Car was at the mechanic's shop getting an oil change, so I took the kids to the library to wait. While there, I picked up this book and decided it would be a good fit for a bingo square "Historical Fiction." Seriously, this bingo card is going to fill up with YA/MG titles the way I am going.

Anyway, I really enjoyed this book. Our heroine, Matilda Cook (Mattie for short), is the daughter of a widow and owner of a coffeehouse and the grand-daughter of a veteran of the American Revolutionary War. Along with mom and grandfather, there is Eliza, the coffeehouse cook who was born a slave but is a free black woman; Nathaniel Benson, a somewhat love interest/definitely dear friend of Mattie's and apprentice for the painting family the Peales; and finally, there is Philadelphia - the city is definitely part setting/part character in this book. These characters were fully fleshed out without resorting to stereotypes; the relationships between the characters gave this book a lot of heart.

The epidemic of yellow fever started in early August and didn't end until late October. Each chapter is titled with the date to show how days, then weeks, then months moved the epidemic along. Society broke down during the epidemic; there were points in the book that the plot turned from historical fiction to downright apocalyptic. There was a lot of pain, which made the moments of joy or unity so much sweeter but also brought realism and balance to the story.

It took a few hours to read, but I am glad I did. Anderson has a wonderful voice and writing style, plus she does her homework on the historical accuracy front. 4 stars. Summer Bingo square "Historical Fiction" filled.

I decided after reading Wintergirls and Speak that I wanted to read all of Laurie Halse Anderson’s books. So I’ve been making my way through them. I plan to pick up Catalyst when I go back to the library. I was a little nervous about reading this one. I thought I might not be as interested in it since it’s a suject matter I wouldn’t normally read about. However, I found it absolutely captivating. I just couldn’t stop listening. I also learned a lot. I’ll go ahead and be honest. I didn’t know anything about the yellow fever epidemic before I read this. This book has dynamic characters, an enthralling plot, and a lot of historical information. It’s official. Laurie Halse Anderson is one of the best young adult novelists of our time.

Watching Mattie develop throughout this book was a wonderful experience. In the beginning, we meet this stubborn, rather selfish girl with big dreams. By the end of the book she has transformed into a strong woman who knows how to make those dreams a reality and take care of those in need. I was so thrilled to watch her grow with each experience she faced during the epidemic. The plot was gripping and pretty fast-paced. There was a new learning experience for Mattie around each corner, it seemed. But her trials make her a stronger person. It’s a truly amazing book with a really great message.

Anderson includes some appendices about the epidemic and the history of it. She points out some of the factual things that occur in the story. It’s very interesting, so if you read this, don’t skip that part. Emily Bergl was the perfect Mattie. She was very convincing and engaging. That’s all I ask of my audio books!