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lizaroo71's review
3.0
Twelve-year old Maisie has her mind on ballet. She has spent her entire life preparing to audition for one of the elite schools. But, Maisie has torn her ACL and this has put a stop to her plans. When we meet her, Maisie is still grappling with her physical therapy and tapping down her feelings of jealousy towards her friends from the world of ballet that are now auditioning for the schools she wants to attend.
Maisie's mother and step-father make an effort to be supportive, but Maisie keeps her emotions bottled up and they aren't sure how to get her to open up.
This book is very insular and quiet. We get Maisie's daily life for a few days that takes course over a winter vacation (the family visits the places where her mother grew up as a member of the Makah nation). I liked that it allows the reader to get in Maisie's mind, but when Maisie finally has a meltdown of her emotions, it skips to four months later rather than guiding the reader through the mess of what all of those emotions look like.
This is one of a few books from the inprint Heartdrum which focuses on writers from native nations. The book is infused with history and traditions of Maisie's family and I loved that also. Her mother is a member of the Makah Nation and her late father is a member of Piscataway nation). We get a lot of the history of the people and how it links to the generations that follow. There are many notes in the back regarding Day's reason for selecting these nations.
Interestingly, I love this book cover and it is one of the reasons I wanted to read the book. But, I think the book cover belies the serious content of the book. The young girl on the cover appears much younger than twelve years old. Maisie is a complex character. I don't want kids to pass this one up because they may feel it reads too young for them just based on the cover. Am I making any sense?
I would like to read Day's first book. She is a solid writer that can write the emotions of a tween with grade and that's not easy to do.
Maisie's mother and step-father make an effort to be supportive, but Maisie keeps her emotions bottled up and they aren't sure how to get her to open up.
This book is very insular and quiet. We get Maisie's daily life for a few days that takes course over a winter vacation (the family visits the places where her mother grew up as a member of the Makah nation). I liked that it allows the reader to get in Maisie's mind, but when Maisie finally has a meltdown of her emotions, it skips to four months later rather than guiding the reader through the mess of what all of those emotions look like.
This is one of a few books from the inprint Heartdrum which focuses on writers from native nations. The book is infused with history and traditions of Maisie's family and I loved that also. Her mother is a member of the Makah Nation and her late father is a member of Piscataway nation). We get a lot of the history of the people and how it links to the generations that follow. There are many notes in the back regarding Day's reason for selecting these nations.
Interestingly, I love this book cover and it is one of the reasons I wanted to read the book. But, I think the book cover belies the serious content of the book. The young girl on the cover appears much younger than twelve years old. Maisie is a complex character. I don't want kids to pass this one up because they may feel it reads too young for them just based on the cover. Am I making any sense?
I would like to read Day's first book. She is a solid writer that can write the emotions of a tween with grade and that's not easy to do.
amandalorianxo's review
informative
reflective
slow-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? N/A
4.0
This middle grade novel that I discovered is one that I’m glad I found. I learned so much about Native American tribes particularly in the Pacific Northwest. Maisey reacts to being injured and unable to dance anymore. Christine Day highlights the reactions a typical middle schooler would feel when her friends are accomplishing these activities and she feels left behind. This isn’t a 100% perfect novel but it was does highlight a lot of history and how to deal with situations that doesn’t always go your way.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Grief and Death of parent
bookishnan's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bookenthusiast13's review
4.0
Great points about Native Americans. However, my favorite part was the emotion brought about with the possibility of grief over loosing something you love.
megpancoast's review
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
biblio_amy's review
5.0
Loved this. It's great to bring to light a young persons feelings of anxiety and depression while also incorporating ones heritage and how the struggle can help make one overcome many challenges.
cjmedinger's review
4.0
A good middle reader that deals with depression and disappointment and not fitting in
dswhite's review
4.0
I had trouble getting into this book at first but about 1/3 of the way through I started to enjoy it. Maisie was a great main character who you come to sympathize with it. All the adults in the book are descent people who care about Maisie. Maisie's ability to over come her injury and how it relates to her mom over coming her husband dying (Maisie's Dad) was very well done.
letterdee's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
4.5
I’m going to cry.