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raynasdad's review against another edition
5.0
This was an excellent book. The characters were nuanced and realistic, and I thought that Jesse, the main character, was a wonderful depiction of a person who is "on the spectrum, or whatever."
I loved the plot, and it actually moved back and forth between two timelines, the present, and the previous week. It was very smooth, and not confusing.
I especially loved the beautiful way Jesse's family interacted with her. (I'm kind of a sucker for great parenting in middle grade and young adult books.)
I highly recommend this for people who are interested in neurodiversity, action, strong, resilient girl characters, excellent friendships, excellent family dynamics, and mysteries.
I loved the plot, and it actually moved back and forth between two timelines, the present, and the previous week. It was very smooth, and not confusing.
I especially loved the beautiful way Jesse's family interacted with her. (I'm kind of a sucker for great parenting in middle grade and young adult books.)
I highly recommend this for people who are interested in neurodiversity, action, strong, resilient girl characters, excellent friendships, excellent family dynamics, and mysteries.
lashesss's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
kristinakg's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
afro75's review
4.0
I loved the humor and friendships in this story. Ms. Vaught has a great way of explaining what life looks like for children who are experiencing autism. The story was cute, quirky, and a great adventure
jesswest's review
5.0
Not at all what I excepted from this book. In fairness, I read the title and not the synopsis before reading lol. I loved this book! It was the first book I’ve ever read with a main character who is “on the spectrum” and it was very interesting to experience a different way of looking at the world. I can’t wait for my students to read this book. It has a bully arc throughout and teaches empathy in multiple ways.
sionna's review against another edition
4.0
I wasn't sure what I was going to get with this book, but I can say I am glad I requested it and glad I read it. This is one of those books that will be overlooked by people and it need more recognition than what it is getting.
I was such a fan of the characters. I didn't realize going into this that Jesse was going to be on the spectrum and I can't speak to the realistic-ness of her character, but I thought she was done brilliantly. Jesse is such a great character, with strength and a thirst for justice within her. She's blamed for things going wrong, and continues to persevere. I liked that her mother is the soldier abroad-- it felt like a nice flip of the usual and something that many families will be able to relate to. There is also a great friendship shared here too which I think many people will enjoy.
As for the mystery, the bad guys aren't completely obvious... or at least the entirety of the crime. Even the villains here have layers. Of course, I can't truly sympathise with the bullies. I do like that there are consequences at the end of the book for the wrong doers. A really good happy ending.
The book is told in two timelines, the flashbacks might be confusing to some of the younger readers, but the clearly labeled days and times at the chapter heads will be (and were to me) a big help.
This is a book I will be recommending to many, many readers. If you like mysteries and contemporary reads with strong main characters, cute dogs, and good family relations shown, this is a book you should try!
I was such a fan of the characters. I didn't realize going into this that Jesse was going to be on the spectrum and I can't speak to the realistic-ness of her character, but I thought she was done brilliantly. Jesse is such a great character, with strength and a thirst for justice within her. She's blamed for things going wrong, and continues to persevere. I liked that her mother is the soldier abroad-- it felt like a nice flip of the usual and something that many families will be able to relate to. There is also a great friendship shared here too which I think many people will enjoy.
As for the mystery, the bad guys aren't completely obvious... or at least the entirety of the crime. Even the villains here have layers. Of course, I can't truly sympathise with the bullies. I do like that there are consequences at the end of the book for the wrong doers. A really good happy ending.
The book is told in two timelines, the flashbacks might be confusing to some of the younger readers, but the clearly labeled days and times at the chapter heads will be (and were to me) a big help.
This is a book I will be recommending to many, many readers. If you like mysteries and contemporary reads with strong main characters, cute dogs, and good family relations shown, this is a book you should try!
kateteaching7and8's review
5.0
@kidlitexchange #partner
Thank you to @simonkids and #SusanVaught for sharing an advance review copy of Me and Sam-Sam Handle the Apocalypse with the #kidlitexchange network. This book was released in May 2019.
Jesse is bullied at school for being weird and is often called Messy Jesse. For the most part, she is able to ignore the bullying but, occasionally, her anger and instincts kick in and she protects herself when provoked. Her best friend, Springer, is big for his age, new to town, and friends with Jesse, so he is also bullied. Unlike Jesse, he is a pacifist and refuses to fight back. After a significant amount of cash, donated to the library fund, goes missing from Jesse's father's desk, he is arrested and Jesse is determined to discover the real culprit. Springer helps her track down, observe, and question suspects. When she's not being a detective, Jesse is training her pomeranian, Sam-Sam, to be a bomb sniffing dog like her mom's dog, Shotgun. Her mother is a soldier and is currently in Mosul. Sam-Sam, however, never really seems to take to the training. Just when Jesse begins to think things are falling into place and she's close to solving the case of the missing money, the apocalypse hits her town.
There is so much to love about this book. First, the protagonist is neurodiverse and the book is written by a neurodiverse author. Jesse's struggles are real and I think it is incredibly important for neurodiverse readers to have characters (specifically protagonists) in books to relate to. This book has important messages about acceptance, bullying, and not underestimating your capabilities. I also loved that the story is told in through two timelines: pre- and post-apocalypse. The chapters alternating giving depth to character's motivations and building suspense (especially because many of the post-apocalypse chapters end on cliffhangers). This book was fun, intriguing, and uplifting. I can't wait to share it with my students.
Thank you to @simonkids and #SusanVaught for sharing an advance review copy of Me and Sam-Sam Handle the Apocalypse with the #kidlitexchange network. This book was released in May 2019.
Jesse is bullied at school for being weird and is often called Messy Jesse. For the most part, she is able to ignore the bullying but, occasionally, her anger and instincts kick in and she protects herself when provoked. Her best friend, Springer, is big for his age, new to town, and friends with Jesse, so he is also bullied. Unlike Jesse, he is a pacifist and refuses to fight back. After a significant amount of cash, donated to the library fund, goes missing from Jesse's father's desk, he is arrested and Jesse is determined to discover the real culprit. Springer helps her track down, observe, and question suspects. When she's not being a detective, Jesse is training her pomeranian, Sam-Sam, to be a bomb sniffing dog like her mom's dog, Shotgun. Her mother is a soldier and is currently in Mosul. Sam-Sam, however, never really seems to take to the training. Just when Jesse begins to think things are falling into place and she's close to solving the case of the missing money, the apocalypse hits her town.
There is so much to love about this book. First, the protagonist is neurodiverse and the book is written by a neurodiverse author. Jesse's struggles are real and I think it is incredibly important for neurodiverse readers to have characters (specifically protagonists) in books to relate to. This book has important messages about acceptance, bullying, and not underestimating your capabilities. I also loved that the story is told in through two timelines: pre- and post-apocalypse. The chapters alternating giving depth to character's motivations and building suspense (especially because many of the post-apocalypse chapters end on cliffhangers). This book was fun, intriguing, and uplifting. I can't wait to share it with my students.
naomiysl's review
4.0
Completely engrossing tale iwth relateable characters. Neurodiversity handled both matter of factly and kindly, without the "othering" that so often the downfall of diverse characters.