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nordicat's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-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
4.75
rereader33's review against another edition
5.0
2022 April Its Raining Rereads Challenge
Prompt: reread a book you read in school
This was fine, but not as good as I remember it. I felt detached from the characters, and by the end if you asked me to describe Billie Jo or her father, I don't think I'd be able to. There's very little dialogue, which doesn't help in characterization, and the story felt more like an educational nonfiction book on the Dust Bowl but as a fiction novel. I will say, something I picked up more at this point was that grief was a major point of the book. How I missed that as a kid I'll never know, but it was interesting to see grief being explored alongside the Dust Bowl.
Overall, this was a good book and one I recommend if anyone wants an accurate and painful account of the Dust Bowl and like novels in verse.
Prompt: reread a book you read in school
This was fine, but not as good as I remember it. I felt detached from the characters, and by the end if you asked me to describe Billie Jo or her father, I don't think I'd be able to. There's very little dialogue, which doesn't help in characterization, and the story felt more like an educational nonfiction book on the Dust Bowl but as a fiction novel. I will say, something I picked up more at this point was that grief was a major point of the book. How I missed that as a kid I'll never know, but it was interesting to see grief being explored alongside the Dust Bowl.
Overall, this was a good book and one I recommend if anyone wants an accurate and painful account of the Dust Bowl and like novels in verse.
janagaton's review against another edition
4.0
This was a required reading for my Young Adult Literature college course, but I enjoyed reading it anyway. I think it's an extremely well-written book from the perspective of a little girl simply trying to survive the Dust Bowl. Billie Jo goes through quite a lot, to say the least, and has to learn to grow up really fast. It didn't make me as emotional as I initially expected, but Karen Hesse definitely knows how to write vividly and realistically, therefore invoking sympathy for her characters.
robbynjreeve's review against another edition
3.0
REQUIRED READING
I had read this book when I was about 10 and remembered loving it! I still do.
Taking place in Oklahoma during the dust bowl, Hesse's novel follows the struggles Billy Joe must face. Not only is does she have to cope with the financial struggles her family faces as they lose their crops to the dust, she also has to deal with the loss of her mother and her piano-playing hands to fire. Deciding she can't take it anymore, Billy Joe decides to run away to start a new life. Not long after, she realizes the only life worth living she left back in Oklahoma with her father.
I had read this book when I was about 10 and remembered loving it! I still do.
Taking place in Oklahoma during the dust bowl, Hesse's novel follows the struggles Billy Joe must face. Not only is does she have to cope with the financial struggles her family faces as they lose their crops to the dust, she also has to deal with the loss of her mother and her piano-playing hands to fire. Deciding she can't take it anymore, Billy Joe decides to run away to start a new life. Not long after, she realizes the only life worth living she left back in Oklahoma with her father.
book_concierge's review against another edition
5.0
5***** and a ❤
Hesse can say so much in so few words. This is an extraordinary work of fiction, written entirely in verse.
It tells the story of a family during the Oklahoma Dust Bowl of the Depression. It's an emotionally evocative story of growing up in the harshness of poverty and tragedy. A wonderful book.
This was a Newbery award winner for children's literature. I first came across it when I was providing "study hall monitoring" for a local all-girls middle school. I couldn't stop reading it, and have recommended it to many people, and two of my book clubs.
Hesse can say so much in so few words. This is an extraordinary work of fiction, written entirely in verse.
It tells the story of a family during the Oklahoma Dust Bowl of the Depression. It's an emotionally evocative story of growing up in the harshness of poverty and tragedy. A wonderful book.
This was a Newbery award winner for children's literature. I first came across it when I was providing "study hall monitoring" for a local all-girls middle school. I couldn't stop reading it, and have recommended it to many people, and two of my book clubs.
rschroeder88's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
mehsi's review against another edition
1.0
I needed a book for my challenge on my group. And this one turned out to be the one, and what a crap book it was. This mostly is due the way this book is written. Since people are offended when I get it wrong, I will just call it some form of poetry and leave it at that.
I don't mind poetry that much, but this kind just feels weird. Like someone wrote a complete book, with working sentences and then threw the book in the blender and mixer and continued from there. And yes, I have said so in every review about this kind of poetry. :) I just have to mention it in each review, as you never know if someone read other reviews.
I didn't particularly care about the main character, she seemed weak and strange. And I got a bit tired of her stuff about her hands. Seriously, just be FUCKING honest with people. Just tell them you can't play, that you want to, but that your hands are damaged beyond repair (or at least they make it seem like it is). Urgh. It was just pathetic.
Then we have the constant dust storm stuff. It was interesting at first, but later I was wondering why people were putting themselves through this kind of stuff. Why they stayed, why they kept trying, why they didn't just leave and find something better. Some place better to live. And yes, this costs money and all that, but I would save up money and then leave. There is nothing there but dust.
The book ends pretty boring, I had expected some great escape, something big, but instead things just continue as they always do. Nothing conclusive, nothing exciting. Bleh.
The book is marketed for kids, but I am not sure if they would like this. I wouldn't recommend it to a kid, not at all.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
I don't mind poetry that much, but this kind just feels weird. Like someone wrote a complete book, with working sentences and then threw the book in the blender and mixer and continued from there. And yes, I have said so in every review about this kind of poetry. :) I just have to mention it in each review, as you never know if someone read other reviews.
I didn't particularly care about the main character, she seemed weak and strange. And I got a bit tired of her stuff about her hands. Seriously, just be FUCKING honest with people. Just tell them you can't play, that you want to, but that your hands are damaged beyond repair (or at least they make it seem like it is). Urgh. It was just pathetic.
Then we have the constant dust storm stuff. It was interesting at first, but later I was wondering why people were putting themselves through this kind of stuff. Why they stayed, why they kept trying, why they didn't just leave and find something better. Some place better to live. And yes, this costs money and all that, but I would save up money and then leave. There is nothing there but dust.
The book ends pretty boring, I had expected some great escape, something big, but instead things just continue as they always do. Nothing conclusive, nothing exciting. Bleh.
The book is marketed for kids, but I am not sure if they would like this. I wouldn't recommend it to a kid, not at all.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
gls_merch's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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? Yes
3.75
stephxsu's review against another edition
3.0
I've never been the fondest of novels-in-verse or historical fiction. I suppose OUT OF THE DUST was alright. It has all the qualities of a book that make it appeal to the awards committees: grievous troubles, a protagonist mired by obstacles, family troubles, yadda yadda. But I never really felt a connection to...what's her name? I can't even remember. Oy.
Also, the novel-in-verse format has to contribute something to the story; it cannot be an arbitrary. And I didn't really see why Hesse chose to write this book in this way.
Also, the novel-in-verse format has to contribute something to the story; it cannot be an arbitrary. And I didn't really see why Hesse chose to write this book in this way.