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freadomlibrary's review
4.0
This review was originally posted at https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/
Critically
Plot – 3 out of 5 stars
This story was a mix between a coming-of-age story and a paranormal experience. It felt like I was reading two stories at once. It was raw and honest and powerful. It was really emotional and all about the main character’s growth. I loved the setting as well since I’ve never read a book set in Australia before. It was a bit disorienting at first but I fell in love with it.
Writing Style – 4 out of 5 stars
It’s very simple but manages to pack an emotional punch. It’s honest and real. It’s really easy to read which made the book fast paced. It has a certain poetic edge and is full of different kinds of metaphors which I found completely beautiful. It’s so powerful and beautiful and emotional and it lent so well to the story it was telling.
Characters – 3.5 out of 5 stars
This book is all about Kirra who immidiately annoyed me when I first started reading this book. She’s quiet and shy and has a meek personality. She lets herself be manipulated into friendships and situations that she doesn’t want to be in. However, she’s really smart and kind. Slowly she starts to meet people that accept her and she starts to realize that she can change the things she doesn’t like about her life. She has a more hopeful attitude and I loved the growth that happens with her character throughout the whole book. However, Willow is my favorite character in this book. She’s kind of everything that Kirra isn’t. She’s spunky and honest. She has a take no shit attitude and a tell it like it is phillosphy which I appraciate. I liked the way she was introduced in the book and how she became a part of Kirra’s life. Lastly there’s Noah who while I found kind of cute, definitely didn’t feel like he added much to the story and was kind of unnecessary in my opinion. There’s also a lot of focus on Kirra’s relationship with her parents and I really liked that aspect.
Emotionally
The plot is strange. Fourteen-year-old irra has had a tough life and then she meets a ghost through a phone booth who promises to make her life better if she helps convict his killer. That’s basically what starts this story off but this book felt like it was trying to tell two stories at once. The first being Kirra’s coming of age and development. And the other, the random ghost story. It was really disorienting and it made me feel disconnected from the narrative when I first started reading. As I went on, I was much more interested in Kirra’s life and how she was growing rather than anything about the weird ghost in the phone booth. Her story was great. I loved how she slowly came out of her shell but that she didn’t suddenly become an extrovert because that’s what people wanted her to be. She kept her core characteristics while still growing and learning how to stand up for herself. I also liked how the author didn’t make it seem like it was an easy transition. Growing as a human being is hard work guys, no matter the age you’re in. Kirra had to struggle through it and sometimes she went too far and made some bad decisions for herself. Yet at the end, she definitely became more confident and strong while still keeping her personality which I loved. The ghost part of the story however was hard to grasp. I didn’t understand why it was there and what the purpose of it was. Even after the explanations of it and of the ghost and who he was were made, I still felt like it was unnecessary. This book could’ve been an amazing and powerful, coming of age young adult novel and that’s it. And I think the paranormal aspect did it a bit of a disservice because there was such a disconnect between the two stories even after the explanations. It made sense once it was all out there but it left a bit of bad taste in my mouth.
I feel like Kirra was a good narrator. She’s a complex character with a lot going on in her life and I loved reading about her journey. In the beginning, she annoyed me. She let herself get taken in and bullied and it was so frustrating to read. I told Reg this while we read it together, but I think that it’s the adult in me that just doesn’t have a lot of patience now for characters not standing up for themselves. I understand that attitude, I had it when I was younger, but I’m so far removed from it now that reading characters with that now ultimately annoys and frustrates me. However, I loved her growth and the way the author created that journey for her. It wasn’t easy to do, it didn’t happen overnight and there were a lot of ups and downs and I appreacited the realness of that.
Willow is definitely my favorite character of this book. She brings Kirra out of her shell without expecting her to be someone else and without changing who she is. She’s spunky and badass. She stands up for herself and she says what she wants and what she thinks is right. Some of my favorite lines from this entire book are from her. I would even love to see a standalone book about her and her life because it’s super interesting. Then there’s Noah. I liked him. I did. He was really sweet and earnest. But I didn’t think it was necessary for him to be a part of the story. He was only there for one reason and it felt like too much for what was going on. I didn’t really get to know him very well and it was just like meh. Kirra’s parents and her relationship with them is a huge theme in this book which I love! They didn’t have the best dynamic, in some parts it was actually pretty toxic, but the author really took the time to express how a relationship, even with a parent is made up of two people. Sometimes the kid has to tell the parent when they’re messing up or when they need attention for them or when they’re doing something to hurt them. It makes for a much healthlier relationship between them.
