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library_hungry's review against another edition
4.0
3.5, but I loved Lanesha so much I couldn't give it less than a four. A beautiful little story, more about living in the Ninth Ward than about the trauma of the storm itself. It's about the neighborhood, and the fear, and how she lived. Sweet and fine.
amylynn97's review against another edition
4.0
As a middle school teacher I am always interested in stories that might speak to my students, and where real events intersect with or inspire fiction.
Hurricane Katrina is still a haunting event for me-- I visited New Orleans a few years after the storm and saw the remnants of its wrath, still visible in the 9th Ward, so I was anxious to give this book a try. It immediately took me back to the abandoned, boarded up homes and the stories that locals shared of those datk days.
Setting aside the premise of the supernatural, it is still a powerful tale of a young girl who discovers herself and her strength in one of the most painful and devastating natural disasters in US History.
Hurricane Katrina is still a haunting event for me-- I visited New Orleans a few years after the storm and saw the remnants of its wrath, still visible in the 9th Ward, so I was anxious to give this book a try. It immediately took me back to the abandoned, boarded up homes and the stories that locals shared of those datk days.
Setting aside the premise of the supernatural, it is still a powerful tale of a young girl who discovers herself and her strength in one of the most painful and devastating natural disasters in US History.
ksgoetz's review against another edition
5.0
I was only 9 years old when Katrina hit, so I did not know much about it. Between descriotions of preparing for the worst, the rising floodwaters, and the ghosts that Lanesha sees, this book gave me chills and awakened me to the true tragedy of Katrina. In the wake of hurricanes experienced this year (2017), this book is particularly poignant. It is not often that a children's book makes me cry, but I was sobbing by the end of this.Themes of gratitide and pereverance run thick through this book.
libraryalissa's review against another edition
5.0
A new favorite. Starts quiet and slow, then soon becomes powerful and unputdownable. Perfect.
andeez's review against another edition
3.0
I love the idea of a fictionalized tale from the Ninth Ward, and maybe it's a bit tame on the social justice aspect because it's a middle grade novel. I read it more as an adventure tale than the historical fiction account I was looking for.
Ghosts play a role in the story, the main character has the "sight" to see them. I believe this is unnecessary to the story - but like I said, the author may have been going for a completely different vibe than I wanted to read.
Now I'm on the search for a middle grade book with a bit more realism from the Ninth Ward.
Ghosts play a role in the story, the main character has the "sight" to see them. I believe this is unnecessary to the story - but like I said, the author may have been going for a completely different vibe than I wanted to read.
Now I'm on the search for a middle grade book with a bit more realism from the Ninth Ward.
cbashore's review against another edition
5.0
I feel like this proves to me again that things become more real and thought provoking on page.
ssione55's review
4.0
A great book about hard things, following a brave little girl who can see ghosts, the wise woman who raised her, and an unexpected new friend experiencing Hurricane Katrina from their homes in the Ninth Ward.
jeninmotion's review
3.0
3.5 stars. The characters and writing are lyrical and shimmer with magical realism. But I also get that there's a certain un-realism in this and I get the criticism that it didn't quite gel, either. But it's not a bad book and I think it's important to write smart black girls fighting against issues that aren't racism or metaphorical racism. It's that odd in-between place where I liked the book but I don't know that I would tell people to rush out and get this, either.