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ameserole's review
3.0
Dear Sweet Pea sort of lies in between Dumplin' and Puddin' for me rating wise. I'm not going to lie, I was really hesitant to dive into this novella because of how I rated the first two books in this series. Now this doesn't mean I completely hated them or this one, but I am trying to find something redeemable or likable in each book. It's a bit of a struggle but I'm hoping that one day it will happen. So maybe Pumpkin can redeem this whole series for me? Who knows!
So in this book, you will meet Patricia (a.k.a. Sweet Pea). She is going through a lot of change for being a 7th grader. One, her parents are getting a divorced. Two, her dad came out to her. Three, she is dealing with some her demons from the past (sort of).
Coming from a household of divorced parents, I didn't see the big deal. I was actually applauding her dad and mom for telling her the truth. The only thing that weirded me out was the whole mirror housing thing. Also living on the same street. Yeah, those two things kind of freaked me out. Mostly because my parents got divorce when I was in 4th grade and they moved into houses that were about 5ish minutes apart. They live in the same city but different districts. So, for me, that seemed normal. I also have friends who have divorced parents and they live in different states. Which seems normal to me as well.
The whole two houses on the same street - not normal to me.
Besides that, she is still dealing with the fact that her ex-best friend ditched her forever ago for skinnier and prettier girls. The whole drama around that situation seemed a bit pointless to me but then again all middle school drama does. People change and grow all the time.
Other than that, it did have some cute moments and dove into interesting topics for being a middle grade book.
So in this book, you will meet Patricia (a.k.a. Sweet Pea). She is going through a lot of change for being a 7th grader. One, her parents are getting a divorced. Two, her dad came out to her. Three, she is dealing with some her demons from the past (sort of).
Coming from a household of divorced parents, I didn't see the big deal. I was actually applauding her dad and mom for telling her the truth. The only thing that weirded me out was the whole mirror housing thing. Also living on the same street. Yeah, those two things kind of freaked me out. Mostly because my parents got divorce when I was in 4th grade and they moved into houses that were about 5ish minutes apart. They live in the same city but different districts. So, for me, that seemed normal. I also have friends who have divorced parents and they live in different states. Which seems normal to me as well.
The whole two houses on the same street - not normal to me.
Besides that, she is still dealing with the fact that her ex-best friend ditched her forever ago for skinnier and prettier girls. The whole drama around that situation seemed a bit pointless to me but then again all middle school drama does. People change and grow all the time.
Other than that, it did have some cute moments and dove into interesting topics for being a middle grade book.
erincataldi's review
4.0
This book was precious. Patricia (known to everyone as Sweet Pea) is having a rough end to seventh grade. Her parents are divorced and living on the same street in nearly identical houses. They're trying to be real chill about it, splitting their time with her; but it's making it more confusing for Sweet Pea. Why can't they just be together as a family? To make matters more confusing she's having mixed feelings about her frenemy Kiera (maybe she's not all that bad?) and her best friend Oscar is upset that she's not telling him everything. The thing is though, Sweet Pea made a promise to her neighbor (the advice columnist) to keep a secret but it may blow up in her face. Cute, charming, and dealing with lots of issues that middle school teens face: bullying, weight, divorce, friendship, and trying to fit in. The reason it's not a 5 star book to me, is that at times, Sweet Pea sounds far too mature for her age, sometimes her voice just seemed to be "too much" for her age and it lost it's believability factor. Other than that it was great!
kris10l's review against another edition
5.0
This heartwarming read is perfect for middle school readers, but would be enjoyed by readers of all ages! I highly recommend it!
mnstucki's review against another edition
4.0
Such a sweet story! The author really nailed those awkward middle-school years and how embarrassing they can be and how easy it is to feel like you've messed everything up. The main character has her faults but she's also funny and lovable and relatable.
sh3s_a_rebel's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Fatphobia and Homophobia
blogginboutbooks's review
4.0
DEAR SWEET PEA is a cute middle-grade book that deals with a lot of issues: divorce, homophobia, friend drama, growing up, etc. The characters are warm and likable and those who behave badly get a chance to redeem themselves and be forgiven. I love that because life is messy. Kids need to learn that at a young age so they know it's normal for things to not be perfect, it's okay to feel your feels, and that giving a deserving person a second chance is not being weak, but showing strength. Murphy deals with the issue of divorce in a likewise sensitive way, without glossing over how difficult it can be, especially for the children who feel confused and left behind by the process.
While DEAR SWEET PEA was a quick, easy read, it missed the mark a little for me somewhere. It felt like it was trying a little too hard to teach too many lessons. More plot development would have helped. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the read overall. This is the first book I've read by Murphy, but I'm up for more.
