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ava_xoxo4's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
4.75
nicolemhewitt's review against another edition
5.0
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
This book about middle graders working through grief is sweet and heartwarming. I especially loved the emphasis on family bonds. Miles's relationship with his grandfather is especially sweet, so it makes it all the more heartbreaking when there's conflict between them. The book also deals with the topic of anxiety, as Miles struggles to let go of his fears. There's a cute middle grade romance, and a strong theme of friendship as well, which both add to the book's charm. With interesting settings (a bowling alley and a funeral home) and a ragtag cast of characters (one of whom has a slight disability), this book emphasizes that you don't have to fit a certain mold to be happy or accepted.
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
This book about middle graders working through grief is sweet and heartwarming. I especially loved the emphasis on family bonds. Miles's relationship with his grandfather is especially sweet, so it makes it all the more heartbreaking when there's conflict between them. The book also deals with the topic of anxiety, as Miles struggles to let go of his fears. There's a cute middle grade romance, and a strong theme of friendship as well, which both add to the book's charm. With interesting settings (a bowling alley and a funeral home) and a ragtag cast of characters (one of whom has a slight disability), this book emphasizes that you don't have to fit a certain mold to be happy or accepted.
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
katieproctorbooks's review against another edition
3.0
I really liked the premise of this book and the different issues the characters deal with, but I had a hard time connecting to them very well. I think it would land very well with certain middle graders.
boogiebeez's review against another edition
2.0
I barely read it and it was really boring. The idea for Tate was interesting though
readingthroughtheages's review against another edition
3.0
Cute story with very likable characters.
However, as someone who has a very intimate understanding of limb length discrepancies, there were too many details about this condition that were unrealistic for me to get past.
However, as someone who has a very intimate understanding of limb length discrepancies, there were too many details about this condition that were unrealistic for me to get past.
falconerreader's review against another edition
4.0
In terms of my own interest, 3 stars.
In terms of how strongly I'd recommend it to the intended audience, 5 stars.
So, 4 stars averaged.
My favorite aspects:
Mr. Schu is a real person, and even though I've never met him, I recognized him instantly and thus felt very in on the joke.
I am always easily charmed by different approaches to narrative, so I loved that not only did we get two points of view, we also got authorial asides and a fairy tale being written by a character.
I was caught short by the authorial aside that notified the reader that after a huge loss, that pain is reawakened when you observe other people going through a similar loss. SO TRUE. I went to the funeral of a guy I'd only met once and was a MESS because the family's pain brought back my parents' deaths so strongly. But also, as Amy figures out, having gone through it yourself gives you the courage and know-how to comfort others instead of hiding from their pain.
In terms of how strongly I'd recommend it to the intended audience, 5 stars.
So, 4 stars averaged.
My favorite aspects:
Mr. Schu is a real person, and even though I've never met him, I recognized him instantly and thus felt very in on the joke.
I am always easily charmed by different approaches to narrative, so I loved that not only did we get two points of view, we also got authorial asides and a fairy tale being written by a character.
I was caught short by the authorial aside that notified the reader that after a huge loss, that pain is reawakened when you observe other people going through a similar loss. SO TRUE. I went to the funeral of a guy I'd only met once and was a MESS because the family's pain brought back my parents' deaths so strongly. But also, as Amy figures out, having gone through it yourself gives you the courage and know-how to comfort others instead of hiding from their pain.
genej101's review against another edition
3.0
Not my favorite of hers. Amy is justifiably upset but so self-centered that she just doesn't make a sympathetic protagonist for me. Yes, horrible things have happened to her, but they've happened to others. She had to leave her home, and dog, in Chicago, she texts with her best friend from there as she adjusts to a new place, new school and no friends. The texts are IN the book. Not once does she bother to ask how Kat is doing, if she's made new friends, if she's okay. It's just a jumbled mess of a book for me. The only thing that really rang true was Randall's asthma, having had two sons with severe asthma, and allergies, that was written well, though the party idea was horrible - you don't rid a home of allergens by locking the cat in a bedroom and vacuuming well. The rest was not up to her usual standards - for me.
pussreboots's review against another edition
4.0
Miles is a good kid and apologizes without being coerced. He and Amy, slowly, and organically become friends. Their friendship also gives them the strength they need to deal with family issues.
The one thing that didn't work for me was the story Amy writes in her spare time. It's supposed to be her way of dealing with the stress of moving, being in a new school, and missing her father. But it's filler and it's presented with an unappealing typeface.
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2021/comments_04/in_your_shoes.html
The one thing that didn't work for me was the story Amy writes in her spare time. It's supposed to be her way of dealing with the stress of moving, being in a new school, and missing her father. But it's filler and it's presented with an unappealing typeface.
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2021/comments_04/in_your_shoes.html