Overall, I was really surprised with this book. The plot felt a bit disconnected between the two different storylines and it left me reeling in the beginning. I really enjoyed the main character’s development and her journey. I loved her friend and I would love to see more of her. And I think that the author has a really beautiful writing style and I can’t wait to read more of her work soon.
Critically
Plot – 3 out of 5 stars
This story was a mix between a coming-of-age story and a paranormal experience. It felt like I was reading two stories at once. It was raw and honest and powerful. It was really emotional and all about the main character’s growth. I loved the setting as well since I’ve never read a book set in Australia before. It was a bit disorienting at first but I fell in love with it.
Writing Style – 4 out of 5 stars
It’s very simple but manages to pack an emotional punch. It’s honest and real. It’s really easy to read which made the book fast paced. It has a certain poetic edge and is full of different kinds of metaphors which I found completely beautiful. It’s so powerful and beautiful and emotional and it lent so well to the story it was telling.
Characters – 3.5 out of 5 stars
This book is all about Kirra who immidiately annoyed me when I first started reading this book. She’s quiet and shy and has a meek personality. She lets herself be manipulated into friendships and situations that she doesn’t want to be in. However, she’s really smart and kind. Slowly she starts to meet people that accept her and she starts to realize that she can change the things she doesn’t like about her life. She has a more hopeful attitude and I loved the growth that happens with her character throughout the whole book. However, Willow is my favorite character in this book. She’s kind of everything that Kirra isn’t. She’s spunky and honest. She has a take no shit attitude and a tell it like it is phillosphy which I appraciate. I liked the way she was introduced in the book and how she became a part of Kirra’s life. Lastly there’s Noah who while I found kind of cute, definitely didn’t feel like he added much to the story and was kind of unnecessary in my opinion. There’s also a lot of focus on Kirra’s relationship with her parents and I really liked that aspect.
Emotionally
Spoiler
I was so pleasantly surprised by this book, I liked it a lot more than I thought I was going to though I still had some problems with it.The plot is strange. Fourteen-year-old irra has had a tough life and then she meets a ghost through a phone booth who promises to make her life better if she helps convict his killer. That’s basically what starts this story off but this book felt like it was trying to tell two stories at once. The first being Kirra’s coming of age and development. And the other, the random ghost story. It was really disorienting and it made me feel disconnected from the narrative when I first started reading. As I went on, I was much more interested in Kirra’s life and how she was growing rather than anything about the weird ghost in the phone booth. Her story was great. I loved how she slowly came out of her shell but that she didn’t suddenly become an extrovert because that’s what people wanted her to be. She kept her core characteristics while still growing and learning how to stand up for herself. I also liked how the author didn’t make it seem like it was an easy transition. Growing as a human being is hard work guys, no matter the age you’re in. Kirra had to struggle through it and sometimes she went too far and made some bad decisions for herself. Yet at the end, she definitely became more confident and strong while still keeping her personality which I loved. The ghost part of the story however was hard to grasp. I didn’t understand why it was there and what the purpose of it was. Even after the explanations of it and of the ghost and who he was were made, I still felt like it was unnecessary. This book could’ve been an amazing and powerful, coming of age young adult novel and that’s it. And I think the paranormal aspect did it a bit of a disservice because there was such a disconnect between the two stories even after the explanations. It made sense once it was all out there but it left a bit of bad taste in my mouth.
I feel like Kirra was a good narrator. She’s a complex character with a lot going on in her life and I loved reading about her journey. In the beginning, she annoyed me. She let herself get taken in and bullied and it was so frustrating to read. I told Reg this while we read it together, but I think that it’s the adult in me that just doesn’t have a lot of patience now for characters not standing up for themselves. I understand that attitude, I had it when I was younger, but I’m so far removed from it now that reading characters with that now ultimately annoys and frustrates me. However, I loved her growth and the way the author created that journey for her. It wasn’t easy to do, it didn’t happen overnight and there were a lot of ups and downs and I appreacited the realness of that.
