Sihpromatum - I Grew My Boobs in China by Savannah Grace
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.

This is an amazing story of hardship, courage and sacrifice. I loved it!

Savannah Grace is 14 years old when her whole world implodes. This is her story as she tries to cope with losing not only her house, friends and pets, but her sense of self. Travel with her as she and her family deal with dodgy ablutions, cramped accommodation, camels and a scorching desert!

I am not a huge fan or reader of memoirs, but once I started reading this book, I struggled to put it down! I could somewhat relate to teenage Savannah, as her world crumbles around her. It's not easy to pack up your life and move to another country, never mind becoming basically homeless. Leaving friends and pets behind is heartbreaking, as I know from personal experience.
Savannah's angst at being forced into the unknown is understandable. However, as she travels with her family through some quite hairy situations, her eyes are opened to different cultures and experiences. In this book, I could literally watch her grow with every experience, whether good or bad. I admire her whole family as they traversed from China to Mongolia. There are some amazing people that have helped the family, even though there were some language/communication issues; They were enthusiastic and genuine in their intentions, even though sometimes it went pear shaped! This is an emotionally charged read that had me on a roller coaster of emotion. I laughed out loud at some scenes, and shed tears in others. I am actually now looking forward to reading the next instalment of this amazing family's journey!

Savannah Grace has written an exciting account of her family's adventure through China and Mongolia. I was surprised at how fast paced this story was - I was expecting it to be slow and plodding. Boy, am I glad that I was wrong! The story flowed beautifully, and the descriptions of the places and people were so vivid, I felt like I was actually there on the journey with Savannah and her family.
I highly recommend this book if you love memoirs/autobiographies, or you are looking for a different genre to your usual read. - Lynn Worton

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