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madieanne's review
4.0
okay, this is the greatest representation of homeschoolers i have ever seen. obviously, there are plenty of cliches about being homeschooled—as represented in the beginning of the book—but literally NONE of us, my self included, are like that (unless you're in a cult, which is chill too).
malaynachang's review
5.0
MY OPINION: *****
It's been a pretty long time since I've read what I can call a good book. I went into this book thinking I wasn't going to love it because when reading the blurb, the plot didn't completely appeal to me. I mostly read it because I found out that I have no other unread books in my house (that reminds me, must take a quick trip to the library ASAP). However, now that I'm done, I'm surprised to say that I actually loved it!
I wasn't going to rate this five stars but as I read more, I just found myself liking everything about it. Yes, there were a couple of things that I didn't love but those things were nothing compared to everything I liked about this book.
HOMESCHOOLING
This is one of the few books I've read about homeschooled kids. For some reason, it just hasn't been a widely read about thing in my life. For those of you who don't know, I was homeschooled for most of elementary school and I know firsthand most of what it is like. I think that there are so many different forms and curriculums and people that you can't categorize everyone into little groups like this book did. I, for one, did not really identify into any of those groups. However, I think for what it was worth, it was a fairly accurate representation of homeschooled kids, despite it being a little stereotyped and judgy.
FRIENDSHIP
The relationship between Stevie, our MC, and Sanger, her best friend, was really phenomenal. It was represented accurately and heart-warmingly. I could totally see it being a real friendship. I just want to point out that not all homeschooled kids only have one friend. We're not socially inept. Sanger and Stevie have little things like the BFF Card and "sisters before misters" that really makes their friendship so real and strong.
ROMANCE
It wasn't cheesy, it wasn't cringey, and it was cute. Max and Stevie didn't have insta-love, which was definitely appreciated, and they were so compatible. I loved how everything worked out. They were just meant to be. Yes, they did need a little pushing, but I couldn't help but love Max. To be honest, if I were puked on I wouldn't want to stay as close to that person as Max did. They both made sacrifices for each other which I thought was sweet and really accurate in representing love.
MAX
I loved Max. Can I just say that? No, I did not understand what his motives were in faking his own deaths completely. I can't say I can relate to him. However, I loved his determination and strength and overall sweetness as a person. He's gone through a lot more than you would think and to be that strong through it all, that's one brave person. Max does say a couple of detrimental things to both homeschoolers and diabetic people, but he owns up to it and admits he was wrong. Stevie never fails to mention Max's lack of two fingers, which I thought was unusual and definitely unique. The reason behind the lack of limbs was gory and sad.
LIST OF DEATHS
Um, well. Max has this thing where he wants to fake his death 23 times. It ranges from an allergic reaction to a spider bite to spontaneous combustion. It's horrifying but yet completely grappling and interesting to read about and I couldn't help but find it unique. It was definitely a new thing in YA fiction.
DIVERSITY
There was a TON of diverse characters in this book, not just in race but in things like Stevie having Type I Diabetes (something that I've never read about in a work of fiction and which needs to be more talked about), and Max having a loss of fingers. Sanger's parents are lesbian and it is addressed realistically, though it was so maddening to see how people treated them.
ENDING
I can't say I was happy about it but I can't say I was angry about it either. It felt so rushed to me and I think I would have liked a lot more closure with the characters, particularly with Joel and Sanger and Max. It felt like the book built up to something big happening and then it just didn't. It felt almost unsatisfying.
WRITING
I LOVED the writing style of this book. It was very choppy at times and very long at others. I think it showed diverse sentence structure and made the book much more enjoyable to read. It felt fast-paced which I loved and I felt like I finished the book a lot faster. I would have liked more "he said" and "she said" kind of things to clarify who was speaking (half of the time I had no clue) but I loved how it was done overall.
Overall, I loved this book. I would definitely be open to reading more of Ormsbee's work. I would recommend it to people looking for a deep, funny, almost-morbid novel.
Main Character: Stevie
Sidekick(s): Max, Sanger, etc
Villain(s): Misunderstanding, toxic waste, diabetes, etc
Realistic Fiction Elements: All of this was very real to life.