Willow is definitely my favorite character of this book. She brings Kirra out of her shell without expecting her to be someone else and without changing who she is. She’s spunky and badass. She stands up for herself and she says what she wants and what she thinks is right. Some of my favorite lines from this entire book are from her. I would even love to see a standalone book about her and her life because it’s super interesting. Then there’s Noah. I liked him. I did. He was really sweet and earnest. But I didn’t think it was necessary for him to be a part of the story. He was only there for one reason and it felt like too much for what was going on. I didn’t really get to know him very well and it was just like meh. Kirra’s parents and her relationship with them is a huge theme in this book which I love! They didn’t have the best dynamic, in some parts it was actually pretty toxic, but the author really took the time to express how a relationship, even with a parent is made up of two people. Sometimes the kid has to tell the parent when they’re messing up or when they need attention for them or when they’re doing something to hurt them. It makes for a much healthlier relationship between them.
Overall, I was really surprised with this book. The plot felt a bit disconnected between the two different storylines and it left me reeling in the beginning. I really enjoyed the main character’s development and her journey. I loved her friend and I would love to see more of her. And I think that the author has a really beautiful writing style and I can’t wait to read more of her work soon.
nicolap's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
snowwhitehatesapples's review
4.0
Review can also be found at Snow White Hates Apples.
Although I was greatly conflicted about the characters’ ages (I mean, they’re 14 but the story makes
it feel like they’re 16-18? Or well, maybe I’m the few who feels that way because it never crossed my mind that 14 year olds would hold/attend parties with booze, drink the aforementioned booze and whatnot), Yellow by Megan Jacobson is an incredibly engaging and fast-paced read. I absolutely love the narrative and the imagery Jacobson uses, though I do admit that I skipped some paragraphs where Kirra holds a too-long internal monologue and when the description of her surroundings go past a page.
That aside, the plot is something many of us has read over and over multiple times before. Insecure/meek/misunderstood/wallflower girl is bullied by her supposed friends, has family problems (ah, hello absent guardians/parents trope) and simply wants to not be invisible/stomped on. She later learns to find her voice, her confidence and things get better. It’s familiar, it’s clichéd and I should’ve been rolling my eyes at just about everything in this book. However, I was able to actually not think about how clichéd and expected the twists and conflicts are while reading Yellow because I was entirely invested in Kirra’s story.
Moreover, Kirra’s character development is done splendidly. It’s a gradual process that involves a bunch of other characters such as Willow (who I LOVE 100%), Noah (who’s only alright because boy, you do not get to be disappointed in anyone when they finally stand up after themselves after being bullied for years, especially since I don’t see you trying to make things better) and a ghost named Boogie (ugh, heart, please stop breaking). But, the most important thing is that she’s wonderfully human—which means that she’s believable and relatable. I also love how romance isn’t the focus of this book. It’s there but it’s not in your face and it’s doesn’t act as a filler or a tactic to make a more relatable main character.
Other than that, I think it’s refreshing that I can actually believe that it’s Kirra’s insecurities making her believe that she’s ugly. I don’t know what the ideal look for a female is in Australia, but Kirra’s features are something many Asian woman would go under the knife for. To many of us, she’s an ideal beauty and because of this, she fits well into the trope of a heroine being blind to her beauty and insistent that’s she’s ugly—a trope which greatly irritates me. However, as aforementioned, I can actually believe that it’s her insecurities blinding her and that’s due to her great character development.
To conclude, Yellow is one of those good kinds of cliché—the kinds I’ll definitely revisit when I need a pick-me-up. It might’ve been better if there are some fresher twists to it. Not to say that the presence of Boogie isn’t unique enough, but I don’t think this book is one that will stick with me for a long time even though I got the feels and I did enjoy it.
Although I was greatly conflicted about the characters’ ages (I mean, they’re 14 but the story makes
it feel like they’re 16-18? Or well, maybe I’m the few who feels that way because it never crossed my mind that 14 year olds would hold/attend parties with booze, drink the aforementioned booze and whatnot), Yellow by Megan Jacobson is an incredibly engaging and fast-paced read. I absolutely love the narrative and the imagery Jacobson uses, though I do admit that I skipped some paragraphs where Kirra holds a too-long internal monologue and when the description of her surroundings go past a page.
That aside, the plot is something many of us has read over and over multiple times before. Insecure/meek/misunderstood/wallflower girl is bullied by her supposed friends, has family problems (ah, hello absent guardians/parents trope) and simply wants to not be invisible/stomped on. She later learns to find her voice, her confidence and things get better. It’s familiar, it’s clichéd and I should’ve been rolling my eyes at just about everything in this book. However, I was able to actually not think about how clichéd and expected the twists and conflicts are while reading Yellow because I was entirely invested in Kirra’s story.
