Reviews

Anthem by Deborah Wiles

librarydosebykristy's review against another edition

4.0

This was a great conclusion to an amazing trilogy. I listened to the audio and read the book together. I have to say that of the three, this one was my least favorite, but not because there was anything wrong with it. Rather, I just really loved the first two, particular the narration on the audio.

I love this approach to historical fiction, it feels completely immersive and you really get a sense of the time and place.

laelkins's review against another edition

4.0

I really love the way she sprinkles in primary sources between sections. And the voices of Molly and Norman are wonderful. Some (most?) of the encounters feel fantastical but taken altogether they give an authentic feel for the time period. I have really appreciated this trilogy. And it has gotten better with time...

dswhite's review against another edition

3.0

Not to the level of Countdown or Revolution

This book was okay but I did not like it as much as the other two books in the series.

gladysreads's review against another edition

5.0

one word groovy. but not gonna lie i cried. i honestly wish i could have experienced this...

sc104906's review against another edition

4.0

Guided by a musical backdrop, Molly and her cousin Norman travel from South Carolina to California to find Molly's older brother, Barry. After running away, Molly has not seen or heard from Barry. In fact, she has no idea where he is. Barry has been writing to Norman, who only knows that Barry is near San Fransisco, California. When Barry gets a draft notice, Molly's mom sends the cousins to go find Barry and bring him home. The two travel across the country in a school bus and meet a variety of hippies and historical icons.


I love how the author weaves important historical elements in with the narrative. Not only do hippies make an appearance, but the larger social context is addressed. There is talk of the civil rights movement, American labor activism, and the gay rights movement. I thought using the backdrop of music to further the story was interesting and now I have a whole slew of songs that I plan on listening to.  While the main characters in this book did appear in the previous books, they are not my favorites. Molly is a hard girl to like and Norman is just an average everyday guy. They both have journeys, which are compelling along the way. Since this is the final book in the series, it can solidly stand on the work that has come before it. I think everyone should read the entire series!

cinceredavis's review

returned the book to the library. not enough time to read before the end of the year.

rj_novotny's review

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

zilfworks's review

4.0

Picked up this Y/A book at a school book fair a few months ago, and liked it much better than expected. In the story, two cousins, ages 14 and 17, drive a school bus across the country in the summer of 1969, from Charleston, SC to San Francisico, in search of the 14-year-old's brother, who ran away from home a year earlier but who has now received a draft notice. The literal road trip very conveniently provides the spine of a more figurative road trip through almost every defining theme, event, and - in particular - musical genre of the day. (Sometimes the two teens' encounters are actually a bit too convenient, and the story teeters just over the edge of believability. But it's otherwise so captivating, I forgave that part.) The book (which I didn't realize until looking it up when I was already well into it) is part of a trilogy, and is clearly intended to be an engaging way for young teens who weren't around then to learn what the '60s were all about. And it does that well in all the ways you'd expect. But I think my favorite part of the story was that these two kids - ages 14 and 17 - were not only braving this cross-country, cross-cultural, cross-generational journey alone, and nervously but capably handing every situation by themselves...but they had actually been sent on the quest by their *mothers,* because they were considered the most capable, level-headed people in the family. I'm totally a sucker for stories that center the independence of their young heroes, and in which everyone in their world accepts that as well (instead of, for instance, seeing two young teens traveling alone in a school bus and having them arrested and sent home to mama, as would certainly happen today). To me, that was the most authentically 1960s thing about the book, and one of the things I miss most about the '60s and '70s.

hannahreadslotsofbooks's review against another edition

2.0

This book was disappointing to me. A lot of it seemed forced by having them pick up hitchhikers along the way and then they inexplicably leave when they haven’t reached their destination. I didn’t feel any connections with the characters and I feel like they flip flopped a lot on their feelings that were rushed through and didn’t make sense why they had the sudden change of heart. I didn’t see a whole lot of growth in the characters either and wasn’t a fan of all of the music references and how they had to take a side journey for all of the music options. Liked the other books in the trilogy, but this one was disappointing to end on.

lazygal's review against another edition

2.0

I didn't care about Molly or Norman and their read trip, and the insertion of the Allmans and other 1969 icons. The best part were the photos and quotes from the real actors during that time, and there is a great playlist at the start of each chapter (sadly, the songs mentioned don't seem to have much to do with the chapters themselves).

ARC provided by publisher.