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erinsbookshelves's review
emotional
inspiring
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? It's complicated
3.75
mariahistryingtoread's review
3.0
The main problem with Just Right Jillian is that it peaks thematically at the 40% mark.
The Mindbender academic competition has three rounds spread across a few weeks meaning that once Jillian speaks up in the first round she's already fulfilled the central thesis of the book. After that while a few events do occur I no longer was invested because winning the Mindbender didn't particularly matter; the whole point was simply for Jillian to speak up, not to win.
It would have been better if the Mindbender was a single day tournament Jillian was building towards at the end or if she was somehow secretly participating and the conflict was about her revealing herself as the contestant.
Or better yet change some of the details around to make it more significant for Jillian to win the whole thing: maybe she's the first Black girl to do it, maybe her late grandmother won when she was Jillian's age, or her mother's bad lupus spell in the last quarter could have been moved up to the first instead so Jillian is desperate to make her proud. Literally anything that would have kept the stakes high.
Rashida turning out to actually be nice is a decent lesson about passing judgment without all the facts, but Jillian desperately needed a proper rival to bounce off of or stand up to. William is decent for awhile except the author bizarrely chooses to have him make a heel face turn to be supportive of Jillian at 90% with literally no indication of why he does this.
I hate the whole 'you never know what another person is going through so choose kindness' rhetoric pushed on kids who are being bullied so I was particularly displeased that Jillian abruptly forgave him. Especially when we never found out what his problem was and he never apologized.
Jillian's friend Marquez is having some issues with his father not allowing his mother to properly move on after their divorce which I feel needed more fleshing out. I feel it was way too serious a topic to be operating so totally in the background given the nature of what his father was doing ie. (to me) it sounds a lot like emotional abuse.
After the 40% mark the story is still solid, but it loses a lot of verve.
On the positive side, Jillian is a pitch perfect depiction of anxiety in a young Black girl. I say that, as a young Black woman who still struggles to this day with speaking my mind for similar reasons as Jillian’s. In that regard the book is fantastic. I love the honest look at how debilitating anxiety can be. People always say 'just speak up' but they don't really understand how impossible that really is - the mental roadblock feels physically incapacitating.
And I really appreciated how Collier makes it a point to dismantle the idea that being a good girl equals being a quiet one. Good is about actions not a state of being. As someone who has definitely internalized that kind of messaging I love that we are trying hard to push back against it in much of todays’ media. Especially since Black girls are demonized more for speaking up which reinforces white supremacist rhetoric that Black women are loud, obnoxious, etc. It’s powerful when a white woman does it, it’s a problem when a Black one does. Her father apologizing for unintentionally supporting this narrative in the past was a nice moment of reflection from an adult - and therefore authoritative - perspective.
The book is good, I just feel that with a few minor tweaks it could have been better. I think it’s missing out on fun as it mostly plays everything straight in a way that feels too after school special when all is said and done. I have an unabashed love for earnestness in my (relatively) old age, but for some kids I could definitely see them getting bored by how dramatic everything is and how little 'stuff' happens. The whole book is extremely limited in scope to its detriment. Jillian only ever travels from school back home. I would have loved seeing her on a field trip or helping Marquez get out of the house or going to Rashida’s. Taking the characters out of the school setting even briefly would have made the whole book more entertaining.
Still, I know I would have liked it as a kid so there is certainly a market for it. And I’d recommend it on the basis that the good far outweighs the bad.
*Also, this is a nitpick and has nothing to do with the author (I don't think, correct me if I'm wrong about how much influence an author has in this situation), but there's an important plot point about Jillian getting glasses yet the cover doesn't include her in glasses.*
The Mindbender academic competition has three rounds spread across a few weeks meaning that once Jillian speaks up in the first round she's already fulfilled the central thesis of the book. After that while a few events do occur I no longer was invested because winning the Mindbender didn't particularly matter; the whole point was simply for Jillian to speak up, not to win.
It would have been better if the Mindbender was a single day tournament Jillian was building towards at the end or if she was somehow secretly participating and the conflict was about her revealing herself as the contestant.
Or better yet change some of the details around to make it more significant for Jillian to win the whole thing: maybe she's the first Black girl to do it, maybe her late grandmother won when she was Jillian's age, or her mother's bad lupus spell in the last quarter could have been moved up to the first instead so Jillian is desperate to make her proud. Literally anything that would have kept the stakes high.
Rashida turning out to actually be nice is a decent lesson about passing judgment without all the facts, but Jillian desperately needed a proper rival to bounce off of or stand up to. William is decent for awhile except the author bizarrely chooses to have him make a heel face turn to be supportive of Jillian at 90% with literally no indication of why he does this.
I hate the whole 'you never know what another person is going through so choose kindness' rhetoric pushed on kids who are being bullied so I was particularly displeased that Jillian abruptly forgave him. Especially when we never found out what his problem was and he never apologized.
Jillian's friend Marquez is having some issues with his father not allowing his mother to properly move on after their divorce which I feel needed more fleshing out. I feel it was way too serious a topic to be operating so totally in the background given the nature of what his father was doing ie. (to me) it sounds a lot like emotional abuse.
After the 40% mark the story is still solid, but it loses a lot of verve.
On the positive side, Jillian is a pitch perfect depiction of anxiety in a young Black girl. I say that, as a young Black woman who still struggles to this day with speaking my mind for similar reasons as Jillian’s. In that regard the book is fantastic. I love the honest look at how debilitating anxiety can be. People always say 'just speak up' but they don't really understand how impossible that really is - the mental roadblock feels physically incapacitating.