Moreover, Kirra’s character development is done splendidly. It’s a gradual process that involves a bunch of other characters such as Willow (who I LOVE 100%), Noah (who’s only alright because boy, you do not get to be disappointed in anyone when they finally stand up after themselves after being bullied for years, especially since I don’t see you trying to make things better) and a ghost named Boogie (ugh, heart, please stop breaking). But, the most important thing is that she’s wonderfully human—which means that she’s believable and relatable. I also love how romance isn’t the focus of this book. It’s there but it’s not in your face and it’s doesn’t act as a filler or a tactic to make a more relatable main character.
Other than that, I think it’s refreshing that I can actually believe that it’s Kirra’s insecurities making her believe that she’s ugly. I don’t know what the ideal look for a female is in Australia, but Kirra’s features are something many Asian woman would go under the knife for. To many of us, she’s an ideal beauty and because of this, she fits well into the trope of a heroine being blind to her beauty and insistent that’s she’s ugly—a trope which greatly irritates me. However, as aforementioned, I can actually believe that it’s her insecurities blinding her and that’s due to her great character development.
To conclude, Yellow is one of those good kinds of cliché—the kinds I’ll definitely revisit when I need a pick-me-up. It might’ve been better if there are some fresher twists to it. Not to say that the presence of Boogie isn’t unique enough, but I don’t think this book is one that will stick with me for a long time even though I got the feels and I did enjoy it.
baancs's review
mysterious
reflective
4.0
There’s nothing more real than the things that can haunt you . . . But, you know, there’s nothing more powerful than deciding not to be afraid.
A book that tackles bullying, depression, alcoholism, self-image, loss, etc. That's a lot of themes but this book delivered!
allymae's review
3.0
3.5-4 stars
I was a little weary and unsure of how I felt about this book when I started it. The characters felt very childish, even for 14 year olds.
By the end I felt hopeful and uplifted. I feel I could have really appreciated this even more if I'd read it when I was younger. It's a really great story about underdogs, which a lot of us feel we are as teens trying to discover ourselves.
The writing was gorgeous, but at times felt a little bit repetitive and immature. It really captured how it felt to be a teen in Australia, especially in rural areas
I was a little weary and unsure of how I felt about this book when I started it. The characters felt very childish, even for 14 year olds.
By the end I felt hopeful and uplifted. I feel I could have really appreciated this even more if I'd read it when I was younger. It's a really great story about underdogs, which a lot of us feel we are as teens trying to discover ourselves.
The writing was gorgeous, but at times felt a little bit repetitive and immature. It really captured how it felt to be a teen in Australia, especially in rural areas
khakipantsofsex's review against another edition
3.0
You can definitely tell the author loves books and words, no doubt, but there were too many repeated phrases that didn't add anything by their repetition. The book was good, but some of the major aspects of the plot weren't fulfilling or filled out to be so, like Kirra's eyes. I get they were to stop her from lying and they made her different, but in the end they didn't make anything of themselves. I think we were supposed to assume she was Boogie's daughter but that wasn't really utilised as well as it could've been.
bookishmum's review against another edition
5.0
Yellow was a thoroughly enjoyable book. It's set in Australia in the late 90's, so much nostalgia! Bullying, alcoholism, depression, and having to grow up too soon are the main themes of the story. There is also a little bit of a supernatural theme because of the dead boy haunting a phone booth.
daniellecox's review against another edition
3.0
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
Such a unique and beautifully written book! It took me a while to get into it and I didn't feel completely invested until the end, but I enjoyed the story nonetheless.
Such a unique and beautifully written book! It took me a while to get into it and I didn't feel completely invested until the end, but I enjoyed the story nonetheless.
clairereadsbooks's review
4.0
Such a haunting, beautiful tale that reminds you to stick to yourself and don't let others try to change who you are.
gillyreads's review
3.0
3.5, close to 4 stars.
I enjoyed this, very classic aussie YA in style. I loved the inclusion of a teen ghost, it added a great element to Kirra's story.
I enjoyed this, very classic aussie YA in style. I loved the inclusion of a teen ghost, it added a great element to Kirra's story.