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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
This was like reading a beautiful long poem about falling in love. It will leave you wanting more but if you go into it knowing it’s more of a short story, it’s worth the read.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death
Minor: Racial slurs, Death of parent
Category: REQUIRED AUTHOR
This was a quick read-- too quick, actually. I felt like there was some really good material here that could have been explored more in depth and that some of the key moments went by WAY too fast. (The ending in particular.) This is the story of Miah and Ellie, a black boy and a white girl, who meet and fall in love. The narrative switches off and on between the two of them telling their story. Basically nothing happens until the end when Jeremiah is accidentally shot. I don't know, this story just seemed a little bit pointless to me. There was too much back and forth, not enough action happening in the plot, and definitely a lack of clarity at the very end. There was a little bit of a window into the whole mixed race relationship thing, but again, it could have been a bigger presence in the book. Sadly, I just wasn't impressed.
This was a quick read-- too quick, actually. I felt like there was some really good material here that could have been explored more in depth and that some of the key moments went by WAY too fast. (The ending in particular.) This is the story of Miah and Ellie, a black boy and a white girl, who meet and fall in love. The narrative switches off and on between the two of them telling their story. Basically nothing happens until the end when Jeremiah is accidentally shot. I don't know, this story just seemed a little bit pointless to me. There was too much back and forth, not enough action happening in the plot, and definitely a lack of clarity at the very end. There was a little bit of a window into the whole mixed race relationship thing, but again, it could have been a bigger presence in the book. Sadly, I just wasn't impressed.
What really worked for me for this book (and didn’t for RnJ) was the more modern setting - it made the characters feel less distant temporally and more relatable. IYCS was also written such that we learn more about the inner thoughts and feelings of our two main protagonists, which I think made it much easier for me to accept the “love at first sight” bit which was an issue with me for RnJ. I kind of wish I knew of this book when I first read RnJ; perhaps it would have allowed me to understand the orginal characters in RnJ a bit more.
As for the themes of this book, I really identified with this deep seated sense of loneliness of the two main characters. I think both Ellie and Miah had a need for connection for many reasons (which I will not reveal because of plot reasons) but wanting to feel understood by someone else is something I think most can relate too. Their backgrounds and what they went through during their childhood also make them a bit more alienated than others their age, Miah more obviously than Ellie, being the only African American student in their school. Race is the important central theme of this book, and we see Miah and Ellie struggling with issues that arise from being in a bi-racial relationship on top of exploring their budding romance. I feel like the theme of race was written very brilliantly here, and is also the reason why this book feels so painfully timeless; sadly, the micro-aggressions that happen in this book first published in 1998 is still very real today.
Full review: https://crookedtalks.tumblr.com/post/185343205157/bookish-thoughts-if-you-come-softly
As for the themes of this book, I really identified with this deep seated sense of loneliness of the two main characters. I think both Ellie and Miah had a need for connection for many reasons (which I will not reveal because of plot reasons) but wanting to feel understood by someone else is something I think most can relate too. Their backgrounds and what they went through during their childhood also make them a bit more alienated than others their age, Miah more obviously than Ellie, being the only African American student in their school. Race is the important central theme of this book, and we see Miah and Ellie struggling with issues that arise from being in a bi-racial relationship on top of exploring their budding romance. I feel like the theme of race was written very brilliantly here, and is also the reason why this book feels so painfully timeless; sadly, the micro-aggressions that happen in this book first published in 1998 is still very real today.
Full review: https://crookedtalks.tumblr.com/post/185343205157/bookish-thoughts-if-you-come-softly
I had never read a Jacqueline Woodson book before this! Why wasn't this required reading for me sometime in my life??? I ask it because I wonder if it would have hit me harder as a child than as an adult. I had this inky feeling, from the moment I opened the book, that we'd see the shooting of our male lead and I hate being right. As a grown-up I knew where this narrative was going because it reflects so much of our world. It is frustratingly modern. As a child, maybe this would have provided an education I desperately needed sooner.
I wasn't too moved by the love story aspect of this book, unfortunately. What did capture my heart were the relationships that both protagonists had with their parents. What killed me was having their hope for the future so squashed by the reality of the present.
I wasn't too moved by the love story aspect of this book, unfortunately. What did capture my heart were the relationships that both protagonists had with their parents. What killed me was having their hope for the future so squashed by the reality of the present.
“Time comes to us softly, slowly. It sits beside us for a while. Then, long before we are ready, it moves on.”
This 192 pg. book is a punch to the heart & that ending… I don’t even have the words for it. If you’re looking for a short book to add to your TBR or one that will probably make you cry, I suggest adding this to your reading list.
A beautifully written story with so much emotion, and a duo of sweet and awesome main characters who are just all-around a couple of great kids.
Sucks that it had to have a tragic ending. But it’s realistic and eye-opening when you read about how quickly and needlessly and unexpectedly this happens to innocent people every single day. I loved every minute of this sweet and tragic story.
Sucks that it had to have a tragic ending. But it’s realistic and eye-opening when you read about how quickly and needlessly and unexpectedly this happens to innocent people every single day. I loved every minute of this sweet and tragic story.
It's such a simple YA love story, and then... oh we keep having to sing this same song, don't we? I mean, sure, it's not a "simple" YA love story because it's exploring an interracial couple, but it's sweet and innocent. There's little technology intruding (sure, it's pre-cell phone, but the relationship isn't centered on phone calls an online chats) and it's just the simple story of their love. As always, Woodson does a phenomenal job with language.