Scan barcode
wishfulfillment's review against another edition
5.0
My reviews are posted here: http://wishfulfillmentsylwia.tumblr.com/post/136462877824/the-categorical-universe-of-candice-phee
(I received this book at BookCon 2014 for free for review.)
I. Does it represent/portray and do it well?
Grief and depression are handled well and possibly also the autism spectrum and traumatic brain injury. I thought that these intense topics were covered appropriately and I was impressed by the mixture of dark topics with an accessible narrative.
II. Does it teach me something or make me think?
It made me wonder a lot about how things were going to turn out, so in that way it was intellectually thrilling. I think it also teaches a bit about positivity, especially in how the topics of depression and bullying are addressed.
III. Does it perpetuate healthy ideals?
I think that it does, in terms of focusing on healing, health, and family. I loved the focus on positivity and fighting to overcome depression.
IV. How was the writing itself? (Style, plot, characters, ease of reading, pace, world-building.)
Candice herself is very likable and the narrative style is engaging, clever, emotionally moving, and funny! Before I even realized, I genuinely cared about this entire family and I appreciated how I got to know the parents very slowly throughout the book. They went from being pieces of Candice’s life to being people I cared about just for themselves and their own issues. The pacing was perfect, the plot felt well-planned, and in general I felt like I was reading a very professional work from page 1 to page 242. There are ample subplots of which the resolutions could have ruined the book, but each one was handled with care. I will definitely be reading more work by this author.
V. Did I enjoy reading it?
Absolutely! There is nothing to complain about in this work and I emotionally and intellectually enjoyed each page! I strongly recommend it!
(I received this book at BookCon 2014 for free for review.)
I. Does it represent/portray and do it well?
Grief and depression are handled well and possibly also the autism spectrum and traumatic brain injury. I thought that these intense topics were covered appropriately and I was impressed by the mixture of dark topics with an accessible narrative.
II. Does it teach me something or make me think?
It made me wonder a lot about how things were going to turn out, so in that way it was intellectually thrilling. I think it also teaches a bit about positivity, especially in how the topics of depression and bullying are addressed.
III. Does it perpetuate healthy ideals?
I think that it does, in terms of focusing on healing, health, and family. I loved the focus on positivity and fighting to overcome depression.
IV. How was the writing itself? (Style, plot, characters, ease of reading, pace, world-building.)
Candice herself is very likable and the narrative style is engaging, clever, emotionally moving, and funny! Before I even realized, I genuinely cared about this entire family and I appreciated how I got to know the parents very slowly throughout the book. They went from being pieces of Candice’s life to being people I cared about just for themselves and their own issues. The pacing was perfect, the plot felt well-planned, and in general I felt like I was reading a very professional work from page 1 to page 242. There are ample subplots of which the resolutions could have ruined the book, but each one was handled with care. I will definitely be reading more work by this author.
V. Did I enjoy reading it?
Absolutely! There is nothing to complain about in this work and I emotionally and intellectually enjoyed each page! I strongly recommend it!
kelleemoye's review against another edition
4.0
I do not know how I missed this book! Jonsberg has given us another book that will help readers build empathy for students around them that may be a bit different. Readers of Out of my Mind, Wonder, Rain Reign, and others will fall in love with Candice Phee.
Told as an Alphabet Autobiography, Candice goes letter by letter and shares about herself, her family, and her school life. Candice is unique and is proud of it and throughout the book we learn more about what makes her so special and also what has made her life so hard. By the end of the book, you will feel like you've known Candice forever and leaving her will be bittersweet.
Told as an Alphabet Autobiography, Candice goes letter by letter and shares about herself, her family, and her school life. Candice is unique and is proud of it and throughout the book we learn more about what makes her so special and also what has made her life so hard. By the end of the book, you will feel like you've known Candice forever and leaving her will be bittersweet.
alexandradk3's review against another edition
4.0
The story starts off as a school assignment, Candice's class is given the task to write an essay about something that happened to them in the past. Candice organizes her essay very neatly with chapters for each letter of the alphabet: A is for Assignment, B is for Birth, C is for Chaos, etc...
