Reviews

Dear Sweet Pea by Julie Murphy

ezoots's review

5.0

Sweet coming of age tale. I loved both dumplin and puddin in equal measure and while this is very similar I do not tire of my favorite cardigan. These books give me a warm feeling in my tummy that only things that make you nostalgic can. Your story may not be the same as Sweet Peas but in all her novels I have found little glimmers of myself.

cjkennedy's review

4.0

Characters: diverse cast, friendship focused, Sweet Pea is a main characters that makes mistakes and recognizes them with the help of her friends and family and an elderly neighbor
*I like that white is not a default race, author uses white as an identifier the same way she uses other races/ethnicities

Setting: Texas, current day, description of some summer heat, but not overly descriptive. Doesn’t transport you, a book that any kid in a small town or suburb could relate to

clear, funny, touching but not sappy

tayfitz4's review

4.0

Wow! I liked this book a lot more than I thought I would. This book follows Sweet Pea, a young girl whose parents have just gotten a divorce. She is going through this all along with body changes, identity issues, and friendship issues. I love how this one was written and that it definitely had that small town feel to it. I think this would relate to any middle school student who is going through a time with their family or even just personally.

bestdressedbookworm's review

4.0

This was a beautifully crafted portrayal of feeling different and trying to tackle the last year of primary school. We follow Sweet Pea as she works out how to deal with her parents separation, her father coming out as gay, her mum dating, trying to be a good friend and making mistakes as she goes. I loved the story being also unravelled through the letter writing. this was just so beautiful and such a great fast read.

kstock4rd's review

3.0

* Received an ARC and met the author at Book Expo
I really enjoyed the Puddin" series books by this author and was excited to read this middle age novel. It was a cute story that many tweens/young children would enjoy.

elliebullock's review

funny hopeful lighthearted 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

3.75

emoleeb's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

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

4.0

alh18's review against another edition

I really like Julie Murphy's stuff. This particular book had a middle school character who broke some rules and it triggered my CPTSD waiting for her to get caught, so I skipped the middle. I did like the resolution.

pghbookfanatic's review against another edition

inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.0

jessicaaaacr's review against another edition

4.5

This is SUCH a good middle grade read!! I’m sure there are a ton of young readers who connect with Sweet Pea’s journey, so knowing they have this book makes me happy.