It's been a pretty long time since I've read what I can call a good book. I went into this book thinking I wasn't going to love it because when reading the blurb, the plot didn't completely appeal to me. I mostly read it because I found out that I have no other unread books in my house (that reminds me, must take a quick trip to the library ASAP). However, now that I'm done, I'm surprised to say that I actually loved it!
I wasn't going to rate this five stars but as I read more, I just found myself liking everything about it. Yes, there were a couple of things that I didn't love but those things were nothing compared to everything I liked about this book.
HOMESCHOOLING
This is one of the few books I've read about homeschooled kids. For some reason, it just hasn't been a widely read about thing in my life. For those of you who don't know, I was homeschooled for most of elementary school and I know firsthand most of what it is like. I think that there are so many different forms and curriculums and people that you can't categorize everyone into little groups like this book did. I, for one, did not really identify into any of those groups. However, I think for what it was worth, it was a fairly accurate representation of homeschooled kids, despite it being a little stereotyped and judgy.
FRIENDSHIP
The relationship between Stevie, our MC, and Sanger, her best friend, was really phenomenal. It was represented accurately and heart-warmingly. I could totally see it being a real friendship. I just want to point out that not all homeschooled kids only have one friend. We're not socially inept. Sanger and Stevie have little things like the BFF Card and "sisters before misters" that really makes their friendship so real and strong.
ROMANCE
It wasn't cheesy, it wasn't cringey, and it was cute. Max and Stevie didn't have insta-love, which was definitely appreciated, and they were so compatible. I loved how everything worked out. They were just meant to be. Yes, they did need a little pushing, but I couldn't help but love Max. To be honest, if I were puked on I wouldn't want to stay as close to that person as Max did. They both made sacrifices for each other which I thought was sweet and really accurate in representing love.
MAX
I loved Max. Can I just say that? No, I did not understand what his motives were in faking his own deaths completely. I can't say I can relate to him. However, I loved his determination and strength and overall sweetness as a person. He's gone through a lot more than you would think and to be that strong through it all, that's one brave person. Max does say a couple of detrimental things to both homeschoolers and diabetic people, but he owns up to it and admits he was wrong. Stevie never fails to mention Max's lack of two fingers, which I thought was unusual and definitely unique. The reason behind the lack of limbs was gory and sad.
LIST OF DEATHS
Um, well. Max has this thing where he wants to fake his death 23 times. It ranges from an allergic reaction to a spider bite to spontaneous combustion. It's horrifying but yet completely grappling and interesting to read about and I couldn't help but find it unique. It was definitely a new thing in YA fiction.
DIVERSITY
There was a TON of diverse characters in this book, not just in race but in things like Stevie having Type I Diabetes (something that I've never read about in a work of fiction and which needs to be more talked about), and Max having a loss of fingers. Sanger's parents are lesbian and it is addressed realistically, though it was so maddening to see how people treated them.
ENDING
I can't say I was happy about it but I can't say I was angry about it either. It felt so rushed to me and I think I would have liked a lot more closure with the characters, particularly with Joel and Sanger and Max. It felt like the book built up to something big happening and then it just didn't. It felt almost unsatisfying.
Spoiler
To be completely honest, I really wish they finished the list.WRITING
I LOVED the writing style of this book. It was very choppy at times and very long at others. I think it showed diverse sentence structure and made the book much more enjoyable to read. It felt fast-paced which I loved and I felt like I finished the book a lot faster. I would have liked more "he said" and "she said" kind of things to clarify who was speaking (half of the time I had no clue) but I loved how it was done overall.
Overall, I loved this book. I would definitely be open to reading more of Ormsbee's work. I would recommend it to people looking for a deep, funny, almost-morbid novel.