And I really appreciated how Collier makes it a point to dismantle the idea that being a good girl equals being a quiet one. Good is about actions not a state of being. As someone who has definitely internalized that kind of messaging I love that we are trying hard to push back against it in much of todays’ media. Especially since Black girls are demonized more for speaking up which reinforces white supremacist rhetoric that Black women are loud, obnoxious, etc. It’s powerful when a white woman does it, it’s a problem when a Black one does. Her father apologizing for unintentionally supporting this narrative in the past was a nice moment of reflection from an adult - and therefore authoritative - perspective.
The book is good, I just feel that with a few minor tweaks it could have been better. I think it’s missing out on fun as it mostly plays everything straight in a way that feels too after school special when all is said and done. I have an unabashed love for earnestness in my (relatively) old age, but for some kids I could definitely see them getting bored by how dramatic everything is and how little 'stuff' happens. The whole book is extremely limited in scope to its detriment. Jillian only ever travels from school back home. I would have loved seeing her on a field trip or helping Marquez get out of the house or going to Rashida’s. Taking the characters out of the school setting even briefly would have made the whole book more entertaining.
Still, I know I would have liked it as a kid so there is certainly a market for it. And I’d recommend it on the basis that the good far outweighs the bad.
*Also, this is a nitpick and has nothing to do with the author (I don't think, correct me if I'm wrong about how much influence an author has in this situation), but there's an important plot point about Jillian getting glasses yet the cover doesn't include her in glasses.*
z_brarian's review
4.0
4.5 ⭐️
This book had JTRA! Just the right amount of hope, love, friendship and finding your voice. Jillian was adorable and you couldn’t help but root for her. Just like the chicks in the story, she was able to break out of her shell and learn to be just Jillian. I loved the parents and teachers relationship with Jillian and all the kids. They didn’t answer for the kids, they let them find their own way. Definitely one to add to my collection!
This book had JTRA! Just the right amount of hope, love, friendship and finding your voice. Jillian was adorable and you couldn’t help but root for her. Just like the chicks in the story, she was able to break out of her shell and learn to be just Jillian. I loved the parents and teachers relationship with Jillian and all the kids. They didn’t answer for the kids, they let them find their own way. Definitely one to add to my collection!
mrs_bookdragon's review
5.0
This was such a delightful read! I really connected with Jillian's need for perfection and the stress of always being right. The character growth in this book was really lovely and the chicks hatching was a great side story! Perfect read for young readers-and anyone else!
zbrarian's review
4.0
4.5 ⭐️
This book had JTRA! Just the right amount of hope, love, friendship and finding your voice. Jillian was adorable and you couldn’t help but root for her. Just like the chicks in the story, she was able to break out of her shell and learn to be just Jillian. I loved the parents and teachers relationship with Jillian and all the kids. They didn’t answer for the kids, they let them find their own way. Definitely one to add to my collection!
This book had JTRA! Just the right amount of hope, love, friendship and finding your voice. Jillian was adorable and you couldn’t help but root for her. Just like the chicks in the story, she was able to break out of her shell and learn to be just Jillian. I loved the parents and teachers relationship with Jillian and all the kids. They didn’t answer for the kids, they let them find their own way. Definitely one to add to my collection!
miszjeanie's review
4.0
Sweet young middle grade debut that elementary and middle schoolers alike will love. It started a bit slowly for me but Jillian really grew on me. I loved the parallels between the hatching chicks and Jilly bean coming out of her shell. It was also important to have a parent who’s dealing with chronic health issues but doing her best to be there for her kid. Overall, family, community, and using your voice come through loud and clear in this one!
emmalui's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
tabatha_shipley's review
4.0
What I Did Like:
-Jillian. She’s relatable, adorable, and totally realistic. Middle grade readers will relate to her struggles and root for her.
-Realistic goals. Jillian isn’t looking to win the Nobel Prize in fifth grade. Her goals are realistic and relatable. Her struggles are real.
-Friendship goals. I loved how this friend group formed naturally without struggle or force. I like how we started the book feeling isolated and developed into one of the group. It was comforting and beautiful.
Who Should Read This One:
-Middle grade readers! Teachers, this should be a staple in a classroom from 4th up to even 6th grade. The struggles will relate to what kids go through and the journey is inspiring.
My Rating: 4 Stars. This is a wonderful middle grade contemporary book.
For Full Review: https://tabathashipleybooks.com/2022/01/02/2022-book-review-just-right-jillian/
-Jillian. She’s relatable, adorable, and totally realistic. Middle grade readers will relate to her struggles and root for her.
-Realistic goals. Jillian isn’t looking to win the Nobel Prize in fifth grade. Her goals are realistic and relatable. Her struggles are real.
-Friendship goals. I loved how this friend group formed naturally without struggle or force. I like how we started the book feeling isolated and developed into one of the group. It was comforting and beautiful.
Who Should Read This One:
-Middle grade readers! Teachers, this should be a staple in a classroom from 4th up to even 6th grade. The struggles will relate to what kids go through and the journey is inspiring.
My Rating: 4 Stars. This is a wonderful middle grade contemporary book.
For Full Review: https://tabathashipleybooks.com/2022/01/02/2022-book-review-just-right-jillian/