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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
Redwood and Ponytail is a cute middle grade story about friendship, first love, and discovering who you are. It’s perfect for older elementary school kids and middle school students who want to feel seen and understood as they question their identity. This story captures the messiness of middle school crushes and friendships while also highlighting how good things can come out of that messiness.
I decided to listen to this one on Audible since Tessa Netting, one of my favorite YouTubers, was one of the narrators for this book. However, listening to this book as an audiobook was not the best choice and it hindered my enjoyment of the story. Books written in verse just don’t work very well as audiobooks. It didn’t have that same bouncy feeling that I get when I read physical books or ebooks written in verse. The main two narrators also had very similair sounding voices, so I kept getting confused who was narrating the different scenes. I definitely would’ve enjoyed this one a lot more if I’d read a physical copy.
This is a middle grade book, but I was still disappointed by how much this story lacked depth. There were so many deep conversations that could’ve been happening given the content matter of this story, but it felt like it didn’t take that plunge into having those deep conversations. I also didn’t feel connected to the characters. I definitely understood their middle school drama since I had drama in middle school as well, but I couldn’t bring myself to care too much for the characters.
One of my favorite parts about this book was how it dealt with the pressure that kids face from their parents. Kate has to deal with trying to be the perfect cheerleader that her mom wants her to be and she eventually comes to realize that maybe she doesn’t want to be what her mom expects of her. This whole topic could’ve been a little deeper, but I was surprised to find a middle grade novel that actually addresses this topic.
I overall enjoyed this book. It was far from perfect and it had a lot of room for improvement, but it was a light read with a strong message. I also sort of wish that I could shove this book into the faces of people who are trying to ban LGBTQ+ books in schools. This is the perfect example of an LGBTQ+ book with no adult scenes that could help kids feel like they’re not alone in the world.
I decided to listen to this one on Audible since Tessa Netting, one of my favorite YouTubers, was one of the narrators for this book. However, listening to this book as an audiobook was not the best choice and it hindered my enjoyment of the story. Books written in verse just don’t work very well as audiobooks. It didn’t have that same bouncy feeling that I get when I read physical books or ebooks written in verse. The main two narrators also had very similair sounding voices, so I kept getting confused who was narrating the different scenes. I definitely would’ve enjoyed this one a lot more if I’d read a physical copy.
This is a middle grade book, but I was still disappointed by how much this story lacked depth. There were so many deep conversations that could’ve been happening given the content matter of this story, but it felt like it didn’t take that plunge into having those deep conversations. I also didn’t feel connected to the characters. I definitely understood their middle school drama since I had drama in middle school as well, but I couldn’t bring myself to care too much for the characters.
One of my favorite parts about this book was how it dealt with the pressure that kids face from their parents. Kate has to deal with trying to be the perfect cheerleader that her mom wants her to be and she eventually comes to realize that maybe she doesn’t want to be what her mom expects of her. This whole topic could’ve been a little deeper, but I was surprised to find a middle grade novel that actually addresses this topic.
I overall enjoyed this book. It was far from perfect and it had a lot of room for improvement, but it was a light read with a strong message. I also sort of wish that I could shove this book into the faces of people who are trying to ban LGBTQ+ books in schools. This is the perfect example of an LGBTQ+ book with no adult scenes that could help kids feel like they’re not alone in the world.
While I loved the themes that this book uncovered and shared, I did not enjoy the writing. The poems were too elementary for me, and I wished some were more compex. Definitely a cute read!
Fast read because it was in verse. younger me would’ve enjoyed this even more.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
(From pgs 230-231)
Maybe one day
My boy-crazy switch
Will get flipped.
But right now
I stare,
Waiting for something,
anything,
to happen,
and
well
nothing does.
My switch seems....
permanently off.
I felt... called all the way out by that. I felt so seen, so... known. It was kinda uncomfortable, tbh. I had an almost identical experience with a Jonas Brothers poster when I was 13.
Maybe one day
My boy-crazy switch
Will get flipped.
But right now
I stare,
Waiting for something,
anything,
to happen,
and
well
nothing does.
My switch seems....
permanently off.
I felt... called all the way out by that. I felt so seen, so... known. It was kinda uncomfortable, tbh. I had an almost identical experience with a Jonas Brothers poster when I was 13.
hopeful
lighthearted
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
This book really bowled me over. I never imagined how verse could be so evocative not just of the protagonists' thoughts and feelings (of which there were obvs a lot because teenage girls), but also of place and that very specific stage of adolescence. I particularly loved the conversational verses with Kate/Tam's mums, which showed just how effectively the author could convey two completely different characters. This is easily in the top 5 queer YA books I've ever read.
Fabulous #ownvoices LGBTQ romance about a cheerleader and a volleyball player.
Gosh this was so incredibly good. A beautiful portrayal of finding yourself and middle school and first love.