Christina reviewed Olivia Bean, Trivia Queen by Donna Gephart
Review of 'Olivia Bean, Trivia Queen' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Twelve-year-old Olivia Bean can tell you the four parts of a cow's stomach: she reads trivia for relaxation! And when her neighbor turns into a nemesis, hirsute Neil takes her father's place in her home, her mom spends days alone in her bedroom crying, Olivia's passion and genius for trivia leads her to a coveted contestant spot on "Jeopardy!" Kids Week. Olivia shares her emotional rollercoaster ride as she moves from avid TV watcher in Philadelphia to competitive whiz with the "signaling device" in Culver City, getting not only clues in history, science and geography, but also who's a support and who's a letdown, and who's battling adversity and disappointment along with her.
Author Donna Gephart nails the excitement and anxiety of a Jeopardy! audition participant and contestant, adding verisimilitude by placing Alex Trebek and real-life contestant wrangler Maggie in the novel, and borrowing from Bob Harris' contestant memoir Prisoner …
Twelve-year-old Olivia Bean can tell you the four parts of a cow's stomach: she reads trivia for relaxation! And when her neighbor turns into a nemesis, hirsute Neil takes her father's place in her home, her mom spends days alone in her bedroom crying, Olivia's passion and genius for trivia leads her to a coveted contestant spot on "Jeopardy!" Kids Week. Olivia shares her emotional rollercoaster ride as she moves from avid TV watcher in Philadelphia to competitive whiz with the "signaling device" in Culver City, getting not only clues in history, science and geography, but also who's a support and who's a letdown, and who's battling adversity and disappointment along with her.
Author Donna Gephart nails the excitement and anxiety of a Jeopardy! audition participant and contestant, adding verisimilitude by placing Alex Trebek and real-life contestant wrangler Maggie in the novel, and borrowing from Bob Harris' contestant memoir Prisoner of Trebekistan. I loved Olivia's wacky perspectives and assumptions, frequently wrong, about the people about her. Facts are more constant and easier to read than people, aren't they, Olivia? I agree.