Scan barcode
manateemum's review against another edition
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
crystalmbookshelf83's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
cmw119's review against another edition
2.0
I'm usually a fan of Dear America but I slogged through this one. To be fair, I have no interest in the 1800s, or California mining towns. It wasn't awful, but I won't be reading it again.
peytonktracy's review against another edition
3.0
This was the first Dear America I have read in memory that I didn’t really like, to be honest. It incorporated elements like a ghost story and a murder mystery that didn’t translate as seamlessly into the format of the series as it might have. Also the “we all wear masks” them was pretty beaten in by the end. And it also felt really disjointed that at times it felt more childlike while also incorporating some pretty adult moments that just felt jarring to read. To its credit, it never lost a message of tolerance, of learning from and acknowledging mistakes when you are unlearning racist or classist or sexist views, and small moments of courage and how they can make a difference. It wasn’t my fave, but it was fun.
elllie's review against another edition
3.0
Not bad. While it was told in diary style, it didn't really feel like a diary, it felt like a full-blown first-person narrative. They are not specific about what happens in the dancing ladies house, so I think that'd kind of go over most kids' heads (but they'd get that it makes the ladies disreputable to the respectable ladies), but I think they do say "whore" at one point, making this a book you'd have to know the parents to feel like you can give it to the kids.
readlikefire's review
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
2.0
Reading this felt less like reading a diary and more like reading a middle-grade historical novel that had been written before someone at Scholastic told the author, "We could use it for our diary series if you do some editing" (and by "editing," I mean dates and "dear diary" statements). The story and the way this particular story is written feels more sensational than a diary should be, and that, for me, breaks the verisimilitude.
In short, this definitely wasn't one of me favorites in this series.
In short, this definitely wasn't one of me favorites in this series.