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mals_reads's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment and Sexism
Moderate: Stalking and Fire/Fire injury
sab_reads14's review against another edition
dark
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment
Moderate: Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Sexual assault and Stalking
elook's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
My favorite part of this book was the formatting. I think it was really creative to tell the story in the form of a podcast, especially since that is such a popular medium right now. I did feel like at points the book tried to do a little too much and was a bit heavy handed with the messaging.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment
xangemthelibrarian's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Man... This one brings me back to my time in middle and high school. Has every girl experienced something like this at that age?
Anna is hardcore the "I'm Not Like Other Girls" stereotype. She didn't like to talk. She prefers books over people, even sitting alone during lunch. She has been told she gets too intense sometimes and is considered weird by many peers. But I feel like she is less a character and more a vehicle for this story.
Rachel Riley's story is absolutely awful. For her to be suddenly ostracized for the events that caused thier 7th grade dance to be cancelled is terrible. But it's a good reminder that middle school in particular seems to be the time when everyone is awful to each other. It's so normal that it's considered a rite of passage into growing up.
Sexual harassment is never okay. Ever. And I think this book is beautiful in the fact that it portrays a realistic portrait of what happens when boys make girls uncomfortable. They aren't believed. The adults in their lives brush them off, so the girls just laugh it off and pretend to be okay. That principal character. My god. I wanted to strangle her each time I read an email from her.
I chose to listening to this as an audiobook because it's supposed to be Anna's Un-Essay project and her podcast submission for a contest. The audiobook format is especially nice in this story because it includes a full cast and sound effects! I adore full-cast productions of audiobooks!
Anna is hardcore the "I'm Not Like Other Girls" stereotype. She didn't like to talk. She prefers books over people, even sitting alone during lunch. She has been told she gets too intense sometimes and is considered weird by many peers. But I feel like she is less a character and more a vehicle for this story.
Rachel Riley's story is absolutely awful. For her to be suddenly ostracized for the events that caused thier 7th grade dance to be cancelled is terrible. But it's a good reminder that middle school in particular seems to be the time when everyone is awful to each other. It's so normal that it's considered a rite of passage into growing up.
Sexual harassment is never okay. Ever. And I think this book is beautiful in the fact that it portrays a realistic portrait of what happens when boys make girls uncomfortable. They aren't believed. The adults in their lives brush them off, so the girls just laugh it off and pretend to be okay. That principal character. My god. I wanted to strangle her each time I read an email from her.
I chose to listening to this as an audiobook because it's supposed to be Anna's Un-Essay project and her podcast submission for a contest. The audiobook format is especially nice in this story because it includes a full cast and sound effects! I adore full-cast productions of audiobooks!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment
mldavisreads's review
challenging
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Middle grade contemporary realistic fiction. Wow. This book was so well done. Anna is a Polish-American that just moved from Chicago to Madison, Wisconsin. She is young for her grade, 12 in 8th grade, and is not looking forward to starting at a new school. At the beginning of the year, Anna is surprised to hear her classmates politely clap for her name when her birthday is announced, but then nobody acknowledges the birthday of her classmate Rachel Riley. There is clearly something going on and Anna becomes determined to find out what it is.
Anna is a big fan of podcasts and has aspirations to go to a podcast camp over the summer. She also has a social issues class that requires a year-long project on an issue of importance. Anna decides to pursue the Rachel Riley matter for both. Though her teacher doesn't exactly approve the subject for class, Anna is not to be deterred.
But as Anna interviews various classmates and observes more of the social dynamics, it becomes clear there is something much bigger than just Rachel's social ostracization going on. References to "the game" come up and bring usually chatty girls to silence. Friends are friends outside of school but don't speak in school. Anna enlists her coder/ hacker sister Nicola to find additional information and what she finds sends her into a tailspin.
Highly engaging, just the right amount of mystery as Anna processes everything. The ending was very well-done. This book deals a lot with sexual harassment at the middle school level, and who is responsible for addressing it and stopping it. An important book but also a great story.
Anna is a big fan of podcasts and has aspirations to go to a podcast camp over the summer. She also has a social issues class that requires a year-long project on an issue of importance. Anna decides to pursue the Rachel Riley matter for both. Though her teacher doesn't exactly approve the subject for class, Anna is not to be deterred.
But as Anna interviews various classmates and observes more of the social dynamics, it becomes clear there is something much bigger than just Rachel's social ostracization going on. References to "the game" come up and bring usually chatty girls to silence. Friends are friends outside of school but don't speak in school. Anna enlists her coder/ hacker sister Nicola to find additional information and what she finds sends her into a tailspin.
Highly engaging, just the right amount of mystery as Anna processes everything. The ending was very well-done. This book deals a lot with sexual harassment at the middle school level, and who is responsible for addressing it and stopping it. An important book but also a great story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment
imstephtacular's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Bullying, and Sexism
Moderate: Misogyny, Gaslighting, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Sexual assault and Stalking
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