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mkmueller1989's review against another edition
5.0
*I won an advanced copy of Far From Fair in a Goodreads giveaway*
I was not expecting to enjoy a middle grade book so much, but I did. It's one that will stick with you, no matter what age you are.
Odette finds it unfair when her dad voluntarily takes a lay-off, which saves 3 others from losing their job. She starts to create a list of things that aren't fair. Among these are losing their house and having to live in an RV, named the coach; having to share a cellphone with everyone in her family; and leaving her school and friends for an adventure on the road.
Odette quickly realizes that her list of unfairness isn't comparable to many other things. She adds cancer and autism to the top of her list, which both affect family members very close to her.
In the end Odette's family comes together to decide what is best for their family. Odette and her brother, Rex, are finally able to help in making decisions and vote on what they want.
I highly recommend this book for any age of reader! Grab the tissues. It will have you in tears by the end!
I was not expecting to enjoy a middle grade book so much, but I did. It's one that will stick with you, no matter what age you are.
Odette finds it unfair when her dad voluntarily takes a lay-off, which saves 3 others from losing their job. She starts to create a list of things that aren't fair. Among these are losing their house and having to live in an RV, named the coach; having to share a cellphone with everyone in her family; and leaving her school and friends for an adventure on the road.
Odette quickly realizes that her list of unfairness isn't comparable to many other things. She adds cancer and autism to the top of her list, which both affect family members very close to her.
In the end Odette's family comes together to decide what is best for their family. Odette and her brother, Rex, are finally able to help in making decisions and vote on what they want.
I highly recommend this book for any age of reader! Grab the tissues. It will have you in tears by the end!
pandacat42's review against another edition
4.0
(I received an arc from Edelweiss and this was my honest review) I liked this book a lot. It's true that some things aren't fair. Maybe at times this fact just needs to be acknowledged. It's okay to hurt. It's okay to be sad about things not going our way. When someone we love is sick, when we don't live in the most ideal of situations. I liked that the main character was herself, that there isn't any preachiness from the author. The author lets you feel how you want about the situation.
blakehalsey's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely beautiful book and it goes on my list of wonderful middle grade reads that deal with really heavy stuff in such a sensitive and amazing way. Kids need those kind of books and this one is a definite must.
kristina_h's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to give this book more stars. I think Ms. Arnold was gutsy to write such a heavy plot for children. However, that's exactly why I couldn't rate it higher; as a mother, I feel the subject matter is too intense for its intended audience.
Aside from her strange affinity for zombies, I like the main character Odette. She is clearly on the precipice of becoming a teenager; nothing feels fair to her. And in all honesty, she has been thrown into a crappy situation, so you can't blame her for being miffed.
I understand death is a part of life and as we grow up we have to learn to come to terms with it, so I'm not opposed to that kind of subject matter playing a role in, children's literature. However, the portrayal of death in Far from Fair was particularly uncomfortable and hard to digest, even for a 35-year-old woman like me.
All in all the beautiful, fanciful cover art is misleading and I was left wishing there had been more excitement and wonder inside.
Aside from her strange affinity for zombies, I like the main character Odette. She is clearly on the precipice of becoming a teenager; nothing feels fair to her. And in all honesty, she has been thrown into a crappy situation, so you can't blame her for being miffed.
I understand death is a part of life and as we grow up we have to learn to come to terms with it, so I'm not opposed to that kind of subject matter playing a role in, children's literature. However, the portrayal of death in Far from Fair was particularly uncomfortable and hard to digest, even for a 35-year-old woman like me.
All in all the beautiful, fanciful cover art is misleading and I was left wishing there had been more excitement and wonder inside.
kspear22's review against another edition
4.0
* I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. *
The cover alone was enough to draw me in. The title is what really caught me, however.
I suppose to some, Odette's life would appear miserable, or eternally sad. But I found the real message to be hope. The decisions Odette makes stay true to her age, which will make it easy for readers to identify with her.
Like in every book with a message (or messages), I pray the readers identify them and use this to perhaps change their views and opinions of classmates in real life.
