Reviews with content warning for Bullying - Every Body Looking

Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

Every Body Looking by Candice Iloh

9 reviews

gen_wolfhailstorm's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring 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? No

3.5

This was a beautifully written, heavily autobiographical story of Ada, trying to fit into a world of conflicting messages. Never feeling enough for those she loves, lacking privacy and information on her body and growing up, this was an emotional story told in verse.

The slice of life style of this was easy to listen to, despite the hardhips Ada went through. I still enjoyed seeing her grow into herself and find her identity as she navigated home, school, tumultuous relationships and toxic family.

Ultimately, Ada's story was about distancing oneself from the emotional abuse and finally loving for you and only you.

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moriahleigh's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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

4.25

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moniipeters's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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tallybae's review

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emotional reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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quasosnake's review

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hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

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amberinbookland's review

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emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

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thechiaraface's review

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This is a young adult contemporary coming-of-age story written in verse (novel-in-verse). This follows Ada as she graduates high school and goes off to college, learning how to live on her own and how to balance her wants and dreams with what her family wants from her. Parts of this book really resonated with me (I loved the dancing scenes!) and made me think back to being that age. A chunk of it though I just didn't really connect with. The ending was too rushed and the story did not get resolved in a way that felt satisfying to me which made the pacing feel off overall. This is also a very small, character-driven, slice-of-life tale which in general are not my favorite and I've read a lot of those type of books lately, so I think I'm just over that type of story right now (which may not be fair to this book). I think folks who enjoyed and related to The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo might like this book as it has some similar themes (some different ones too). This book just didn't quite resonate with me overall, but I think this might be a wonderful mirror book for some young adult readers. Read this for The Stacks podcast bookclub March 2021 pick.

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piperlee's review

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hopeful inspiring reflective 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

5.0

I loved this coming-of-age story infused with honest questions about growing up, familial challenges marked by love, addiction, and parental expectations, exploration of self, and what it means to find purpose in something you love - all told in such beautiful verse. This book jumps back and forth between Ada’s experience as a college freshman at an HBCU and various years during childhood, and while I know some people were disappointed that the author failed to flesh out certain aspects of Ada’s story, I enjoyed certain ambiguities and the space they allowed for imagination. Ada’s narrative is both captivating and important.

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whatannikareads's review

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

this is such a love letter to those who find themselves through dance and may not have been able to tap into that side of their passion due to parental and societal expectations. i really appreciated this as first-gen as well. it's really a talent that candice was able to encapsulate the memorable moments of our youth that shape who we are. it also really captures the adapting to new life as a college freshmen. i can only imagine that it'd be so impactful if read by a black girl as well, especially if she's heading to an hbcu. ada feels like a real person—either someone you live vicariously through or someone you can observe but still relate to. as someone who has always been insecure about dance because my parents never let me pursue it very diligently, this is such a testament to the liberation a dancer feels when they're allowed the space to cultivate their talent. such a beautiful coming of age ode.

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