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librarianinperiwinkle's review against another edition
5.0
Have you ever made a decision that had consequences you never could have imagined?
Eleven-year-old Gilly is an angry child. She has bounced from foster home to foster home since she was three. Unloved, she does everything possible to make herself unloveable, proud of her power and status as the county’s most unmanageable brat. This latest placement is the worst yet. Forced to live with the gigantic Maime Trotter and the bizarrely timid little William Ernest in the filthiest house she’s ever seen, she hatches a plan to get her mother to come rescue her. You know what they say about plans, though: they oft go awry, and this one sends shockwaves through the lives of the family she never thought she’d have.
The theme of this book is timeless, although some of the details are now a bit dated, such as Gilly's shock at having a black neighbor and a black teacher. No, the book isn't racist, despite Gilly's early prejudices, and modern children will probably be confused by her reactions, since the world is quite different today than it was thirty-plus years ago.
Katherine Paterson doesn't pull any punches or sugar-coat her stories. They are real--bad things happen, and actions have logical repercussions. I love that about her books!
For readers' advisors: character doorway. Some swearing, as you might expect from a wounded, out-of-control preteen.
Eleven-year-old Gilly is an angry child. She has bounced from foster home to foster home since she was three. Unloved, she does everything possible to make herself unloveable, proud of her power and status as the county’s most unmanageable brat. This latest placement is the worst yet. Forced to live with the gigantic Maime Trotter and the bizarrely timid little William Ernest in the filthiest house she’s ever seen, she hatches a plan to get her mother to come rescue her. You know what they say about plans, though: they oft go awry, and this one sends shockwaves through the lives of the family she never thought she’d have.
The theme of this book is timeless, although some of the details are now a bit dated, such as Gilly's shock at having a black neighbor and a black teacher. No, the book isn't racist, despite Gilly's early prejudices, and modern children will probably be confused by her reactions, since the world is quite different today than it was thirty-plus years ago.
Katherine Paterson doesn't pull any punches or sugar-coat her stories. They are real--bad things happen, and actions have logical repercussions. I love that about her books!
For readers' advisors: character doorway. Some swearing, as you might expect from a wounded, out-of-control preteen.
hedyharper's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Ableism, Grief, Bullying, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Child abuse, Classism, Fatphobia, Islamophobia, and Racism
jenmangler's review against another edition
2.0
This book is OK, but it's definitely not one of my favorite middle grades books. I really wanted to like this one, as I'm a fan of Paterson's other work, but I just couldn't fully connect with it.
allicatca's review against another edition
4.0
This was a powerfully emotional book with subject matter that would be best for middle school students or older.
I appreciated so much Gilly’s journey of the heart and what she eventually learned about herself and about life.
Life is tough. Don’t expect it to be all roses and happy endings. Yet, it matters how you treat others and doing your best.
4.5 stars
I appreciated so much Gilly’s journey of the heart and what she eventually learned about herself and about life.
Life is tough. Don’t expect it to be all roses and happy endings. Yet, it matters how you treat others and doing your best.
4.5 stars
protoman21's review against another edition
4.0
Gilly Hopkins walks that fine line between having a soft interior covered by a tough exterior perfectly. That exterior can be harsh and unpleasant at times, but as long as that soft side shines through, we can forgive it most of the time. Sometimes authors don't let us see enough of the soft side and their characters just come off as brats, but Paterson does a great job of making Gilly likable.
goodem9199's review against another edition
5.0
Can't believe I just got around to this one...will remember Gilly and Trotter and all of the other characters forever...foster child finds her place in the world...so good!
bargainsleuth's review against another edition
3.0
This is one of those books I had heard of but never read at the age it is targeted to. Gilly is a bully, a racist, has a foul mouth, is rude, disrespectful and more. It wasn't easy reading the story with such an unlikable protagonist. Yet the book is written well enough I wanted to find out what happened to her.
chambecc's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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? Yes
4.5
Gosh, this book takes me back. I won't lie when I say I absolutely judged this book by its cover when I was younger: the classic cover of the titular character defiantly blowing a giant, pink bubblegum bubble on the cover? I had to find out more!
And while Gilly's penchant for antics like blowing large bubbles are part of the book, it's really about a young, shiftless girl trying to find her bearings in life. This book feels very real, which is I think why some people might be uncomfortable with it - Gilly feels like an actual girl you could meet. She is not very sympathetic or kind at the beginning of the book; she's something of a bully, and she makes racist, mean remarks. But as we learn of her backstory, we also begin to realize that she has a soft side to her - that's when the book really hits its stride. And that maybe Galadriel "Gilly" Hopkins isn't such a cruel girl after all...
Returning to this book all these years later was a ton of fun. I'm really glad I did.
And while Gilly's penchant for antics like blowing large bubbles are part of the book, it's really about a young, shiftless girl trying to find her bearings in life. This book feels very real, which is I think why some people might be uncomfortable with it - Gilly feels like an actual girl you could meet. She is not very sympathetic or kind at the beginning of the book; she's something of a bully, and she makes racist, mean remarks. But as we learn of her backstory, we also begin to realize that she has a soft side to her - that's when the book really hits its stride. And that maybe Galadriel "Gilly" Hopkins isn't such a cruel girl after all...
Returning to this book all these years later was a ton of fun. I'm really glad I did.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
stephxsu's review against another edition
3.0
Although written over 30 years ago, THE GREAT GILLY HOPKINS will still be a cute read for the avid young reader, despite the fact that some aspects of the book, particularly the racist element, may be dated. Gilly is fiercely determined to hold on to her gruffness, which may delight young girls who love their anti-heroines. And yet she has a definite soft side, even though she may not want to admit it. I chuckled as Gilly’s attempts to stay cold and detached often backfired on her. Gilly comes from a time when racism is still latent, and so some of her reactions to people may be a little uncomfortable for us. Still, it’s important to note that the book itself isn’t a racist book, and that over the course of the book Gilly grows. I have other juvenile fiction contemporary favorites out there, but this one isn’t so bad.
cjeffries's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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? Yes
5.0