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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
lighthearted
sad
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:
Complicated
The Name She Gave me is simply a beautiful YA contemporary book that made me sad and happy at the same time. I loved it.
Before you think of poems being complex to understand, this is not the case with this novel. I'm not sure what style of writing this is but it's essentially telling a full story in short poetry form and it was extremely well done.
I think it's a skill to tell such an emotional story in so little words and a great example that a short read can still leave an impact on the reader. In 400 pages, I felt joy, sadness, anger and the bittersweet moments for Rynn as she goes on her journey to find her birthmother which eventually leads her to discovering that she has a sister as well.
I loved how Betty managed to not only capture me emotionally, but I think she did a fantastic job in describing the endless summer vibe in a small country town. From the start, I knew this was going to be a good read but I wasn't expecting to love it this much.
If you're looking into a short novel, I highly recommend checking The Name She Gave Me. It can easily be read in a day or if you're like me, you'll take a slow down pace to get through it in a couple of days to appreciate every single word that made it in this novel.
Before you think of poems being complex to understand, this is not the case with this novel. I'm not sure what style of writing this is but it's essentially telling a full story in short poetry form and it was extremely well done.
I think it's a skill to tell such an emotional story in so little words and a great example that a short read can still leave an impact on the reader. In 400 pages, I felt joy, sadness, anger and the bittersweet moments for Rynn as she goes on her journey to find her birthmother which eventually leads her to discovering that she has a sister as well.
I loved how Betty managed to not only capture me emotionally, but I think she did a fantastic job in describing the endless summer vibe in a small country town. From the start, I knew this was going to be a good read but I wasn't expecting to love it this much.
If you're looking into a short novel, I highly recommend checking The Name She Gave Me. It can easily be read in a day or if you're like me, you'll take a slow down pace to get through it in a couple of days to appreciate every single word that made it in this novel.
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-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
Betty Culley is killing it! She continues to capture the essence of rural Maine in her middle grade books (much like Elizabeth Strout does for me as an adult reader). I loved this novel in verse that focuses on two girls: Rynn and Sorella. Rynn lives on a garlic farm in rural Maine and is desperate to learn anything about her past. She was adopted at birth and has a few clues about her birth mother, including that her birth mother named her Scheherazade (note to self, would be awesome to pair with Everything Sad is Untrue!!). Sorella is living in foster care and how they come to know one another is slowly revealed through short, lyrical chapters. Rynn struggles with her adoptive mother, identity, confidence, and belonging but this story shows the power of friendship and determination. The characters are emotionally complex and never stray too far into mature content (yay for middle grade!). They are beautifully written and I was rooting for all of them from the beginning. I think this story will capture the hearts of many readers.
Culley explains her experience with foster care, adoption, and family discovery in the author's note (and makes me hope for a bio from her someday). Her own lived history really gave a voice to Rynn.
Culley explains her experience with foster care, adoption, and family discovery in the author's note (and makes me hope for a bio from her someday). Her own lived history really gave a voice to Rynn.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
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:
Complicated