Read more of my review:
http://lifeonacanadianisland.blogspot.ca/2015/05/the-categorical-universe-of-candice.html
dolcezzina21's review against another edition
5.0
Wow, I fell in love with this book and the main character. Her voice makes this an exceptional read. Truly a special and unique experience. Written so well with great visuals and alternative ways to see and experience the world. From middle grade to adult, readers will hug this gem to their chests when they are through.
mindfullibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
Candice Phee is just as quirky as this book is, and I love them both. I really enjoyed the way the book was organized into chapters for Candice's alphabetical autobiography project - that was a first for me. The part that made me the happiest about this book, however, is how twice Candice is referred to as being autistic or on the spectrum and she just responds with "I'm me". That makes me so happy! Her parents are so imperfect and their emotions (and mother's depression) are so raw - that part of the story will hit home for many readers. In spite of that, there were so many parts of the book that made me laugh out loud - a great balance. I wouldn't say that this book is for every middle grade reader, and I would definitely trend older or least toward more mature readers with my recommendations simply due to the vocabulary and all of Douglas' talk of multiple dimensions and tesseracts. I believe the last time I even saw the word tesseract was when I read "A Wrinkle in Time" in 5th grade, and would definitely recommend this book fans of that series. Also recommended for anyone who loves stories about not fitting in and being true to oneself. This is a quick, very satisfying read. **Note: the only thing I did NOT like about this book is the use of the "R" word used multiple times by a classmate taunting Candice. While it is recognized in the story as being unkind, I'd prefer not to see the word in print.
heidimrogers's review against another edition
5.0
Oh man, I laughed! And I cried. If you loved Don Tillman (of The Rosie Project), you'll love Candice Phee.
librarydreams's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I found this book to be very interesting. The overall conceit of the book (the autobiographical alphabet essay) and the alphabetical chapter titles provided a solid structure. Candice’s efforts realistically ended in mishap, but in the good kind that still seems to work out. Unlike other books with autistic narrators, Candice’s lack of social skills makes her more endearing, rather than less relatable.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Mental illness
gabs_myfullbookshelf's review against another edition
3.0
Read more of my reviews at My Full Bookshelf Reviews
3.5 stars
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Candice Phee; even her name sounds adorably quirky. If I could only use two words to describe what I most liked about this book, they would be Candice Phee. Thank goodness I can use more than two words so I can describe to you why this character is so delightful.
First, Candice is different. She knows full well that she is different than her other classmates. However, she isn't moody or sad about being the odd one out, and she isn't completely without a care about it either. I had never read a book where a character approached not being like everyone else in the same way as Candice did.
Candice is insightful even when she is not trying to be. There were things that she said in the book that were rather profound, and yet she wasn't a 'wise old owl' sort of character. She was simply a girl with a unique view of the world.
Her life story is not necessarily a happy one. Her home life is less than ideal, and how she tries to go about fixing it is both funny and sad at the same time. Funny, because Candice's methods are unorthodox to say the least an sometimes go haywire, and sad because this little girl feels that her family is so dysfunctional that she has to take it upon herself to fix it.
What I did not like about the book was the way it was organized. Sometimes, books told in the forms of essays work. Sometimes, not so much. In this book, I believe that the story would have been better without it being told through Candice's ABC assignment. I felt that at times the story did not flow as well as it should have.
Still, Candice Phee stole my heart. The Categorical Universe of Candice Phee was a heartwarming middle grade read. It had some structure issues, but in the long run, the protagonist made this book worthwhile.
3.5 stars
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Candice Phee; even her name sounds adorably quirky. If I could only use two words to describe what I most liked about this book, they would be Candice Phee. Thank goodness I can use more than two words so I can describe to you why this character is so delightful.
First, Candice is different. She knows full well that she is different than her other classmates. However, she isn't moody or sad about being the odd one out, and she isn't completely without a care about it either. I had never read a book where a character approached not being like everyone else in the same way as Candice did.
Candice is insightful even when she is not trying to be. There were things that she said in the book that were rather profound, and yet she wasn't a 'wise old owl' sort of character. She was simply a girl with a unique view of the world.
Her life story is not necessarily a happy one. Her home life is less than ideal, and how she tries to go about fixing it is both funny and sad at the same time. Funny, because Candice's methods are unorthodox to say the least an sometimes go haywire, and sad because this little girl feels that her family is so dysfunctional that she has to take it upon herself to fix it.
What I did not like about the book was the way it was organized. Sometimes, books told in the forms of essays work. Sometimes, not so much. In this book, I believe that the story would have been better without it being told through Candice's ABC assignment. I felt that at times the story did not flow as well as it should have.
Still, Candice Phee stole my heart. The Categorical Universe of Candice Phee was a heartwarming middle grade read. It had some structure issues, but in the long run, the protagonist made this book worthwhile.
lovelyjanelle13's review against another edition
4.0
I picked this up at my local library for a quick read to help me get closer to this year’s goal, but I genuinely enjoyed the book. It’s nice to see representation in media, especially in stories geared towards younger kids. It’s definitely the type of book that as a kid I would’ve had a sticky note of words to look up as the main character’s favorite book is the dictionary. The author and the story are in Australia but even being an American I did not have any difficulty understanding any cultural differences. The characters were all incredibly realistic and interesting, I’d definitely recommend this book to pretty much anyone over the age of twelve.