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3.43 AVERAGE
3.43 AVERAGE
3.5, rounded up. This is a very soft book. The colors and illustrations are sort of dreamlike in a way that suits Harriet's isolation. Chronic illness was handled with empathy.
Not a whole lot happens in this book, but I'd recommend it for people who liked the illustration style in Sheets.
Not a whole lot happens in this book, but I'd recommend it for people who liked the illustration style in Sheets.
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review!
Harriet is a young teen struggling to find a niche for herself as she copes with ongoing health issues and an unfamiliar city. We follow her in her first few weeks in her family's new (and possibly haunted?) apartment as she bonds with her kindly landlady and comes to terms with her own reality.
Searle's art is beautiful and there are lots of lovely little details (like her parents sharing a t-shirt across scenes, or the very nostalgic Lisa Frank-esque binders).
A heartwarming tale of a young person learning to express themselves through story.
Harriet is a young teen struggling to find a niche for herself as she copes with ongoing health issues and an unfamiliar city. We follow her in her first few weeks in her family's new (and possibly haunted?) apartment as she bonds with her kindly landlady and comes to terms with her own reality.
Searle's art is beautiful and there are lots of lovely little details (like her parents sharing a t-shirt across scenes, or the very nostalgic Lisa Frank-esque binders).
A heartwarming tale of a young person learning to express themselves through story.
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Incredibly charming, sweet, and emotional. Harriet is a lonely kid with a chronic illness that further alienates her from her peers. She is troubled and she isn't making the best choices, but that's what makes her feel real. This book touches on so many topics, including some very difficult ones, in subtle ways and I'm so glad kids have access to books like this.
I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Harriet just moved to a new place with her parents, and she doesn’t have any friends yet. Her parents work a lot, so she spends most of her time at home trying to amuse herself, or talking to her old neighbour downstairs, Pearl. She makes up stories and pretends that she has more friends than she does. She wonders if the floor upstairs is haunted by a ghost, and writes letters to it just in case it exists. Also, she has multiple sclerosis.
If you are looking for a quiet, quick read, then I definitely recommend this graphic novel.
Read my full review on my blog.
Harriet just moved to a new place with her parents, and she doesn’t have any friends yet. Her parents work a lot, so she spends most of her time at home trying to amuse herself, or talking to her old neighbour downstairs, Pearl. She makes up stories and pretends that she has more friends than she does. She wonders if the floor upstairs is haunted by a ghost, and writes letters to it just in case it exists. Also, she has multiple sclerosis.
If you are looking for a quiet, quick read, then I definitely recommend this graphic novel.
Read my full review on my blog.
This is a really beautiful comic about a young girl who has had to spend time recovering from complications of her chronic illness, and is struggling with her loneliness and worry about how she'll adjust to life in a new city, trying to make new friends. Searle spends very little time on the logistics of Harriet's MS and instead focuses on her emotions and her struggle to process; her parents want to help but work long hours and, as seemingly able-bodied people, cannot quite relate to her experience. The elderly landlord downstairs reaches out to Harriet by asking her help put together a photo album for her adult son, who had polio as a child, and by giving her books to read. Each character struggles to fully navigate their feelings and connect with Harriet, just as Harriet struggles to voice her own feelings in a productive way.
I liked the exploration of finding a strong creative outlet for Harriet's natural storytelling abilities. Harriet spends a lot of time alone with her own imagination, but can easily fall into the habit of trying see bad things in people. She's been hurt by kids she thought were her friends, and especially for a kid unable to engaged with others her own age, that pain is hard to bear. Searle beautifully crafts this dive into Harriet's emotions.
I liked the exploration of finding a strong creative outlet for Harriet's natural storytelling abilities. Harriet spends a lot of time alone with her own imagination, but can easily fall into the habit of trying see bad things in people. She's been hurt by kids she thought were her friends, and especially for a kid unable to engaged with others her own age, that pain is hard to bear. Searle beautifully crafts this dive into Harriet's emotions.
Moving away from home and starting a new school are big enough events, but Harriet also has something else to contend with: a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Dealing with her chronic illness, a scorching hot summer in Chicago, and longing for her friends from summer camp, there's a lot to discover for the titular character of Sincerely, Harriet.
