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4.47 AVERAGE
4.47 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
OK, it's... not really realistic. Everyone they meet is nice and wants to help, the ending in particular strains credulity, and there is no suggestion that Coyote has done anything resembling school for the last five years. But maybe sometimes a story of whimsical surprises is better than realism? Coyote has a strong voice and I love watching her learn to tell her father what she needs as she develops her own identity in both grief and happiness.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Beautiful story, wonderful characters.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Coyote and her dad, Rodeo, live in a converted school bus, and have been on the road for five years. They left their hometown of Poplin Springs, Washington, after their family was in a horrible accident that killed Coyote's mother and two sisters. Neither of them has looked back since, but one day, Coyote's grandmother mentions during a phone call something that makes Coyote desperately want to go back home. The only problem is that Rodeo can't know. On their way, they meet some unforgettable friends who help them along the road on their journey home.
This is an emotional book, and one with some great characters. I do wish that Gemeinhart had further developed some of those characters (Val, Esperanza, Concepcion), but the main characters are very well done. I also wish that this book had been a little different stylistically; the run-on sentences and repetition got a little old after a while, and I feel that they would have added more to the emotion of the story in isolation rather than as a consistent tool. But I do think that it works well as a YA novel, and most of my students enjoyed it. We do prefer THE MIDNIGHT CHILDREN, though; it's more exciting with more character connection.
This is an emotional book, and one with some great characters. I do wish that Gemeinhart had further developed some of those characters (Val, Esperanza, Concepcion), but the main characters are very well done. I also wish that this book had been a little different stylistically; the run-on sentences and repetition got a little old after a while, and I feel that they would have added more to the emotion of the story in isolation rather than as a consistent tool. But I do think that it works well as a YA novel, and most of my students enjoyed it. We do prefer THE MIDNIGHT CHILDREN, though; it's more exciting with more character connection.