Seven Deadlies: A Cautionary Tale by Gigi Levangie Grazer

Seven Deadlies: A Cautionary Tale by Gigi Levangie Grazer

Published October 17, 2013 by Blue Rider Press

Hardcover, 256 pages

Received from publisher through NetGalley -- thanks!

Perry Gonzalez is an aspiring writer and her sights have been set on Bennington. Even though she's only fourteen, Perry's already starting to think about her application to Bennington, like tutoring the snotty rich kids in her neighbourhood to earn the money to get there. From her experiences, Perry weaves together her Bennington application with seven short stories of seven children she's tutored, each representing one of the seven deadly sins.

My first impression of this book was that it was really weird. And I wasn't sure if I liked that at first but as the book progressed, I think I did come to enjoy it. 

Firstly, Seven Deadlies has a very original idea. Sometimes, I'll be reading a book and it'd just occur to me how pure genius the author is for coming up with such a great idea. And the genius of Gigi Levangie Grazer definitely clocked me over the head while I was reading. I've always been really interested in the seven deadly sins and for someone to go ahead and write morality stories about them, so to speak, in a fun away is so smart! 

However, I felt this book was, at times, a bit too juvenile for me. I don't think I would really classify it as Young Adult. It feels very Middle Grade to me at times. There were definitely some moments while reading this book when I just felt I was too old for this, for reading about the 'Judas Brothers'. 

As the book progressed though, I managed to get over that initial hiccup and really appreciate and enjoy the wackiness of the stories. Seven Deadlies is very much a book you should not take too seriously. If you're the type of reader who doesn't like unrealistic storylines or humor, then this probably isn't the book for you. But if you are the type of reader who likes that, I think you'd have a fun time with this book! When I learned to stop being so uptight about everything, I had a blast reading this book and letting out my inner child. 

To be honest, there's not much else to say about this book! It wasn't amazing but I definitely don't regret my decision to read this book either. It was a light, fun read and if you're looking for something to help break up all the serious books you've been reading, I'd reccommend this one! Each story was unique and hilarious and provided a very clear representation of each sin. The ending threw me in a bit of a loop and I'm still a bit confused why it was necessary but other than that, this book was pretty good!

children 9 and over who enjoy bizarre stories and who might need a lesson in behaviour. If you're a fan of short stories and don't mind the ridiculousness of some of these stories, this is a good pick for you too!