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sask_girl's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
0.5
I'm so glad I read this before my tween did. There are numerous references to sexual acts in this story that are unnecessary & do not add anything to the story. My child doesn't need to be reading about a kid wanting to masturbate, a kid knowing his mother trades sex for favours, a grown man mastrubating in public near a sleeping boy. It makes me sick. Putting this in a middle grade novel feels like grooming behaviour by the author. Also I didn't like that the author made it sound like the abusive grandfather was that way because he was religious. I hated that the author had the kids arguing that God was the same as a poltergeist. This was completely unnecessary and feels like the author is pushing their own agenda on kids. If would have quit this book if I hadn't been reading it to screen for my kids. I won't be letting them read this garbage. A much better middle grade book about homelessness is A Duet For Home by Karina Yan Glaser. It's much cleaner & is better written than this tripe.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Excrement, Sexual content, Mental illness, and Vomit
Minor: Child abuse, Death of parent, Addiction, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, and Pedophilia
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