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jenmangler's review against another edition
2.0
Too. Much. Quirk. The quirky names the family has for everything got to me so much that I couldn't enjoy the book. I love the idea of a big, multicultural, blended family, but my god, does everything and everyone need a twee name? No. Does every possible alternative lifestyle choice need to be employed by one family? No. It just all gets to be too much.
On a serious note, Brian makes it very clear which pronouns he prefers. Why does everyone respect his choice for name but keep referring to him as a "her"? That is not okay and I cannot for the life of me understand why Donoghue makes that decision for her characters.
On a serious note, Brian makes it very clear which pronouns he prefers. Why does everyone respect his choice for name but keep referring to him as a "her"? That is not okay and I cannot for the life of me understand why Donoghue makes that decision for her characters.
kansas_b's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
protoman21's review against another edition
3.0
Although the chaos of the family was part of the story, it made it almost unreadable at times. I feel like the story would have been stronger with fewer characters to deal with.
dancinrio's review against another edition
3.0
I started off feeling that this book was too earnest in its quest for diversity but it settled into quite a nice, character driven, family story.
I join other reviewers in wondering what the deal is with Brian's pronouns and would have hoped for better.
I had a little cry at the end but am not sure I'll rush for the sequel.
I join other reviewers in wondering what the deal is with Brian's pronouns and would have hoped for better.
I had a little cry at the end but am not sure I'll rush for the sequel.
sparklethenpop's review against another edition
3.0
This book took me a while to really get into with all the characters and made-up names for things but then I was hooked.
I also wasn't sure what the author had in mind for the character of Briar/Brian. At first it seemed as though the character was supposed to be transgender but was being misgendered throughout the book. However, at the end (as in the last page) it seemed as though the author meant for the character to be gender fluid. This caused some frustration and confusion for me as the reader.
All that being said, I think that kids who love family stories and ones who love rereading books will have fun with this one.
I also wasn't sure what the author had in mind for the character of Briar/Brian. At first it seemed as though the character was supposed to be transgender but was being misgendered throughout the book. However, at the end (as in the last page) it seemed as though the author meant for the character to be gender fluid. This caused some frustration and confusion for me as the reader.
All that being said, I think that kids who love family stories and ones who love rereading books will have fun with this one.
alix_n's review against another edition
3.0
J'ai beaucoup apprécié l'histoire en général, particulièrement le fait que le personnage principal de l'histoire possède plusieurs failles et soit amené à les admettre au cours de l'histoire. Un beau récit sur l'ouverture et la tolérance.
Mon seul bémol se situe au niveau du personnage du petit frère transgenre du personnage principal. Je ne sais pas si c'est une gaffe de traduction ou si c'était présent dans l'oeuvre originale, mais le narrateur utilise constamment le pronom du sexe assigné à la naissance de cet enfant plutôt que le genre auquel il s'identifie. Pour un livre très inclusif, traitant entre autres d'homoparentalité, j'ai trouvé ce point très maladroit et un peu irritant.
Mon seul bémol se situe au niveau du personnage du petit frère transgenre du personnage principal. Je ne sais pas si c'est une gaffe de traduction ou si c'était présent dans l'oeuvre originale, mais le narrateur utilise constamment le pronom du sexe assigné à la naissance de cet enfant plutôt que le genre auquel il s'identifie. Pour un livre très inclusif, traitant entre autres d'homoparentalité, j'ai trouvé ce point très maladroit et un peu irritant.
deadgoodbooks's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
hellastrong's review against another edition
1.0
How much did I hate this book? Let me count the ways.
1. Brian does. not. identify. as. a. girl. Sweet baby f***ing jesus, would everyone PLEASE stop referring to Brian as “she.” Sumac justifies this by simpering something weaksauce about how Brian has never said he’s a boy. Okay, but SO. WHAT. Brian may not know yet what Brian is, but Brian is damn sure he’s not a girl. Brian spends pretty much every scene he’s in raging that he is NOT A GIRL. So stop calling him “her.”
Also, on this note: Brian’s language skills are pretty lacking. I think it’s safe to assume that a child who hasn’t mastered the phrase “lost and found” isn’t going to sit the family down and say “Hey, I’m not comfortable with the pronouns ‘she’ and ‘her.’ I’d like to use the pronouns ‘he’ and ‘him,’ or perhaps ‘they’ and ‘them.’ Mmmmkay?” So how about someone help Brian figure things out a little bit here.
2. For that matter, why don’t they just make up a term and some pronouns for Brian? God knows everything else in the book has a twee AF made-up name. Seriously, I was ready to throw something at these people. We don’t have a kitchen; we have the Mess! We don’t have a back porch; it’s the Derriere! Is this a spare ROOM? No! It’s the Spare Oom!! Please, kill me now. And the One-to-One Lottafun? [runs screaming]
3. Speaking of the One-to-One … where is the actual parenting in this book? Sumac is left to just fend for herself, practically and emotionally, through this whole story. Despite an abundance of supposed parents in the house, no one ever sits down with her to explain why she needed to move to a different room or helps her navigate how she feels about having a grumpy, racist, homophobic, judgmental d*** displace her. There are lots of expeditions and learning activities in this book, but there’s absolutely no guidance given to the children in the house about how to handle their emotions or, y’know, cope in the world.