Main Character: Stevie
Sidekick(s): Max, Sanger, etc
Villain(s): Misunderstanding, toxic waste, diabetes, etc
Realistic Fiction Elements: All of this was very real to life.
lydiahephzibah's review
4.0
Entertaining and easy read with great diversity that wasn't at all forced, especially things I rarely/never see in books - Stevie has type 1 diabetes; Max is missing a couple of fingers and dealing with death anxiety; Sanger is half-japanese/half-black with lesbian parents. I loved the characters and the focus on friendship and Stevie's activism, and homeschooling. -1 star for the ending, which was abrupt and out of character.
maiwen18's review
5.0
I Flew through this book. I loved the concept of the book but what surprised me is how much I loved the characters. Underneath the sharp prose and witty dialogue, each character was well-rounded enough to hold deeper issues that resonated with me.
islandgeekgirl's review
4.0
This book ended up being a lot of fun to read. It had so many quirky characters, a lot of fun interactions between said quirky characters, so much humour, and everything kept me turning the pages and interested until I finished the whole book.
My favourite thing about the book was the friendship between Sanger and Stevie. It was just so much fun to read. These were two girls who would have each other's backs no matter what. There was no way anything would come between them. These were friends who would fight but there was always the feeling that they would make up in time. They supported each other even if they didn't agree or believe in the same ideals. It was just great.
The death list idea was really cool to read. A little strange, but cool. It lead to so many laugh out loud moments throughout the book. I love the developing friendship between Sanger, Stevie, and Max, and eventually the relationship between Stevie and Max. it added to the group without taking anything away from Sanger and Stevie's friendship. The female friendship became no less important just because a guy entered the picture. I loved that.
I really enjoyed Stevie's voice and personality. She was a little naive in some areas but she stood up for what she believed in, and she did it fiercely. She was smart and snarky. I liked that she had diabetes and it was mentioned often, and she didn't always take the best care of herself, but it wasn't about her trying to accept a new diagnosis or trying to ignore it. She was a girl who had diabetes and she lived with it.
The book was about the three friends and their quest to complete Max's death list but it was also about acceptance, growing up, and not judging or categorizing people based on one or two things you might know about them. It made me laugh and tear up a few times but it also made me think. I liked a book that can do that.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
My favourite thing about the book was the friendship between Sanger and Stevie. It was just so much fun to read. These were two girls who would have each other's backs no matter what. There was no way anything would come between them. These were friends who would fight but there was always the feeling that they would make up in time. They supported each other even if they didn't agree or believe in the same ideals. It was just great.
The death list idea was really cool to read. A little strange, but cool. It lead to so many laugh out loud moments throughout the book. I love the developing friendship between Sanger, Stevie, and Max, and eventually the relationship between Stevie and Max. it added to the group without taking anything away from Sanger and Stevie's friendship. The female friendship became no less important just because a guy entered the picture. I loved that.
I really enjoyed Stevie's voice and personality. She was a little naive in some areas but she stood up for what she believed in, and she did it fiercely. She was smart and snarky. I liked that she had diabetes and it was mentioned often, and she didn't always take the best care of herself, but it wasn't about her trying to accept a new diagnosis or trying to ignore it. She was a girl who had diabetes and she lived with it.
The book was about the three friends and their quest to complete Max's death list but it was also about acceptance, growing up, and not judging or categorizing people based on one or two things you might know about them. It made me laugh and tear up a few times but it also made me think. I liked a book that can do that.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
espe's review
4.0
It was a good book. There just isn't much more to it. No deeper meaning or life changing experiences.
But I don't think that it has to do that. I enjoyed reading it and could relate to the caracters.
If you have spare time on your hand and want to take your mind off daily life, this is a great book for you!
But I don't think that it has to do that. I enjoyed reading it and could relate to the caracters.
If you have spare time on your hand and want to take your mind off daily life, this is a great book for you!
f1yh1gh's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Death of parent
inkyinsanity's review against another edition
3.0
This book features a homeschooled main character with type one diabetes. I’m a homeschool graduate with type one diabetes. Take that how you will. I talk about the diabetes portrayal extensively in the second half of this review.
I received an advanced review copy of this book for my birthday (thanks, Mom!). This does not affect my opinion or the integrity of my review.
Story rating: 4 out of 5 stars
The premise of this book is really cute and original. Best friends Stevie and Sanger meet a boy who, after almost dying, has decided to fake his death twenty-three different ways over the summer. (Is that cute or am I nuts? I can’t tell.)
