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4.68 AVERAGE
4.68 AVERAGE
Listen to the audio! Bahni Turpin is at her best in this sweet, important children's book. It deals with sexual abuse, but in a way appropriate for children--not too much detail, but plenty of detail about how abuse causes problems later on. The therapy sessions alone (and the strategies Della learns) makes the read worth it. Put this on all the bibliotherapy lists!
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
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:
Complicated
emotional
hopeful
sad
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:
No
4.5 stars. This was a hard book to digest with topics like sexual abuse, suicide, foster care etc. But I also understand that this is an important book for the many children who have suffered these cruelties, and even for adults so we can help understand and support them. It’s an honest and hard book, and I can’t say my sheltered 10-year-old would do well reading it.
With no one really watching out for the minor daughters of a crack addicted mother, two sisters in East Tennessee end up living with the truck driving boyfriend of their newly convicted and imprisoned mom. The lack of oversight of the living conditions places the teenage sister in the position of being sexually assaulted on a regular basis in order to protect her younger sister. The crisis comes to a head with the older sister being able to snap a quick photo and the neighbor calling the police. Their assigned foster mother isn't the tough nut the sisters think she is. She's been around this wheelhouse before and knows the conflict each sister feels. Issue of sex abuse is portrayed through strong characters who need to find people to trust, and to allow for recovery. Timely. Highly recommended.
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Tricky to write a review for this. I think this is a really important book with a powerful message. It’s also a hard book to read because of the content (child sexual abuse, incarceration, attempted suicide, foster care). I think kids and adults need this book. I think we need to be talking about these things more. I am glad someone wrote this story and wrote it well.
It’s also only the tip of the iceberg and it’s also only a story. There were some things that seemed to get tied up neatly in the end (as it goes in middle grade books) and that rarely happens. But still, I’m giving this five stars because it’s absolutely worth the read.
It’s also only the tip of the iceberg and it’s also only a story. There were some things that seemed to get tied up neatly in the end (as it goes in middle grade books) and that rarely happens. But still, I’m giving this five stars because it’s absolutely worth the read.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt
Moderate: Child abuse