Leaving the Bellweathers

From Goodreads:    The young Bellweathers–fourteen-year-old Spider, thirteen-year-old Ninda, and the ten-year-old triplets, Brick, Spike, and Sassy–and their equally peculiar parents have brought constant chaos to the once-peaceful village of Eel-Smack-by-the-Bay. Still, no one has suffered more than their loyal butler, Benway, who has finally had enough. He is secretly writing his tell-all memoirs, packing his bags, and planning his move to a tropical location, Far, Far Away.
But when the siblings discover Benway is preparing to leave their lighthouse home, they band together to prove how much he’s needed, as only Bellweathers can. . . . 
Full of comic capers and close calls, an art heist and albino alligators, and good intentions gone wrong, Kristin Clark Venuti’s hilarious debut novel introduces a new family that is absolutely unforgettable.

My Thoughts:

-    This was a really cute and humorous book!

-    The cover is a lot of fun, and after reading the book, I fell like it captures the Bellweather family perfectly!

-    I like how the font changes for Benway's journal entries.

-    Spider, Brick, and Sassy are terrible names for children.

-    The way that things are described is pretty funny.  I also got a kick out of the names of things, like St. Whiplash.

-    The writing reminds me of Lemony Snicket's books.

-    I disliked a lot of the family members at first, and I thought they were all out of control and crazy, but by the end, a lot of them grew on me.  I still don't like Ninda though.

-    I liked Benway a lot.  He was such a funny character, and I really sympathized with him.

-    The triplets reminded me of the 3 little boys from Brave.

-    I loved the transition in the book, and I thought the ending was sweet.

-    This book is definitely for younger readers, but I thought it was fun.