Standalone Sunday! 02-05-17

Hey guys!

I hope you’re all having a stellar weekend. I’m super pumped to tell you all about something I discovered a few days ago while scouring the blogosphere for new, fun shenanigans. This week, I found an awesome new blog meme called Standalone Sunday. This meme, created by Megan at bookslayerReads, gives me a chance to tell you all about my favourite standalone books (not part of a series). Yay! So, if you’re interested, click here to check it out.

Since this is my very first Standalone Sunday post. I thought I’d tell you guys about one of my childhood favourites. After a lot of serious and deep thoughts, I settled on Matilda by Roald Dahl.

Matilda by Roald Dahl

Matilda is a little girl who is far too good to be true. At age five-and-a-half she’s knocking off double-digit multiplication problems and blitz-reading Dickens. Even more remarkably, her classmates love her even though she’s a super-nerd and the teacher’s pet. But everything is not perfect in Matilda’s world. For starters she has two of the most idiotic, self-centered parents who ever lived. Then there’s the large, busty nightmare of a school principal, Mrs. (“The”) Trunchbull, a former hammer-throwing champion who flings children at will and is approximately as sympathetic as a bulldozer. Fortunately for Matilda, she has the inner resources to deal with such annoyances: astonishing intelligence, saintly patience, and an innate predilection for revenge.

She warms up with some practical jokes aimed at her hapless parents, but the true test comes when she rallies in defense of her teacher, the sweet Miss Honey, against the diabolical Trunchbull. There is never any doubt that Matilda will carry the day. Even so, this wonderful story is far from predictable. Roald Dahl, while keeping the plot moving imaginatively, also has an unerring ear for emotional truth. The reader cares about Matilda because in addition to all her other gifts, she has real feelings.

Click here to check out the Goodreads page

I first read this book when I was young and impressionable, probably about 9 years old. I was hugely obsessed with reading even then, and Matilda was absolutely perfect for me. I felt like I’d finally found a booky soul mate, a character who understands me entirely. When Matilda channeled her emotions and energy into cultivating her telekinetic powers, I was enthralled. The idea that a normal little girl could be a superhero captivated me. I even remember spending hours on end trying to find my own telekinetic powers. The ending was just perfect as well. Seriously, I can’t even find the words to tell you guys about how much this book changed my life. This was definitely one of my all-time favourite books.