Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly

2 reviews

moreta1's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Grief and Death

bibliomich's review

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.5

This was my first ever Erin Entrada Kelly book, and I LOVED it! (I definitely plan on reading more by the author.)

What I loved:
- Character diversity: Erin Entrada Kelly created an amazing cast of characters who were tremendously diverse in race, socioeconomic status, home stability, and mental health.
- This book very much felt like a tribute to Rebecca Stead's When You Reach Me (one of my all-time favorite middle grade novels), and I loved that so much.
- I enjoyed the book right off the bat, but the last third of the book truly hooked me. I adored the resolution and the way everything came together in the end.
- The 90s references: I have no doubt that my middle school students will enjoy this one, but as a millennial teacher, I LOVED the late 90s references (esp. the slang language and band tees).

Thank you so much to NetGalley for my advanced listener copy!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death and Grief

Minor: Bullying