Let’s see how many observant people we have here. Who noticed the difference in the title of the post? Good for you if you did! If not, read it again.
Ok, now we should all be asking the same question: “What’s a mini-review?”
I have a policy when it comes to reviews – don’t review the book/movie/whathaveyou until I’ve read it at least once before. Why? ‘Cause I notice things more the second-go-round vs. the first. There are obviously some exceptions to this, but as a general rule, I prefer to just sit back and read the story for what it is the first time, then nitpick it the next go-round if it’s worth rereading.
However, there are some books that I just have to tell you guys about, though I haven’t read them more than once. Enter the mini-review! This will just be a few paragraphs giving you guys my general thoughts on the book, a star rating, and some of my favorite quotes. Which means they’re a lot shorter than my usual reviews. Yes, I hear those sighs of relief. ;P
So! I think that’s all the intro we need. May I present my mini-review of the book…
The Blue Bottle Club by Penelope J. Stokes
Most teenagers shy away from old books. The smells can be less than pleasant, the bindings falling apart, the covers completely unattractive and the pages stained by who-knows-what. We much prefer the flashier New York Times bestsellers with heart-racing action and plenty of gore and love scenes to stimulate our poor brains.
Oy. We miss out on so much.
I haven’t read very many old books, though the ones that I have ventured to open have almost always been good. From Bambi to Robin Hood, old books have this feel about them that is so counter-culture to what we know today.
The Blue Bottle Club by Penelope J. Stokes is no different, but it was surprising in many other ways.
I had my doubts when I learned this was set in 1994, which seems waaay back in the olden days. Not to mention that the cover sports four young women with old-fashioned hairstyles and clothing. But those doubts didn’t stand a chance against the blurb.
On Christmas Day, 1929, four friends gather in a North Carolina attic to make a solem
n pact. “Our dreams for the future,” they whisper as they place tiny pieces of paper listing their life wishes in a blue bottle. Four girls, four dreams and four futures sealed in a cobalt blue bottle.
Letitia dreams of marriage and children. Mary Love wants to be a painter. Eleanor aspires to help those in need as a social worker. Adora longs to become an actress.
Sixty-five years later, news reporter Brendan Delany stumbles upon the bottle, discovering the most meaningful story of her career–and the most meaningful event of her life.
The perfect summer novel, The Blue Bottle Club is an enthralling story. Chronicling the lives of four women from 1929 to the present–as well as the loss of childhood friendships and their restoration–popular Christian author Penelope Stokes reminds us that sometimes life’s purpose is not just to fulfill one’s dreams, but to give them up for the sake of a greater call.
*cue the shivers* Something about that intrigued me. And boy, am I glad it did!
Something I wanted you to get out of this was the message of the story. If I’m not mistaken, most of you are still in the dreaming phase of life – maybe you’re dreaming to be an author who touches lives, or one who makes the bestseller list, or write on the side while you pursue a lifetime as a spouse and parent or something else. What are your dreams? How hard are you willing to work to realize them?
And how much are you willing to lose them?
Perhaps Penelope Stokes says it best: “It wasn’t just a story about four friends…. It was about dreams–the fulfillment of dreams, and the death of dreams. That was the common denominator, the factor that would make viewers identify with these women. Everybody had dreams, and most people, Brendan thought, never had the chance or took the risk to fulfill them. Failure was the great human leveler–the dreams that never came true. This story had everything–love, loss, pathos, fulfillment. And it raised one of the great universal questions of life: What are your dreams? And what are you willing to sacrifice to see them realized?”
This book reaches across the time gap to touch both the young and the old. I’m a teenager. I loved it. My great-grandma is in her eighties, and she loves it. There are 26 signatures on the back page of the copy she leant me, starting with her own in 2000 to mine in 2022, of people who loved it. The desires, fears, flaws, and challenges these characters go through are still ones we go through today: from Letitia’s fear of rejection to Mary Love’s passion for art to Brendan’s search for something to fill the gaping hole in her life she tries her best to ignore. These are the things about this book that resonate.
Which is why I gave it a five-star rating – not just for the creative plot or stunning character development, but for the themes. For the message. For the simple, humble beauty Stokes brings to the table.
I want you to experience it. Put The Blue Bottle Club on your TBR list, or see if your library has a copy. Read it. Digest it. Maybe you’ll love it as much as I did, maybe you won’t.
You won’t know until you try.
(As a side note, I would suggest parents be aware that there is one character who has a child out of wedlock. This is not at all seen as a good thing – rather, it is viewed as a tragic mistake and lesson learned. Another character is Catholic, and while I didn’t notice any strictly Catholic teachings that are contradictory with the Bible, you might want to do a bit of skimming towards the end and make sure you agree with the views presented. :))
Star Rating
5 out of 5 stars
Favorite Quotes
“…our primary purpose in this life is not to do, but to become. To grow in Christlikeness, to become more like our Lord. To draw near in the Spirit. To glorify God with whatever our hands touch.” -Reverend Mother
“The path is before you, not behind. Don’t give your future to the past.” -Hazel Dennison
“Keep your eyes – and your heart – open.” -Mary Love Buchanan
“ ‘Where do you think art comes from?’ [Mary Love] asked.
“He frowned for a minute, then his countenance cleared. ‘From God,’ he said firmly. ‘And from here.’ He laid a hand on his chest. ‘I think it’s like a fire that needs to get out. Something burns inside. Like being hungry, but not for food.’ ”
“Everyone had marveled at how much she was willing to sacrifice for the sake of her vocation, how much she had relinquished to be obedient to God. But no one could understand, unless they had done it themselves, that it wasn’t a sacrifice at all. She had let go of her dreams, but in return, she had been given passion and fulfillment, vision and direction.”
“…even when bad things happen, there are blessings to be enjoyed and appreciated. We just have to open our eyes to see them.” -Tish Cameron
“We all have wishes–dreams and ambitions and longings–for our lives. Some of them come true, and some of them don’t. When they don’t try to remember that God may have something better for you than what you asked for…. God doesn’t always protect us from getting banged up and bruised…. God doesn’t always let our wishes come true. And sometimes that’s for the best.” -Tish Cameron
“The real challenge of life was not fulfilling one’s dreams, but being willing to give them up for the sake of a greater call.”
“God had not asked her to lay down her art–that was a Divine gift and would not be revoked. God had only asked her to lay down her pride.”
*bounces up and down* Thoughts? Sound like a good book, or no? Comment if you’ve added it to your TBR list so I can see how many are gonna read it at some point!! What do you think of mini-reviews? Good idea? Bad one?
Until next time,
Take courage, pursue God, and read good books while they’re still here!!
I have this book. Just got it from Grandma R. Will be reading it soon.