The Problim Children #2: Carnival Catastrophe by Natalie Lloyd

My name is Mona, and some people  say I'm cruel. I only say what I think and don't care how they feel about it, but is that cruel? My father tells me to look for the good in everyone, but I can't find anything good about Carly-Rue. The Problims have been feuding with her family for years, and her mom is trying to break up my family. I've got to find my mom as quickly as possible. She hasn't returned from searching for the treasure, and my visions tell me she's in danger. We will have a way to find her if we can locate the last of the seven twigs. Meanwhile, I'm thinking of another way to annoy Carly-Rue. I know she's the defending carnival queen, but how would she feel about some unexpected competition?

This book was nominated for a 2020 Cybils Award, but I didn't read the first book. I felt like I was missing something early in the plot, but I was able to enjoy things as the story moved along. Each of the seven Problim children had a connection to a day of the week and something in nature, as Mona associated with Monday and the moon gave her some abilities. She was the main character, and much of the story found her learning to deal with others. She loved to play pranks and speak her mind, but she didn't understand why her behavior hurt other characters. The town carnival's pageant provided the best opportunity for her transformation, and many things about her character and the Problim family changed. Imagine a mischievous girl participating in a competition with dress-up, Q&A, and a talent show. I didn't fully understand why the community seemed leery of the Problims but then cheered and supported them. Maybe the first book shed some light on that. The overall plot was driven by the search for a fountain of youth, and that brought up some philosophical ideas about living forever. A long-term conflict was resolved in the end, but a new conflict emerged that will be the focus of the book's sequel. I must mention the youngest Problim child, because it could offend some readers. He communicated through farts, and the author included footnotes to explain the different meanings. I assume it was done for humor, but it didn't bother me. Overall, give the book a shot.