Reviews

Breakout by Kate Messner

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This book was really interesting. I loved the style - with letters, text conversations, sticky notes, etc. It made me think about a lot of heavy stuff like racism and the justice system. Despite dealing with more serious topics, it was still funny and made me chuckle multiple times. I liked the characters and the story, but it took a little bit for it to really get going.

Full review coming soon on my blog, link in my bio.

modernhobbitvibes's review against another edition

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3.0

Uneven in places with the thematic angles, but an overall engaging story. Despite how on the nose some of the social issues felt, there wasn't anything TOO egregious (or at least, nothing I hadn't heard before in other stories), and there were a lot of moments that felt really realistic, which helped even things out (Elidee's frustrations at having to be the "good" daughter, Nora having to grapple with complex social issues for the first time, Lizzie's struggles with her own family drama).

That said, I am BEGGING contemporary authors to stop referencing Hamilton in everything, please, it's going to get so dated so fast.

reading_rachel's review

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4.0

4.5 -- LOVED this story and the different pieces of writing used to tell it. This also got me down a rabbit hole researching the actual prison outbreak from 2015 and those from Alcatraz!

harperv28's review

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5.0

What an amazing book. I loved the format that it was told in.

thenextgenlibrarian's review

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5.0

I went into this book with no expectations only having heard it was good. Boy, was that an understatement! This book was amazing! What an interesting way for Kate Messner to tell the story via letters, drawings, poems, typed phone recordings and messages for a time capsule submission after a prison break in their small New York town where most of the residents are white and most of the inmates are minorities. Nora’s last letter really got me about racial profiling and white privilege. We need more books like this from both points of view. It reminded me of an elementary style All American Boys. I loved it and highly recommend it. #weneeddiversebooks

mrs_bookdragon's review against another edition

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5.0

I really enjoyed the different formats used to tell this story-comic, poetry, letters, and texts-and I like the overall concept of creating a time capsule for a town. It was a good story and can’t wait to share with my students.

neglet's review

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Great job of weaving together letters, texts, and other “sources” to tell an entertaining story of end-of-school plans derailed by a prison escape. Also thoughtfully addresses issues of social justice, with recommended reading at the end, and makes great use of poetry.

nssutton's review

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4.0

Eildeeeeeee <3 <3 <3 I loved this book from top to bottom - the multiple format telling (text messages, letters, news clippings both "real" and parody), Nora becoming woke to the harsher realities of her sleepy hometown, Lizzie's humor and techniques to improve it, and Eildee writing her way out. I also loved the way Messner included so many outward connections - Hamilton and Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jacqueline Woodson, Nikki Giovanni, Prohibition, Black Lives Matter, William Carlos Williams, there's so many places to go after reading this. Sent one of our fifth grade teachers to check it out ASAP!