The writing is super fun and engaging. I sped through this book and did not want to put it down. The writing isn’t particularly deep or anything, but it’s really entertaining.
The characters were awesome and all of them were well fleshed out. Stevie, the main character, was fun and likable; Sanger is my precious genius child whom I will protect with my life; Max was probably my least favorite, because he felt like he was supposed to be The Swoony Love Interest when he was only The Cute Love Interest, but he was still fun and wacky and really nice.
I loved the minor characters too! Joel was awesome. I would probably read a book just about him in college. Maribel was super sweet and funny and I wish she had gotten more page time. Stevie’s mom was actually around in the book (kind of a rarity in YA), and she was pretty cool. (Stevie’s dad...not so much.) I also really liked Jessica, even though she didn’t have many parts. They were important parts, and I just liked her a lot—especially at the end.
The romance was slow burn hate-to-like, which I love! It was really adorable, and Stevie and Max balanced each other out really well. But Stevie never let Max come between her and Sanger, which is even better.
The friendship between Stevie and Sanger is what really makes this book shine. Sisters before misters is really important to the girls, and they keep the promise. These two are best friend goals. Seriously. They love each other, they always try to be there for each other, and even though they sometimes make mistakes, they always apologize and make up.
The main theme was strong and important, but I didn’t find it preachy. It’s pretty obvious from the first page that while Stevie hates being judged, she’s always judging people. This hypocrisy was kind of annoying until she realizes what she’s doing, and she does her best to fix it.
There’s also the theme of being scared of death and change, but I thought the judging theme was handled better.
The portrayal of homeschooling in this book is gold. I was homeschooled my entire life until college, and I loved it, but so many people just don’t get it. Stevie spends the first ten pages hilariously debunking the socialization accusation so many people make. (BTW, if you accuse a kid to their face of not being socialized, it’s not the kid who has socialization issues. It’s you.)
A lot of the book is involved with co-op classes. I haven’t taken co-op in years, but I have friends who still go, and the author portrayed the classes really well. Same with the rest of Stevie’s education—it all felt real, and not like homeschoolers were being made fun of. You can definitely tell the author was homeschooled.
The only parts I didn’t like were practically everything to do with Stevie’s diabetes. The only thing I did like about it was that she had it, because this is the first book I have ever read where a character—let alone the main character—has type one diabetes.
Representation of type one diabetes rating: 1 out of 5 stars
First, although Stevie makes a few mentions to her glucose tablets and insulin, she never says she has diabetes, or even a chronic illness, until over a hundred pages into the book. You would think she’s a poster child for physical health. She rarely talks about feeling bad because of fluctuating blood sugars, and I think she talks about bolusing before eating once. She eats several times on page. This does not add up.
Second, when she does finally admit she’s diabetic, she doesn’t explain what it is. She never explains why it’s so irritating to have people tell you, “you can’t be diabetic, you’re not fat!” or, “you’re diabetic, so you can’t eat that.” She never explains why her blood sugar might do things for any reason besides she forgot to give insulin, or forgot to eat. These affect glucose levels, yes, but there are also so many more reasons that they can fluctuate! You expect me to believe Stevie’s stress levels had absolutely nothing to do with her going hyperglycemic? And how would a non-diabetic reader know that?
I really wish the author had given the same importance and portrayal of type one diabetes that she did to homeschooling.
Third, Stevie takes horrible care of herself. She rarely checks her blood sugar, she eats without covering for carbohydrates, she constantly forgets or outright abandons her supplies at home, and she jumps right into action without thinking once about her blood sugar.
There is one moment where she’s barefoot, steps on an earring, and continues running barefoot, literally daring the universe to make her step on another one. Excuse me? Diabetics take longer to heal and get infections easily because we’re immunocompromised. I’m speaking from experience here. This is encouraging REALLY BAD behavior and clueing no one in to how dangerous this is.
Is it really necessary for some of the first representation of type one diabetes in YA fiction to feature someone who couldn’t care less about her health?
