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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
It was another book of good life lessons but it was sad reading about what happened to her. I didn't get the book at first and though it was about the firegirl's point of view but it's the point of view of a kid in her class.
A good message and well written, but I didn't enjoy it and I wouldn't read it again.
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Oh my…
This book is so authentic. The narrator has a unique personality—his voice made me care more. It felt like nothing I'd ever read before. The dialogue was true, the feelings were true. The way the narrator describes his emotions felt very familiar to me; perhaps that's why I was so invested in the story.
I never cried—there weren't many happy scenes in the book. But I did get that deep ache in my chest, and it comes back whenever I think of the story. It was so sad—and just so honest. If there were one word I'd use to describe this book, that would be it.
I know this is a middlegrade book but it’s still terrible
⭐️ ⭐️
Critical Score: D+
Personal Score: B-
Reading Experience:
Critical Score: D+
Personal Score: B-
Reading Experience:
This is one of those books that teachers have kids read to initiate discussion. And I think that is probably a good thing to do with it.
But I didn't really enjoy it much. It has an important message and a lot of teenage angst.
But I didn't really enjoy it much. It has an important message and a lot of teenage angst.
Probably closer to a 2 than a 3:
I remember picking up this book randomly in elementary/middle school and absolutely loving it. As an adult, I wasn't quite as interested as I once was, which was a real disappointment. Maybe it would have benefitted from being longer, though I do understand that the point was to show how Jessica's brief stint in Tom's life changed him for the better. Tom also annoyed me a fair amount with how dense he constantly was- he did remind me a lot of some of the boys I grew up with in school. I think that today, with this subgenre of books quite popular amongst middle-grade readers, there's more compelling titles to read, but at the time this was published, it played a more unique role. Probably why I liked it so much as a kid.
I remember picking up this book randomly in elementary/middle school and absolutely loving it. As an adult, I wasn't quite as interested as I once was, which was a real disappointment. Maybe it would have benefitted from being longer, though I do understand that the point was to show how Jessica's brief stint in Tom's life changed him for the better. Tom also annoyed me a fair amount with how dense he constantly was- he did remind me a lot of some of the boys I grew up with in school. I think that today, with this subgenre of books quite popular amongst middle-grade readers, there's more compelling titles to read, but at the time this was published, it played a more unique role. Probably why I liked it so much as a kid.
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Animal death, Child death, Vomit
I happened to stumble upon this book today in the "Free Books" box at my Library. I just glanced at it and remembered (apparently like a lot of people) I read this when I was about 11. I don't remember many books I read when I was younger so I wanted to make a note of it! I might add a shelf of "books I read before middle or high school" (but idk if I want to clump Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters in that category lol) But once I saw the book I remembered really liking it as a kid!