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bibliobrandie's review
5.0
I loved this book so much! Bug is such a fabulous character who I think many students will identify with. She is sad that her brother, Danny, is growing up and no longer wants to hang out with her. Then Frankie shows up and changes her life. Set in 1987, Forman gets everything right in the details (song references, mentioning Bugs fear of Russia, Aunt Terry's fear of AIDS) and I loved living in that time again through Bug. The side characters are fully developed and the adults in this novel are not throw away characters. This is a story about identity and belonging and found families. I just can't say enough about this book. I haven't read other books by Forman but I hope she'll continue to write for middle grade.
Added bonus: Stockard Channing narrates the audiobook and she does a phenomenal job.
Added bonus: Stockard Channing narrates the audiobook and she does a phenomenal job.
atrautmann217's review
5.0
I absolutely loved this book! It was a heartwarming story with complicated characters whose layers are revealed slowly throughout the book. Gayle Forman deals with some heavy topics in a way that is so accessible to children and normalizes all these different life experiences. Love love love! I’d give it six stars if I could!!!
kimal2028's review
5.0
This book was really good!
It has a lot about finding who you are. Frankie was sent down to Bug for the summer and Bug doesn't necessarily like him. She thinks that he's boring and she's annoyed that her summer is now ruined. But what she soon discovers is that Frankie is transexual and his parents don't like him for it. He feels really alone and it breaks my heart that some children feel this way. I love how Frankie learns that he is special in his own way and that there is a whole community full of wonderful people just like him.
It has a lot about finding who you are. Frankie was sent down to Bug for the summer and Bug doesn't necessarily like him. She thinks that he's boring and she's annoyed that her summer is now ruined. But what she soon discovers is that Frankie is transexual and his parents don't like him for it. He feels really alone and it breaks my heart that some children feel this way. I love how Frankie learns that he is special in his own way and that there is a whole community full of wonderful people just like him.
khcdvm09's review against another edition
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
kerri_f2003's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
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
4.0
martha_benedicte's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
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? It's complicated
4.0
shirleytupperfreeman's review
Bug, 10, lives with her mother and older brother in a flat in Venice, CA. Her 'family' also includes their downstairs neighbor and landlord, Hedvig and upstairs neighbor, Philip. Bug is devastated when her longed for beach summer appears to be a thing of the past because she's not allowed to go alone and her brother no longer wants to be in charge of her. But then Philip's nephew, Frankie, comes to spend the summer. At first Frankie and Bug have an on again/off again friendship but they bond over trying to solve some crimes and eventually they become best friends. Race and gender revelations play an important role in the story.
nicolemhewitt's review
5.0
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
For any kid just beginning to understand the ways the world can let you down and how we can lift ourselves and others up against adversity. Frankie & Bug is set in Venice Beach in 1987, at a time when prejudices and outright hostility against LGBT people and people of color were commonplace (I suppose the same could still be said today, but I do think we’ve made progress). But Bug is only 10, and she’s just starting to understand the complexities of the world outside of her comfortable bubble. This year, things are changing. At first, it’s just that her brother seems to be outgrowing her, and her typical summer at the beach is ruined when he wants to do his own thing instead of hanging out with her. When her neighbor’s nephew comes to town, Bug sees him as a bit of a consolation for her lost summer, but friendship doesn’t come immediately (or easily). But when Frankie reveals he’s trying to solve a string of murders, the two form an unlikely bond over the investigation. Bug is sure that they can figure out the mystery and become town heroes. It turns out that the murders might be the least important mystery in Bug’s life, though, as she starts to learn hidden truths about her family and friends. Suddenly Bug starts to realize that there are injustices in the world that can be just as scary as a murder and almost harder to understand.
Kids might not relate to every aspect of life in the ancient year of 1987, but the themes of this book are still very relevant today. Most tweens have been in the midst of relationships that feel like they’re growing and changing without them. And many kids in this age group are probably just starting to understand the injustices of the world and the ways that certain groups of people are treated unfairly or with outright scorn. Sometimes seeing these issues in a past setting can help kids frame their current experiences. Forman handles difficult topics in a way that kids will understand and be able to relate to. Plus, the mysteries will keep them turning the pages!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher so that I could provide an honest review. No compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
For any kid just beginning to understand the ways the world can let you down and how we can lift ourselves and others up against adversity. Frankie & Bug is set in Venice Beach in 1987, at a time when prejudices and outright hostility against LGBT people and people of color were commonplace (I suppose the same could still be said today, but I do think we’ve made progress). But Bug is only 10, and she’s just starting to understand the complexities of the world outside of her comfortable bubble. This year, things are changing. At first, it’s just that her brother seems to be outgrowing her, and her typical summer at the beach is ruined when he wants to do his own thing instead of hanging out with her. When her neighbor’s nephew comes to town, Bug sees him as a bit of a consolation for her lost summer, but friendship doesn’t come immediately (or easily). But when Frankie reveals he’s trying to solve a string of murders, the two form an unlikely bond over the investigation. Bug is sure that they can figure out the mystery and become town heroes. It turns out that the murders might be the least important mystery in Bug’s life, though, as she starts to learn hidden truths about her family and friends. Suddenly Bug starts to realize that there are injustices in the world that can be just as scary as a murder and almost harder to understand.
Kids might not relate to every aspect of life in the ancient year of 1987, but the themes of this book are still very relevant today. Most tweens have been in the midst of relationships that feel like they’re growing and changing without them. And many kids in this age group are probably just starting to understand the injustices of the world and the ways that certain groups of people are treated unfairly or with outright scorn. Sometimes seeing these issues in a past setting can help kids frame their current experiences. Forman handles difficult topics in a way that kids will understand and be able to relate to. Plus, the mysteries will keep them turning the pages!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher so that I could provide an honest review. No compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
nloushoes's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
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
5.0
Rating: 🥰/5
Thoughts: This book. Wow. These two quotes: “You can either give into the prejudice and treat people badly just because they’re different from you. Or you can shine a light on it, to understand how arbitrary it all is and just people for who they are, not what they are.” and “Because the world is as full of love as it is hate. And I want you to marinate in the love a little longer before you see the other side. “
Format: 📖
Source: I don’t remember
adotzam's review
emotional
hopeful
slow-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
4.5