serafina67 is the best

This was maybe the third time I've read serafina 67 *urgently requires life* straight through, cover to cover. It's long been my favorite go-to YA book; in terms of how I feel about the book, it's like the You've Got Mail of YA novels. It's an instant mood-booster, a wonderfully cute and compelling story, full of characters I love.

And this time around there was a bit of a different outlook reading it. Though I still love the book so much, I read it this time with the identity of the "mystery person" in mind. This is a plotline that, while it's important to the story, doesn't really become a thing until well, well into the story. However, reading the book with the identity in mind made me notice things I hadn't before -- warning, vague-ish spoiler-ish things below:

UK cover/title

-- like the fact that serafina, at times, is woefully ungrateful and wrapped up in herself. And that what the mystery person does is creepy, yes, but also stems from the best of intentions (and is sort of weirdly sweet, even while being woah creepy invasion of privacy) and realistic. I could easily see how something like this could get out of hand quickly.

and end spoilers!!


I love serafina. I love her story and the way she comes to grips with things, the fact that she wants to be happier and be a better person but so often fails and finds it difficult to get up again. (But she does get up again, and I think that's the important thing.) Her family story here is so real and so wonderfully written. The love story as well is one of my favorite YA couples, and the story with her best friend is something I can relate all too well to (eerily so, actually). Serafina still reminds me of myself, especially her craziness. And the whole story, still, is written so well, with all the different subplots fitting together so, so well.

Plus, I finished rereading this while waiting in the dentist's office. It was probably the only thing that held me together. So thanks for that, Susie Day. :)