Reviews

Different Kinds of Fruit by Kyle Lukoff

owenbiesel's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative lighthearted reflective 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

5.0

jazin95's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This was a really uplifting book. It never shied away from the often hidden painful parts of queer/trans lives. I loved that the POV is that of a 12-year-old trying to navigate a world that is new, different, and all kinds of challenging. 

Overall, I finished this feeling like there is hope for the future. I loved this book and really recommend it.

katymul's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing 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

5.0

Part of me wants to write about what an important book this is. How it walks the reader through big issues in a safe but informative way and, even more importantly, how it depicts families, friends, and classmates having difficult and necessary conversations and conflicts in ultimately healthy ways. I am terrified, however, of implying that this book is no fun. It's tremendous fun!

You will fall in love with the characters quickly and then watch them deal with complicated realities. You'll watch them act out and give one another grace and force themselves into new shapes to help one another. But you'll also just love being around them.

I found it specifically triggering not for any of the most important storylines but for the depiction of an Outwardly Progressive school folding immediately under parental pressure when asked to actually stick their neck out for their students. That part was so honestly rendered that I processed a lot of things from my time working at a private school. Mine was more outwardly conservative but the same rhetoric and situations played out in heartbreaking ways on my campus, and I wish I had had this book then to help me see it and give words to much of it. I appreciate that the resolution was not tidy or Hollywood-happy.

I believe many different communities and identities will have a similar relationship with this book -- the entertaining yet gentle way that the various situations are portrayed leaves so much room for healing without sacrificing the dire realities the book reflects.

paulgorepages's review against another edition

4.0

A wonderfully relatable middle-grade book about the value of being your most authentic self and supporting one another. A realistic perspective on “inclusive” schools.

lawralthelibrarian's review

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.75

anakuroma's review

4.0

TW: transphobia, enbyphobia, ableism, misgendering

This was so deliciously complicated and I love books that normalises yes sympathetically untangles, how absolutly all-over one's situation can be.

tayberryjelly's review

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

4.5

medupre's review

I won’t be rating this book because I wasn’t it’s intended audience. But if I did, it’d probably get 2.5 stars. The main character’s voice was not believable for her age—she went from sounding to extremely mature to extremely childish on the same page and never found a happy medium. After getting past that, I found some of the text extremely repetitive (how many times can you talk about sharing in a circle or how palm oil is bad). And then the antagonist of the story is a perfect textbook xenophobe who is the only one who holds those beliefs even though others in the community have left presumably because of the discrimination?? I think some of the main points of the book, exposure and learning about various LGBTQ+ identities, is extremely important so if middle school children can enjoy this book and relate to it, then wonderful! 

elliegund's review

emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

alisong906's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative 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

4.0