Fourth, there’s one scene where Stevie talks about a “phase” she went through when she hated diabetes and wondered why her.
Where do I even start with this?
You start wondering why you when you get sick. You start hating diabetes when you realize it won’t go away. You hate it when you sit on the sidelines of a once-a-year event that you’ve practiced for ages to compete in but now can’t because you’re low. You wonder why you when you have to get up early but stay up until four am unless you don’t want to wake up again. You hate it when you’re hyperglycemic enough to hallucinate and you want to drink a river but water tastes like vomit.
That is not a phase. That’s life.
It doesn’t go away. You mature, you get over it, and when you have a bad day, that hatred and that why-you will come back. You cry, you yell, and you get over it again.
Number Five is kind of a spoiler for the climax. You have been warned. Stevie ends up in the hospital because she didn’t take care of herself, and she comes to a thematically-important realization after almost dying.
1, diabetics almost die pretty dang often. We carefully monitor ourselves to make sure that doesn’t happen, but sometimes it happens anyway. The human body is complex, confusing, and at times unpredictable. Why did she only realize this now?
2, Stevie’s parents start paying extra attention to her diabetes management after this, but I don’t think Stevie does. I’m pretty sure she continues pretending she’s not diabetic and refuses to care for herself without constant supervision. She’s not a child. This is ridiculous and she will end up right back in the hospital again, if she’s lucky.
Overall, I enjoyed it, and it had a terrific view of homeschooling. However, DO NOT read this expecting to learn about type one diabetes or what it’s like to live with it.
Edit: if you’re looking for a YA contemporary romance with good type one diabetes representation, I recommend [b:Let Me List the Ways|35820010|Let Me List the Ways|Sarah White|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1508293459l/35820010._SY75_.jpg|57321526] by Sarah White. It was a little slow for me, but the rep was spot on.
I received an advanced review copy of this book for my birthday (thanks, Mom!). This does not affect my opinion or the integrity of my review.
Story rating: 4 out of 5 stars
The premise of this book is really cute and original. Best friends Stevie and Sanger meet a boy who, after almost dying, has decided to fake his death twenty-three different ways over the summer. (Is that cute or am I nuts? I can’t tell.)
The writing is super fun and engaging. I sped through this book and did not want to put it down. The writing isn’t particularly deep or anything, but it’s really entertaining.
The characters were awesome and all of them were well fleshed out. Stevie, the main character, was fun and likable; Sanger is my precious genius child whom I will protect with my life; Max was probably my least favorite, because he felt like he was supposed to be The Swoony Love Interest when he was only The Cute Love Interest, but he was still fun and wacky and really nice.
I loved the minor characters too! Joel was awesome. I would probably read a book just about him in college. Maribel was super sweet and funny and I wish she had gotten more page time. Stevie’s mom was actually around in the book (kind of a rarity in YA), and she was pretty cool. (Stevie’s dad...not so much.) I also really liked Jessica, even though she didn’t have many parts. They were important parts, and I just liked her a lot—especially at the end.
The romance was slow burn hate-to-like, which I love! It was really adorable, and Stevie and Max balanced each other out really well. But Stevie never let Max come between her and Sanger, which is even better.
The friendship between Stevie and Sanger is what really makes this book shine. Sisters before misters is really important to the girls, and they keep the promise. These two are best friend goals. Seriously. They love each other, they always try to be there for each other, and even though they sometimes make mistakes, they always apologize and make up.
The main theme was strong and important, but I didn’t find it preachy. It’s pretty obvious from the first page that while Stevie hates being judged, she’s always judging people. This hypocrisy was kind of annoying until she realizes what she’s doing, and she does her best to fix it.
There’s also the theme of being scared of death and change, but I thought the judging theme was handled better.
The portrayal of homeschooling in this book is gold. I was homeschooled my entire life until college, and I loved it, but so many people just don’t get it. Stevie spends the first ten pages hilariously debunking the socialization accusation so many people make. (BTW, if you accuse a kid to their face of not being socialized, it’s not the kid who has socialization issues. It’s you.)
