Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Julia and the Shark by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

26 reviews

diamond627's review

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

3.5


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oceanxbluess's review

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emotional informative inspiring reflective

5.0


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damla_'s review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted 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? It's complicated

3.0


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mariebrunelm's review

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emotional reflective 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? Yes

5.0

It’s summertime, and Julia and her parents are on their way to a scattering of islands barely visible on the map, north of Scotland. Her father is to repair the lighthouse and automate it, while her mother plans to chase a shark that could hold answers to many questions. That leaves Julia with a lot of free time, and a lot of questions of her own. It will be a summer of finding, of losing, of depths and of heights.
Here is another gorgeous example of middle-grade literature done to perfection. This book is light and deep, it deals with profound topics in the most accessible ways, it incorporates poetry and blends the narrative with stunning, almost abstract illustrations. It never belittles children, while welcoming adults too and I don’t know how authors such as Kiran Millwood Hargrave manage that but I have the deepest admiration for their work and creativity. To be fair, I would have much more to say if I’d found faults in this book but I thought it was perfect and I’m always at a loss for words when talking about such accomplished books. The words are in the books. Please read them.
 

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mirlezen's review

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dark emotional hopeful 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? Yes

3.75


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2busyreading's review against another edition

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emotional medium-paced

4.0


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isabookabel's review

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful medium-paced

5.0


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xangemthelibrarian's review against another edition

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adventurous 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

This book is the story of a girl watching her world unravel over the course of one short summer. 

Julia, her parents, and cat Noodle travel to far North Ireland for her parents jobs. Her dad is a programmer tasked with automating a lighthouse and her mom is feverishly researching a Greenland Shark and ways it could cure dementia. 

All seems well at first, but Julia's mom starts acting weird. And with every research grant rejection, she becomes more desperate to prove she can find the shark. How will Julia manage to help her mom when she isn't even allowed to go on the boat with her?

I was completely ready to go on a nautical adventure with this book. I was expecting a little bit of magic, and a journey of self-discovery alongside a quest to find the impossible. 

I was not expecting the clear portrait of a parent struggling with Bipolar Disorder. Reading this as an adult, it is very very clear that Julia's mom is going through a manic episode, followed by the crash of a depressive episode. To Julia, who is only ten years old, she struggles to understand what is happening. She wonders if it's her fault because her mom gets irritable with her. Julia worries about her parents. She gets anxious when they fight and when they stress over money. And when she finally goes on her epic adventure to find the shark? It nearly kills her. 

Where I was expecting a magical realism story, I got a very real and tender portrayal of a family trying to hold it together when one member is struggling with their mental health. It's a bittersweet ending and wonderfully wholesome.

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mekeisha's review

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adventurous dark emotional informative 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? It's complicated

3.75


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kirstym25's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional 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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