Then there’s the scene where both of the moms gang up on Sumac and tell her she needs to be her grandfather’s “guide.” None of the adults in the house are doing a good job with this transition, so hey, let’s dump it on a 9-year-old. And Sumac very wisely realizes that “if she lets out even half of what she’s thinking, CardaMom’s brown eyes will fill with disappointment.”
THAT IS NOT PARENTING. THAT IS MANIPULATING AND BULLYING. Please, Emma Donoghue, please do not continue to write children’s books. Children do not need to hear that they need to be perfect or they will disappoint their parents.
4. And oh hey speaking of parenting, how about preparing these children for, y’know, anything after they leave home? The apparently joint decision to not facilitate Sic’s transition to adulthood—and to delay it, if possible—was just maddening. At some point, no matter how much they won in the lottery, that money IS going to run out. Especially given that there are at least a couple children in this house who are, from the sound of it, going to need lifelong assistance. At least some of these kids need to have some sort of life skills or preparation so that they can move out and live their own lives, but that is sooooo not happening in this house.
5. Finally, despite all their “we’re so diverse and open-minded” BS, this family is actually not at all accepting of others. They’re pretty dickish about anyone who makes different choices. I mean, “The Lotterys are way too green to have a car, because it messes up the planet.” So, you’re just gonna teach your kids that everyone who owns or drives a car doesn’t give a crap about the planet? That’s going to go over well when they eventually leave the nest. Or how about the neighbors, who the whole family makes snarky comments about and whose car they mock because … it’s brown? What a bunch of twats.
Zero stars. Please don’t read this book to kids.
1. Brian does. not. identify. as. a. girl. Sweet baby f***ing jesus, would everyone PLEASE stop referring to Brian as “she.” Sumac justifies this by simpering something weaksauce about how Brian has never said he’s a boy. Okay, but SO. WHAT. Brian may not know yet what Brian is, but Brian is damn sure he’s not a girl. Brian spends pretty much every scene he’s in raging that he is NOT A GIRL. So stop calling him “her.”
Also, on this note: Brian’s language skills are pretty lacking. I think it’s safe to assume that a child who hasn’t mastered the phrase “lost and found” isn’t going to sit the family down and say “Hey, I’m not comfortable with the pronouns ‘she’ and ‘her.’ I’d like to use the pronouns ‘he’ and ‘him,’ or perhaps ‘they’ and ‘them.’ Mmmmkay?” So how about someone help Brian figure things out a little bit here.
2. For that matter, why don’t they just make up a term and some pronouns for Brian? God knows everything else in the book has a twee AF made-up name. Seriously, I was ready to throw something at these people. We don’t have a kitchen; we have the Mess! We don’t have a back porch; it’s the Derriere! Is this a spare ROOM? No! It’s the Spare Oom!! Please, kill me now. And the One-to-One Lottafun? [runs screaming]
3. Speaking of the One-to-One … where is the actual parenting in this book? Sumac is left to just fend for herself, practically and emotionally, through this whole story. Despite an abundance of supposed parents in the house, no one ever sits down with her to explain why she needed to move to a different room or helps her navigate how she feels about having a grumpy, racist, homophobic, judgmental d*** displace her. There are lots of expeditions and learning activities in this book, but there’s absolutely no guidance given to the children in the house about how to handle their emotions or, y’know, cope in the world.
Then there’s the scene where both of the moms gang up on Sumac and tell her she needs to be her grandfather’s “guide.” None of the adults in the house are doing a good job with this transition, so hey, let’s dump it on a 9-year-old. And Sumac very wisely realizes that “if she lets out even half of what she’s thinking, CardaMom’s brown eyes will fill with disappointment.”
THAT IS NOT PARENTING. THAT IS MANIPULATING AND BULLYING. Please, Emma Donoghue, please do not continue to write children’s books. Children do not need to hear that they need to be perfect or they will disappoint their parents.
4. And oh hey speaking of parenting, how about preparing these children for, y’know, anything after they leave home? The apparently joint decision to not facilitate Sic’s transition to adulthood—and to delay it, if possible—was just maddening. At some point, no matter how much they won in the lottery, that money IS going to run out. Especially given that there are at least a couple children in this house who are, from the sound of it, going to need lifelong assistance. At least some of these kids need to have some sort of life skills or preparation so that they can move out and live their own lives, but that is sooooo not happening in this house.
5. Finally, despite all their “we’re so diverse and open-minded” BS, this family is actually not at all accepting of others. They’re pretty dickish about anyone who makes different choices. I mean, “The Lotterys are way too green to have a car, because it messes up the planet.” So, you’re just gonna teach your kids that everyone who owns or drives a car doesn’t give a crap about the planet? That’s going to go over well when they eventually leave the nest. Or how about the neighbors, who the whole family makes snarky comments about and whose car they mock because … it’s brown? What a bunch of twats.
Zero stars. Please don’t read this book to kids.
lyrareadsbooks's review against another edition
3.0
A 9-12 year old kid might enjoy this book, but as an adult, I found it overstuffed with characters who didn’t have enough distinction among them. I wanted to like this book more. Kids holding a physical book or who are fast readers might be better able to keep the characters straight. This book does a terrific job of celebrating all kids of diversity in family structure, lifestyle, race, age, and a few others that it is worth a read, but there are other books that narrow their focus and achieve greater empathy than this kitchen sink approach.
lisalikesdogs's review against another edition
4.0
Cute, and I liked all the different family dynamics it looked at and how it talked about emotions. I wish there had been a little bit more going on with how to handle feelings, but it was a kids book so it's hard to up that in a manageable way.