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Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'
Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston by Esme Symes-Smith
6 reviews
joanna_banana's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I listened to this with my 11 year old daughter. I enjoyed the story and the statements on gender identity and being who you truly are, fully. The writing wasn’t the best we’ve read and the story lacked some creativity in parts. Felt like they had a statement to make (an important one) and constructed a narrative around it instead of having a compelling story they wove commentary into. So I guess it felt stilted at times. 5th or 6th grade readers would enjoy it and hopefully continue a conversation about standing up for yourself, who you are, and what you believe in.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Transphobia, Grief, Death of parent, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Violence, Blood, War, and Injury/Injury detail
beforemyway's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The story moved too quickly through the character building. I had to use my experience with other stories to fill in the gaps. It often felt like an abridged book, where they removed the parts that draw you in, help make the characters come alive, make the relationships believable. Despite that, the story did make me cry, and laugh. I enjoyed it, and do plan to read book 2.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Sexism, and Transphobia
Minor: Death, Physical abuse, Torture, Grief, Death of parent, and War
The book opens with a warning from the author. As an adult, this book themes and descriptions did not seam graphic or over the top. But the authors gentle warning to young readers should be taken seriously.theirgracegrace's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
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? It's complicated
4.25
Sir Callie is the sort of book that you wish middle-schoolers got the chance to read when you were growing up. Callie, a non-binary child who wants to grow up to be a knight like their father, travels to Helston, the centre of their nation. There, they discover that their two dads and their accepting commune are very different from the rest of the world, where everyone is expected to fit into two gendered boxes (boys become knights, girls become magicians) and a bigoted chancellor rules instead of the Crown Prince. A harrowing read as you worry for Callie and the small group of friends they collect as they challenge the encroaching evil of the witch Alis and the bigotry in the city walls. Excited to read book two!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Outing, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Dysphoria, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Alcohol
In a chapter, Callie gets period cramps and describes the dysphoria that comes with that.katebrownreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Deadnaming, and Transphobia
Moderate: Bullying, Grief, and Dysphoria
Minor: Child death, Death, Violence, Death of parent, and War
rhiannonafternoon's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The world was not built for Callie, but that does not stop them from living authentically. As a nonbinary 12-year-old, Callie wants nothing more than to be a knight and serve the kingdom their knightly father talks about so fondly, but when they get there, it does not live up to the hype. The social norms of the castle challenge Callie, but meeting friends along the way that also don't fit into the social molds that have been set gives Callie the confidence to keep speaking up. This book is tough, but full of heart, and I'm so happy that Callie has carved out a place for everyone to feel welcome.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deadnaming
Moderate: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
lastblossom's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
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? Yes
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children's for an advance copy!
tl;dr
A thoughtful and complex story featuring a likable non-binary protagonist and a great supporting cast. The amount of prejudice the MC has to face is really stressful to read.
About
Only girls do magic. Only boys can be knights. Callie has never thought of themselves as a girl or a boy, but their dream to become a knight someday is blocked by the fact that everyone else sees Callie as a girl. But Callie's determined to prove themselves, and an invitation to the royal capital might be the chance they need to do so.
Thoughts
This is a tough one to review. I typically try to highlight things I enjoyed versus parts that weren't for me, but it was hard for me to enjoy this. To be clear, this is a very good book. Callie's struggles are raw and relatable, and my heart broke for them more than once. The other kids are unique and complex and beautiful, and it was great to see genuine thoughtfulness centered on the discussion of family and abuse, self-loathing, and how messy love can be. But dang, reading this was tough. Callie is misgendered regularly, on purpose, and with hurtful intent. Gender roles in this world are so rigid and pithy that even our heroic Callie starts out with a very dim view of women. Trans readers who have been down this path in real life already might find re-treading this ground to be tiresome. That being said, I think this book would have been perfect for me when I was younger, and I think it will resonate with any young reader looking for a story about friends, family, and adventure.
tl;dr
A thoughtful and complex story featuring a likable non-binary protagonist and a great supporting cast. The amount of prejudice the MC has to face is really stressful to read.
About
Only girls do magic. Only boys can be knights. Callie has never thought of themselves as a girl or a boy, but their dream to become a knight someday is blocked by the fact that everyone else sees Callie as a girl. But Callie's determined to prove themselves, and an invitation to the royal capital might be the chance they need to do so.
Thoughts
This is a tough one to review. I typically try to highlight things I enjoyed versus parts that weren't for me, but it was hard for me to enjoy this. To be clear, this is a very good book. Callie's struggles are raw and relatable, and my heart broke for them more than once. The other kids are unique and complex and beautiful, and it was great to see genuine thoughtfulness centered on the discussion of family and abuse, self-loathing, and how messy love can be. But dang, reading this was tough. Callie is misgendered regularly, on purpose, and with hurtful intent. Gender roles in this world are so rigid and pithy that even our heroic Callie starts out with a very dim view of women. Trans readers who have been down this path in real life already might find re-treading this ground to be tiresome. That being said, I think this book would have been perfect for me when I was younger, and I think it will resonate with any young reader looking for a story about friends, family, and adventure.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexism, and Transphobia
Moderate: Deadnaming, Toxic relationship, and Blood
Minor: Child death, Death, Death of parent, and War