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katykelly's review against another edition
4.0
Contemporary issues about sexuality, family and friendship.
This is rather sweet. It's a modern sort of theme, with questions that young people might wonder about or have experience with, and a protagonist (and his friends) who explore the genre for the reader with humour.
Archie's parents aren't living together. Things used to be good, now he's coping with them separated, hating each other, with a new sort of life. But if that wasn't hard enough, now there seems to be a secret they are keeping from him.
The reader is very likely to work out what is going on before Archie finds out. And even when he does, there's still an amount of naivete that will have in-the-know readers interested to see how he's going to try to reconcile his family issues, and those who are just as clueless intrigued as to what is going on and how he can fix things.
I was charmed, I must say, by a lot of this. Being a parent, and having a lot of empathy for Archie's, I liked seeing the 'behind the scenes' of Archie's mum and dad talking, seeing their perspectives of how to give their son some unexpected news.
Archie is part of a threesome that the reader can't help but warm to - the best friends trio of chalk and cheeses - a worrier and the smart one in charge.
Then there's the central premise when everyone heads to London, with the visual scenes of colour, of crowds, of more eccentric characters and, hopefully, a finale where Archie and his family manage to communicate, to remember their common ground and love for each other... will it all come together?
I've been deliberately vague to avoid spoilers. We have here a really sympathetic central character, though at times the worldy-wise reader will wonder what all the fuss is about. There are great friends around him, and a vibrant setting with a lot of quirkiness.
It's a feel-good story, that asks questions of the reader who doesn't already know the answers. It might inspire debate, research and thought. It feels contemporary and relevant, and introduces the themes in accessible and thoughtful ways.
One that parents and teachers might recommend to ages around 9-13.
With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.
This is rather sweet. It's a modern sort of theme, with questions that young people might wonder about or have experience with, and a protagonist (and his friends) who explore the genre for the reader with humour.
Archie's parents aren't living together. Things used to be good, now he's coping with them separated, hating each other, with a new sort of life. But if that wasn't hard enough, now there seems to be a secret they are keeping from him.
The reader is very likely to work out what is going on before Archie finds out. And even when he does, there's still an amount of naivete that will have in-the-know readers interested to see how he's going to try to reconcile his family issues, and those who are just as clueless intrigued as to what is going on and how he can fix things.
I was charmed, I must say, by a lot of this. Being a parent, and having a lot of empathy for Archie's, I liked seeing the 'behind the scenes' of Archie's mum and dad talking, seeing their perspectives of how to give their son some unexpected news.
Archie is part of a threesome that the reader can't help but warm to - the best friends trio of chalk and cheeses - a worrier and the smart one in charge.
Then there's the central premise when everyone heads to London, with the visual scenes of colour, of crowds, of more eccentric characters and, hopefully, a finale where Archie and his family manage to communicate, to remember their common ground and love for each other... will it all come together?
I've been deliberately vague to avoid spoilers. We have here a really sympathetic central character, though at times the worldy-wise reader will wonder what all the fuss is about. There are great friends around him, and a vibrant setting with a lot of quirkiness.
It's a feel-good story, that asks questions of the reader who doesn't already know the answers. It might inspire debate, research and thought. It feels contemporary and relevant, and introduces the themes in accessible and thoughtful ways.
One that parents and teachers might recommend to ages around 9-13.
With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.
emerentina's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
issie_emma's review against another edition
5.0
The perfect mix of realistic insight and feel good storyline - perfect for all children and adults
clairecreativecorner101's review against another edition
5.0
This book was just adorable with a lovely message, the pride scenes were just really fun and bright and colourful and the relationship between Archie and his dad was just adorable, a great book for kids to read and for young people who may be struggling with these kind of issues great message a lot of fun
lucy_books's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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? No
4.75
mcready_face's review against another edition
4.0
A thoughful and enjoyable adventure which tackles an important issue without being preachy. A difficult balance to achieve, but Ben has done it.
foreveralicexox's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
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? No
5.0
Just hadn't picked it up for such a while and too many books on the go, makes sense to soft DNF and start again later.
jujuvansunshine's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-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
pewterwolf's review against another edition
5.0
What a gloriously joyful read!
RTC but I adored this and, barring one or two small details, found this wonderful!
Review Taken from The Pewter Wolf Reads
***eProof given by UK publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review/reaction***
What a gloriously wonderful Middle Grade story! It was such a joy to read!
We had a story with Black lead characters, LGBT+ issues and characters with a lot of diversity (I have read several reviews from other reviewers saying some characters show signs of anxious and one character maybe being autistic). All of this being tackled beautifully for the target audience. Same with the issue of divorce and showing that adults/parents aren't perfect. Plus, this was funny. I chuckled multiply times while reading this because I got Archie's humour and I remember myself thinking exactly the same thing when I was younger.
Yes, there are one or two tiny niggles I had with this (it's me. Of course I spot things that niggle at me), but I get why these issues are in the story and written in the way it was. And yet, this book was a joy to read and these niggles didn't effect my reading.
I loved this book and can't wait to see what Benjamin Dean writes next!
RTC but I adored this and, barring one or two small details, found this wonderful!
Review Taken from The Pewter Wolf Reads
***eProof given by UK publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review/reaction***
What a gloriously wonderful Middle Grade story! It was such a joy to read!
We had a story with Black lead characters, LGBT+ issues and characters with a lot of diversity (I have read several reviews from other reviewers saying some characters show signs of anxious and one character maybe being autistic). All of this being tackled beautifully for the target audience. Same with the issue of divorce and showing that adults/parents aren't perfect. Plus, this was funny. I chuckled multiply times while reading this because I got Archie's humour and I remember myself thinking exactly the same thing when I was younger.
Yes, there are one or two tiny niggles I had with this (it's me. Of course I spot things that niggle at me), but I get why these issues are in the story and written in the way it was. And yet, this book was a joy to read and these niggles didn't effect my reading.
I loved this book and can't wait to see what Benjamin Dean writes next!