Harriet's summer has been trying, what with moving to a new state, figuring out her feelings regarding her M.S. diagnosis and the symptoms, plus being mostly alone all day as her parents work hard at difficult and/or multiple jobs. Her imagination runs wild at times, making up stories about the mailman, the landlady/neighbor downstairs, and the possibilities of a haunted third floor.
Telling tall tales is something that might be familiar to middle grade readers. Harriet shares this trait with another Harriet in literature (Harriet the Spy). Fans of Louise Fitzhugh's novel may well find themselves entertained with this graphic novel. Harriet of Sincerely also finds comfort in writing, although her attempts are in postcards that include a fantasy life in Chicago and letters to a fictional version of her landlady Pearl's son, Nicholas.
The letters to Nicholas, Harriet's exploration of the third floor (where Nicholas stayed while ill and in quarantine), and some panels along the way help to tell a story of chronic illness across not only generations, but across race lines as well. Harriet is a young Latinx girl whose parents are taking her to the best doctors they can find. Nicholas is an African-American boy who grew up in the 1950's and contracted polio. There's more about what that might have been like, such as segregated medical care, in the author's note, but in the text itself there are glimpses of what Harriet and Nicholas have in common, such as the use of a wheelchair as necessary and isolation from friends/potential friends.
Reading the book was very pleasant. The writing flowed very well and kept my interest along the way. The emotional moments were conveyed, at times, fairly quickly and without as much discussion as I'd have liked, but they were still strong. Art wise, the look of the graphic novel was skillful and suited nicely to the narrative, although I thought that there were some issues pertaining to details that looked a bit off.
I'd recommend this book for people looking for stories about dealing with chronic illnesses as well as good stories involving figuring out one's place in a new neighborhood. Harriet had her difficulties, but I liked her, even when those around her were criticizing her exaggerations. Figuring out her feelings regarding her M.S., figuring out how to deal with friends that aren't replying to postcards, all of this figuring was intense, but her strength showed through. She's a good heroine that should have her story shared and enjoyed, hopefully by many age groups (it's that good).
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Quotes included are from an advanced reader copy and may not reflect the finalized copy.
Harriet's summer has been trying, what with moving to a new state, figuring out her feelings regarding her M.S. diagnosis and the symptoms, plus being mostly alone all day as her parents work hard at difficult and/or multiple jobs. Her imagination runs wild at times, making up stories about the mailman, the landlady/neighbor downstairs, and the possibilities of a haunted third floor.
Telling tall tales is something that might be familiar to middle grade readers. Harriet shares this trait with another Harriet in literature (Harriet the Spy). Fans of Louise Fitzhugh's novel may well find themselves entertained with this graphic novel. Harriet of Sincerely also finds comfort in writing, although her attempts are in postcards that include a fantasy life in Chicago and letters to a fictional version of her landlady Pearl's son, Nicholas.
The letters to Nicholas, Harriet's exploration of the third floor (where Nicholas stayed while ill and in quarantine), and some panels along the way help to tell a story of chronic illness across not only generations, but across race lines as well. Harriet is a young Latinx girl whose parents are taking her to the best doctors they can find. Nicholas is an African-American boy who grew up in the 1950's and contracted polio. There's more about what that might have been like, such as segregated medical care, in the author's note, but in the text itself there are glimpses of what Harriet and Nicholas have in common, such as the use of a wheelchair as necessary and isolation from friends/potential friends.
Reading the book was very pleasant. The writing flowed very well and kept my interest along the way. The emotional moments were conveyed, at times, fairly quickly and without as much discussion as I'd have liked, but they were still strong. Art wise, the look of the graphic novel was skillful and suited nicely to the narrative, although I thought that there were some issues pertaining to details that looked a bit off.
I'd recommend this book for people looking for stories about dealing with chronic illnesses as well as good stories involving figuring out one's place in a new neighborhood. Harriet had her difficulties, but I liked her, even when those around her were criticizing her exaggerations. Figuring out her feelings regarding her M.S., figuring out how to deal with friends that aren't replying to postcards, all of this figuring was intense, but her strength showed through. She's a good heroine that should have her story shared and enjoyed, hopefully by many age groups (it's that good).
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Quotes included are from an advanced reader copy and may not reflect the finalized copy.