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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
I read this on the recommendation of a friend and am so glad I did. What a wonderful, gripping and important story for kids in abuse situations to see that there is a way out, and also for kids who aren’t in that type of situation to help them better understand the feelings of those who have gone through it.
Jenn Reese managed to write a magical book that LISTENS to the reader. I hope it finds its way to the hands of all the readers, young and old and everything in between, who need exactly this book in order to heal.
A difficult subject tackled beautifully well. Magical realism, which I don’t typically jive with, done right. This book is just wonderful. The author’s note at the end shares that this is an own voices story, in that the author suffered abuse. Children need to know they are not alone in terrible situations and children that aren’t can learn empathy from reading stories like this. Such a great book.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse
A hopeful book about abuse, recovery, and unconditional love, featuring talking animal warriors and the dense Oregon forest. I appreciate so much that this book explores the emotional toll of abuse - not just violence, but the lasting repercussions of inconsistency, fear, and the confusion of loving someone who sometimes hurts you, or people you love.
This gorgeous story is a contemporary fantasy, in which the fantastical elements allow the reader to explore and come to terms with heartbreaking emotional realities. Featuring a magical card game, a sly talking fox, and a brave girl learning the true meaning of home, this is a perfect modern fairy tale for anyone seeking a light to guide them through dark forests of their own.
A tightly told story/metaphor about children learning to recognize abuse from their loved ones. The complicated duality of that relationship is finely wrought in this book for middle graders. The pacing was great, though Sam acts a little more desperately than perhaps would warrant from only being removed from her parents for three days, raking up the tension and tightening the relationship parallels. Completely enjoyable for an adult reader.
This book is beautiful. The game analogy for abuse is a creative and graspable way to present a tragic and horrifying situation. The hope that shines it's light through the book is palpable and lovely. While the girls are the center focus and their bravery can't be denied, the heroes are the Aunts, both Vicky, their father's sister who has grown and adapted from her clearly similar past to the girls, and her wife Hannah who is a tower of love and strength for them all. You can see the light for Caitlin and Sam because these women are showing them there is hope and another way to live and be.
This book dealt with a heavy subject - the impact of abuse, and being sent away to live with relatives because your own home isn't safe - but does it in such a gentle way that while the book brought tears to my eyes more than once, I never felt unsafe while reading it. Somehow, I was sure everything would work out by the end. The fantastical elements in the story allow the protagonist, Sam, to grow in the ways she needs to in order to better deal with the difficult real-world problems she is in the midst of experiencing. I also appreciate that Aunt Vicky has a wife - and I love the ways in which she gives Sam space while also making clear how much she cares.
This was quite a heavy, clever and interesting middle grade novel. This hit the topic of 2 young girls dealing with domestic abuse and the aftermath of it. This book also showed empathy, compassion and acceptance.