Audiobook Review: Eleven

“You are not the boss of everything just because you wear a bra!”

My daughter loves the Winnie books. LOVES. So when she saw the audiobook version of Eleven by Lauren Myracle (narrated by Jen Taylor) at the local library book sale, she scooped it right on up. So it became our latest car reading.

What I Liked

– I really like the set up of the book. It starts with Winnie’s eleventh birthday party in March, and each subsequent chapter highlights another event in each month that reveals something about Winnie’s evolving relationships with her family, friends, and classmates over the course of the year. It’s a pretty effective way to show how much things can change in a year–especially for tweens.

– Winnie is kind of amazing. I finally understand why my daughter loves the books so much because SHE IS JUST LIKE WINNIE. Not only do they have practically the same birthdays, but the things they enjoy, the way they relate to their friends, and the challenges they face are basically the same. IT IS UNCANNY. Needless to say, I think Winnie is a fantastic character.

– FEMALE FRIENDSHIPS. And the evolving nature thereof. I don’t want to give too much away, but a lot of Winnie’s conflict comes from the fact that her best friend Amanda is growing up a lot faster and their interests start to diverge. Then, of course, there’s the new girl who moves to town that Amanda befriends, leaving Winnie unsure of her place in Amanda’s life.

– There are a lot of genuinely funny moments, which makes it fun to listen to. We laughed out loud several times.

– The narrator is very good. She’s a voice actress, so all of the female characters have distinctively different voices. Some of the boys sound similar, but that’s okay. Because it’s really about Winnie navigating her relationships with the other girls and women in her life.

What I Didn’t Like

– I can’t think of anything! Except the fact that the library doesn’t have the other books in the series on audiobook. Boo.

In conclusion: This is a fun book that really highlights the awkwardness and many changes that can occur over the course of a year for an eleven-year-old girl.