I'm sure that there will be some who will struggle with grandmother's decision, and maybe it will spark some controversy. I thought the handling of this topic was well-done, and hope others view this, too, as one person's decision that shouldn't influence another's choice.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story. To me, it represents what the title states: that life isn't fair. But how you handle the things thrown your way is more important than what the rest of the world sees and thinks.
The cover alone was enough to draw me in. The title is what really caught me, however.
I suppose to some, Odette's life would appear miserable, or eternally sad. But I found the real message to be hope. The decisions Odette makes stay true to her age, which will make it easy for readers to identify with her.
Like in every book with a message (or messages), I pray the readers identify them and use this to perhaps change their views and opinions of classmates in real life.
I'm sure that there will be some who will struggle with grandmother's decision, and maybe it will spark some controversy. I thought the handling of this topic was well-done, and hope others view this, too, as one person's decision that shouldn't influence another's choice.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story. To me, it represents what the title states: that life isn't fair. But how you handle the things thrown your way is more important than what the rest of the world sees and thinks.
nataliemix's review against another edition
4.0
This was a very quick and easy read, finished it in a couple of hours. Such a sweet, heartwarming story with a great perspective on life. It helped me realize how fortunate I am. I also think it was a very interesting prompt, something that would’ve been fun to write. Highly recommend.
liralen's review against another edition
3.0
Not a full review, just a couple of questions:
And...does the RV seem like overkill to anyone? Just...it sort of seems like they could have packed themselves into a car and spent a few days driving to Odette's grandmother's, maybe a bit longer if they wanted to camp and the like, rather than saying 'this is our new home! Get used to few possessions and no privacy!' I think the expectation is that they'll really live in the RV, but at the end of the day the family basically takes a summer trip before they decide where to move.
Spoiler
Do kids of that age (roughly twelve and eight) really need to know not only that their grandmother is dying but that she's decided on voluntary euthanasia? I guess I can see Odette being told, partly because she already seems pretty dialed in on what's going on in her family, but I'm sort of surprised that they didn't wait to tell Rex until he was older and could better understand.And...does the RV seem like overkill to anyone? Just...it sort of seems like they could have packed themselves into a car and spent a few days driving to Odette's grandmother's, maybe a bit longer if they wanted to camp and the like, rather than saying 'this is our new home! Get used to few possessions and no privacy!' I think the expectation is that they'll really live in the RV, but at the end of the day the family basically takes a summer trip before they decide where to move.
readingthroughtheages's review against another edition
4.0
This is going to be one of those books that is going to be just the book a reader needs at that particular time.
Make no mistake, this is also one of those books that while it has a cover that will appeal to young readers (8-10yos), it's also a book that covers a mature topic.
I really enjoyed this book, however, there is one small and absolutely insignificant scene that makes me unable to hand this book over to young readers.
Make no mistake, this is also one of those books that while it has a cover that will appeal to young readers (8-10yos), it's also a book that covers a mature topic.
I really enjoyed this book, however, there is one small and absolutely insignificant scene that makes me unable to hand this book over to young readers.
yapha's review against another edition
4.0
When Odette's father takes a voluntary layoff, the family sells their house and keep only what they can fit into an RV. Odette is miserable -- she has to leave all of friends, most of her belongings, and go on road sharing a single cell phone with her family. They are making their way from Southern California up the coast to Orcas Island in Washington, where Grandma Sissy is very sick. Along the way Odette has plenty of time to think about the friendships she left behind and what the future will bring to her family. When they do finally arrive, they find Grandma Sissy much sicker than expected and some hard decisions must be made. Odette realizes that while life is far from fair, certain things do have a way of working out. It's all in what you make of it. Recommended for grades 5 & up.
thepeachyhub's review against another edition
Here's the thing, I forgot what this book was about before I started reading it. Then I started the book and realised the protagonist was a whiny tween/teen protagonist, and reread the synopsis to see if that was necessary. Then I realise the book is about terminal illness and I'm physically not in the place to do that today lol. So, we move on.