Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca

11 reviews

bookbuyingwithkatie's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional sad fast-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? No

5.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

mattyb's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

kibbles15's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional informative inspiring reflective sad
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Beautiful and sad coming of age story. Highly recommend.


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

pika_chuu's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional reflective sad

4.0

I cried. Sooo sad my heart ached. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

amberinpieces's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

3.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

kayladaila's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

atamano's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional sad 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? Yes

4.5


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

library_kb's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

This is a book that made me tear up. It is about an Indian American girl in the 80s who is trying to navigate life between two cultures--her parents and their expectations and her friends and surroundings. She wants to become a doctor, but the one issue is that she cannot stand the sight of blood. Her mom is diagnosed with leukemia and has to go through treatments which don't work the way they are supposed to. This is an emotional book--it is short (209 pages) but it packs a punch. Definitely recommend for all kids 6th and up. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

puttingwingsonwords's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-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? No

5.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

mezzano's review

Go to review page

emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Red, White, and Whole written by Rjani LaRocca is a heart-breaking story written in lyric. This story is about Reha, an Indian-American student with immigrant parents, and her struggle to feel as though she belongs with the world around her. When her mother gets sick, Reha struggles to balance her life at home with her life at school.

The setting of this book is the United States in the 1980s, switching occasionally from Reha's past and present day. While there are plenty of music and MTV references, there also references to Indian mythology and other aspects of Reha's culture. The way the the book seamlessly travels between both aspects of Reha's identity builds a deep understanding of Reha's struggle to fit in for the reader. It is clear that she recognizes her family is different than her classmates' in a deeper way than the fact she is the only brown student at her school. 

Red, White, and Whole is an Own Voices novel written by an Indian-American author. It is evident the care LaRocca puts in her stories to create meaningful representation in the middle grade fiction genre. I enjoyed learning about Reha's culture: from the food she ate, the stories she was told, and how she celebrated Westernized holidays. This book is a must for any bookshelf or classroom library. 






Expand filter menu Content Warnings