A lot of the book is involved with co-op classes. I haven’t taken co-op in years, but I have friends who still go, and the author portrayed the classes really well. Same with the rest of Stevie’s education—it all felt real, and not like homeschoolers were being made fun of. You can definitely tell the author was homeschooled.
The only parts I didn’t like were practically everything to do with Stevie’s diabetes. The only thing I did like about it was that she had it, because this is the first book I have ever read where a character—let alone the main character—has type one diabetes.
Representation of type one diabetes rating: 1 out of 5 stars
First, although Stevie makes a few mentions to her glucose tablets and insulin, she never says she has diabetes, or even a chronic illness, until over a hundred pages into the book. You would think she’s a poster child for physical health. She rarely talks about feeling bad because of fluctuating blood sugars, and I think she talks about bolusing before eating once. She eats several times on page. This does not add up.
Second, when she does finally admit she’s diabetic, she doesn’t explain what it is. She never explains why it’s so irritating to have people tell you, “you can’t be diabetic, you’re not fat!” or, “you’re diabetic, so you can’t eat that.” She never explains why her blood sugar might do things for any reason besides she forgot to give insulin, or forgot to eat. These affect glucose levels, yes, but there are also so many more reasons that they can fluctuate! You expect me to believe Stevie’s stress levels had absolutely nothing to do with her going hyperglycemic? And how would a non-diabetic reader know that?
I really wish the author had given the same importance and portrayal of type one diabetes that she did to homeschooling.
Third, Stevie takes horrible care of herself. She rarely checks her blood sugar, she eats without covering for carbohydrates, she constantly forgets or outright abandons her supplies at home, and she jumps right into action without thinking once about her blood sugar.
There is one moment where she’s barefoot, steps on an earring, and continues running barefoot, literally daring the universe to make her step on another one. Excuse me? Diabetics take longer to heal and get infections easily because we’re immunocompromised. I’m speaking from experience here. This is encouraging REALLY BAD behavior and clueing no one in to how dangerous this is.
Is it really necessary for some of the first representation of type one diabetes in YA fiction to feature someone who couldn’t care less about her health?
Fourth, there’s one scene where Stevie talks about a “phase” she went through when she hated diabetes and wondered why her.
Where do I even start with this?
You start wondering why you when you get sick. You start hating diabetes when you realize it won’t go away. You hate it when you sit on the sidelines of a once-a-year event that you’ve practiced for ages to compete in but now can’t because you’re low. You wonder why you when you have to get up early but stay up until four am unless you don’t want to wake up again. You hate it when you’re hyperglycemic enough to hallucinate and you want to drink a river but water tastes like vomit.
That is not a phase. That’s life.
It doesn’t go away. You mature, you get over it, and when you have a bad day, that hatred and that why-you will come back. You cry, you yell, and you get over it again.
Number Five is kind of a spoiler for the climax. You have been warned. Stevie ends up in the hospital because she didn’t take care of herself, and she comes to a thematically-important realization after almost dying.
1, diabetics almost die pretty dang often. We carefully monitor ourselves to make sure that doesn’t happen, but sometimes it happens anyway. The human body is complex, confusing, and at times unpredictable. Why did she only realize this now?
2, Stevie’s parents start paying extra attention to her diabetes management after this, but I don’t think Stevie does. I’m pretty sure she continues pretending she’s not diabetic and refuses to care for herself without constant supervision. She’s not a child. This is ridiculous and she will end up right back in the hospital again, if she’s lucky.
Overall, I enjoyed it, and it had a terrific view of homeschooling. However, DO NOT read this expecting to learn about type one diabetes or what it’s like to live with it.
Edit: if you’re looking for a YA contemporary romance with good type one diabetes representation, I recommend [b:Let Me List the Ways|35820010|Let Me List the Ways|Sarah White|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1508293459l/35820010._SY75_.jpg|57321526] by Sarah White. It was a little slow for me, but the rep was spot on.
madsanne's review
4.0
okay, this is the greatest representation of homeschoolers i have ever seen. obviously, there are plenty of cliches about being homeschooled—as represented in the beginning of the book—but literally NONE of us, my self included, are like that (unless you're in a cult, which is chill too).