Okay, I am a long time removed from being in the ideal age group for a middle grade read, but my daughter is right at the lower end of that group and she is just like her mama - bookworm and hoarder of ARCs. Alas, she does not the wherewithal to write a review for the ARCs that she claims for herself which means that I get to step in and do the dirty work. This one comes to us from YALLWest - Worst Broommate Ever!
Heidi Heckelbeck is starting middle school - but not just any middle school! She is going to be attending Broomsfield Academy, a boarding school which is also the only school in the country that has secret classes for witches-in-training. She is excited and nervous about living away from her family and making new friends. After some trouble feeling homesick after her family leaves, things get worse when Heidi finds out that her new roommate is Melanie Maplethorpe, the only enemy she has in the entire world. Neither girl is very happy about it, but will they find a way to co-exist and survive the school year?
This was a very quick and easy read! I mean, granted, I am well into my 30s and this is a middle grade book, but still. I’d say that though the story is written about a middle schooler, it’s written more in a way that is geared toward younger readers in the middle grade age range.
The illustrations are a fun addition, adding an element that brings you into the story a bit more. The inconsistency in text formatting was a bit off-putting for me, but I think that younger readers would definitely like the fun of it.
As for the plot and character development, they hit all the right notes for the intended audience. Coven is able to nail the voice and problems of a middle schooler. Additionally, choosing to place the characters at a boarding school is genius as it was a reminder for me of when I first left home for college and serves as a great way to (subconsciously) prepare kids for a (potential) future.
Worst Broommate Ever! is the first in Wanda Coven’s Middle Grade and Other Disasters series. It is available now and you can pick up a copy for the middle grade reader in your life here.
Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher for free and have voluntarily written this review. If you purchase a copy using my Bookshop affiliate link above, not only will I receive a small commission (which will fuel my coffee and tea addiction and help to keep me up all night reading more books to recommend to you), but you will be supporting indie bookstores as well! If you prefer Amazon, visit my Amazon storefront and click on the list titled "2023 Book Recommendations."
