

I laughed out loud, cried, then laughed out loud again as she pushed through one of life’s greatest trials (facing the possible end of it).  There are beautiful themes on friendship and compassion, all brilliantly intertwined with wild randomness of a child’s mind.

“Mustaches for Maddie” might be categorized as middle grade, but I highly suggest it to parents, others facing difficult times, and anyone who wants to smile about a good cause.
This book will be released Oct. 3.  *****4.8 Stars****

PS. I read the book in half a day.  It’s a short, easy, and enjoyable read. 🙂
PPS. I could totally swing the cowboy mustache. ;D