If I could, I would give this book 3 1/2 stars; since I can't, I'm rounding up.
While DEAR SWEET PEA was a quick, easy read, it missed the mark a little for me somewhere. It felt like it was trying a little too hard to teach too many lessons. More plot development would have helped. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the read overall. This is the first book I've read by Murphy, but I'm up for more.
If I could, I would give this book 3 1/2 stars; since I can't, I'm rounding up.
mckinlay's review
4.0
this was very cute and a nice change from alllllll the romance i've been reading lately... plus bts was mentioned so that always makes me happy :D
situationnormal's review against another edition
4.0
Hard to say for sure, but maybe my favorite Julie Murphy book yet. Middle grade has been the best for me lately (maybe I'm regressing?)
briannareadsbooks's review
4.0
ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
This book was so sweet and played out like a Family Channel movie in my head. I've never been a fan of middle-grade books but I decided to read this one because I love Julie Murphy. It was pretty damn good! There were a few parts where I found it a bit predictable, but it is probably because I'm an adult lol. And I also was not expecting it to tackle LGBT issues but it did!! It was a pleasant surprise. It also did a great job at tackling fatphobia and showed how Sweet Pea could be flawed and not such a nice person, but still an inspiring individual. I think a lot of people around this age group will be able to relate really well to the characters and the concept of growing up and figuring out changes. Really cute!!
This book was so sweet and played out like a Family Channel movie in my head. I've never been a fan of middle-grade books but I decided to read this one because I love Julie Murphy. It was pretty damn good! There were a few parts where I found it a bit predictable, but it is probably because I'm an adult lol. And I also was not expecting it to tackle LGBT issues but it did!! It was a pleasant surprise. It also did a great job at tackling fatphobia and showed how Sweet Pea could be flawed and not such a nice person, but still an inspiring individual. I think a lot of people around this age group will be able to relate really well to the characters and the concept of growing up and figuring out changes. Really cute!!
maryehavens's review against another edition
3.0
I love Julie Murphy's work. Maybe it's because she sets her stories in small town Texas, or her cute and quirky characters, or her pop-culture references or all of these things! I almost squeal every time I see a new work by her (and I definitely need to read her older works). Nothing will be better than Dumplin for me but I have enjoyed every other one of her books that I've read. They are nice little escapes, even though I live/lived in a small Texas town :)
This one, I would give 3.5 stars. It seemed a little overly complicated with Sweet Pea's relationships with her friends. I think it would have been a tiny bit better if Oscar and Sweet Pea had just naturally drifted away? Or if Sweet Pea had not hidden all the mail from her dad? I don't know - again, little tweaks and only my opinion.
I saw that this is written for ages 8-12 and I asked my husband what he thought about my daughter reading a book that centers around divorce, especially divorce "caused" by a parent's realization that they are gay. I'm not sure that that concept is something we want to introduce to our daughter. Mostly the concept of divorce and the disintegration of the family, even though Murphy creates a situation where the divorce is amicable and both parents are best friends and putting their daughter first. If my daughter was older, maybe it would be easier to understand. I don't want her to think that every time mom and dad have a fight over something stupid (the last one was how to clean the toaster), that they are headed for divorce. Especially now since we are in quarantine for Covid-19. We are 100% family all the time right now so we need to keep it as civil as possible :)
Overall, I love and look forward to all Murphy's works and I love that she has created this small town Texas universe that she keeps expanding!!
This one, I would give 3.5 stars. It seemed a little overly complicated with Sweet Pea's relationships with her friends. I think it would have been a tiny bit better if Oscar and Sweet Pea had just naturally drifted away? Or if Sweet Pea had not hidden all the mail from her dad? I don't know - again, little tweaks and only my opinion.
I saw that this is written for ages 8-12 and I asked my husband what he thought about my daughter reading a book that centers around divorce, especially divorce "caused" by a parent's realization that they are gay. I'm not sure that that concept is something we want to introduce to our daughter. Mostly the concept of divorce and the disintegration of the family, even though Murphy creates a situation where the divorce is amicable and both parents are best friends and putting their daughter first. If my daughter was older, maybe it would be easier to understand. I don't want her to think that every time mom and dad have a fight over something stupid (the last one was how to clean the toaster), that they are headed for divorce. Especially now since we are in quarantine for Covid-19. We are 100% family all the time right now so we need to keep it as civil as possible :)
Overall, I love and look forward to all Murphy's works and I love that she has created this small town Texas universe that she keeps expanding!!