Deetjen's Closet by Debbie Noble Black
Sara has moved to a new town where she is being bullied for her belief in magic. On her quest to prove that magic is real she stumbles upon a coat that talks and introduces her to more talking clothes. Is this the proof she needs to stop her tormentors from bothering her?
Being so far removed from my 10 years old self I probably don't connect with Sara as much as someone from the target audience would, but I like her. She is a girl who just wants to be herself. But it's hard since being herself gets her bullied and teased. I'm glad Sara doesn't decide to fight back in a traditional way, instead she decides to try to understand the girls who are terrorizing her. Maybe there is something in their lives that makes them so mean. It is a very mature approach and watching Sara come to this decision was a pleasure. I also enjoyed the real historical stories that the clothes told. (Although I have to admit I learned more about Levi Jeans than I really needed to know.) But I felt the story of Sara's plight was put on hold to listen to the clothes tell their stories and the clothes became more of a means to tell the history instead of a part of Sara's story. I did like that at the end certain connections were made so it didn't all seem so random. But it ended too abruptly for me. I know it is meant to be a series, but I wanted some sort of conclusion or wrap up and I got none. It is an interesting concept, and it will probably appeal to a certain young audience, but I was never intrigued enough to wonder what happens next.
I got a free copy of this book from Librarything.com, Early Reviewers.
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