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mothradio's review against another edition
4.0
All the Answers is full of spunk and surprise. Ava, a middle schooler, finds a magic pencil that can answer any factual question she writes down with it. Really, what's not to love? I enjoyed the characters thoroughly and the secret behind the pencil's magic caught me off guard in the best way. This book also delves into anxiety in an identifiable way while maintaining the kind of spirited tone you might expect from a story about a wierd, wacky, magic pencil.
gabs_myfullbookshelf's review against another edition
3.0
Read more of my reviews on My Full Bookshelf
This was a cute little story about a girl whose pencil starts giving her answers to questions she has. Cute, but not much more than that. There were some issues that I had with the story; especially the explanation given at the end to this whole thing.
Ava is a character that I didn't like or dislike. She tended to worry too much about things; while she told Ava they should put a limit on the questions they asked the pencil, she tended to ask a lot of questions herself, and a lot of those questions could have been lumped together to avoid wasting the lead. However, I did like that her voice didn't seem too childish; I thought the author made her sound her age.
Her friend Sophie was just terrible. She was not too bright in the first place; if you find a magic pencil that answers all of life's questions, best not to advertise it to your whole class. And why blame Ava for your boy troubles when it was kind of your fault in the first place? I didn't like her at all.
The plot was definitely unique; I don't think I've ever read anything about all-knowing pencils before. I would have asked the pencil some better things; if it answers all factual questions, wouldn't that mean that it would answer questions like, "What is the cure for cancer," and things a lot less trivial then which boy likes you? But, hey, this is a middle grade book. So I'll let it pass.
I'm not really sure that the explanation given for why the pencil speaks makes much sense. I guess maybe I was looking for more of a scientific-sounding reason--something that could make me suspend disbelief and say, "okay, that's not possible but it sounds like it could be," (kind of like [b:Things Not Seen|542752|Things Not Seen (Things, #1)|Andrew Clements|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327910708s/542752.jpg|322502]) but what we got was a very strange and baffling answer. I don't know if I liked it all that much.
This wasn't one of my favorite books, but I think it will appeal to younger readers. It has a hint of whimsicality combined with realistic life, and the plot is fun. There's a few plot holes for older readers, though.
This was a cute little story about a girl whose pencil starts giving her answers to questions she has. Cute, but not much more than that. There were some issues that I had with the story; especially the explanation given at the end to this whole thing.
Ava is a character that I didn't like or dislike. She tended to worry too much about things; while she told Ava they should put a limit on the questions they asked the pencil, she tended to ask a lot of questions herself, and a lot of those questions could have been lumped together to avoid wasting the lead. However, I did like that her voice didn't seem too childish; I thought the author made her sound her age.
Her friend Sophie was just terrible. She was not too bright in the first place; if you find a magic pencil that answers all of life's questions, best not to advertise it to your whole class. And why blame Ava for your boy troubles when it was kind of your fault in the first place? I didn't like her at all.
The plot was definitely unique; I don't think I've ever read anything about all-knowing pencils before. I would have asked the pencil some better things; if it answers all factual questions, wouldn't that mean that it would answer questions like, "What is the cure for cancer," and things a lot less trivial then which boy likes you? But, hey, this is a middle grade book. So I'll let it pass.
I'm not really sure that the explanation given for why the pencil speaks makes much sense. I guess maybe I was looking for more of a scientific-sounding reason--something that could make me suspend disbelief and say, "okay, that's not possible but it sounds like it could be," (kind of like [b:Things Not Seen|542752|Things Not Seen (Things, #1)|Andrew Clements|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327910708s/542752.jpg|322502]) but what we got was a very strange and baffling answer. I don't know if I liked it all that much.
This wasn't one of my favorite books, but I think it will appeal to younger readers. It has a hint of whimsicality combined with realistic life, and the plot is fun. There's a few plot holes for older readers, though.
amandabock's review against another edition
3.0
This was an enjoyable, although flawed, quick read. The main character is engaging and anyone who knows anxiety will relate to her. I didn't like the explanation of the magic pencil- I would have preferred it to simply be magical without an explanation. The story is a bit too message-driven, and the metaphor of letting go is too literal. Nonetheless, I can definitely think of readers who will enjoy (and even love) it. The lack of complexity makes me think it's for younger readers (old 3rd to young 5th grades) than the ages of the characters (7th grade) would indicate.
librariann's review against another edition
4.0
A girl with a lot of anxiety gets a magic pencil that tells her the answers (just the facts, ma'am). Approachable magical realism for the middle grade set. Easy booktalker. Will buy, recommend.
kellerm's review against another edition
5.0
Good book -- more for middle school. Covers a lot: cancer, friends, relationships, grandparents, Alzheimer's, cheating, magic pen, fear, anxiety plus more. Main characters are in 7th grade.
readingthroughtheages's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. This book had me reeling a few times. This is a do not miss!
ljrinaldi's review
4.0
Not where you think it is going to go
This middle school book could have been about cheating with a magic pencil that had all the answers. But instead it goes in a different direction.
This book is full of love and a few surprises and I would highly recommend it.
This middle school book could have been about cheating with a magic pencil that had all the answers. But instead it goes in a different direction.
This book is full of love and a few surprises and I would highly recommend it.
tiffani_reads's review against another edition
5.0
I will admit, in the first few chapters of this book, I wasn’t hooked. But that definitely changed and I can safely say that I would highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone.
I have been wanting to read a book where the main character deals with anxiety for a while now because my anxiety has been bad lately and I needed to know that I wasn’t alone with my worries. This book fit the bill and was so much more than I could have expected. I will definitely be checking out more books by this author in the future.
I have been wanting to read a book where the main character deals with anxiety for a while now because my anxiety has been bad lately and I needed to know that I wasn’t alone with my worries. This book fit the bill and was so much more than I could have expected. I will definitely be checking out more books by this author in the future.
yapha's review against another edition
4.0
Ava is a worrier. Whatever the situation, she always assumes the worst will happen, and "What ifs" herself into a state of panic. She freezes up on tests even when she knows the information. When she finds a magic pencil that will answer almost any question she asks, she thinks that she has found the solution to her problem. Her best friend Sophie can't wait to use it to find out fun facts about their classmates, but Ava wants to use it to set her mind at ease about all of her constant worries. This works for a while, until the questions lead to more and more questions, some of which cannot be answered. Forced to face the unknown, Ava learns that having all the answers is not always what it seems. An excellent book, both humorous and poignant in turn, about facing your fears, and taking life's ups and downs in stride.
eARC received from publisher via NetGalley
eARC received from publisher via NetGalley
kaylacakerice27's review against another edition
4.0
I thought this was an amazing book- I finished it in three days time