Scan barcode
judy_bagley's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
thenextgenlibrarian's review
challenging
informative
4.0
Perfect for fans of Smile by Raina Telgemeier and Free Lunch by Rex Ogle.
đŹ
Max Plink is struggling in middle school. Her parents are always fighting, her sister is her biggest bully, and now she has to wear a orthodontic headgear called âthe jawbreakerâ. As if life wasnât hard enough. Max is also worried about entering a video journalism competition, even though itâs her dream, because then sheâd have to be on camera. Between that hanging over her head, money being tight at home and her best friend being distant, Max tries really hard to see the good in things, but at some point something has to give.
đŚˇ
This MG book hit very close to home for me, as I also struggled with a similar orthodontic issue as Max. I wore braces from 2nd grade until I was a junior in college + retainers & more to avoid having the surgery they wanted me to. Even as an adult I struggled with TMJ and ended up getting veneers to try and correct my bite. Luckily for me the bullying wasnât too much since most kids had braces at some point (just not as long as me lol). I also believe Iâm a stronger person for it, but thatâs hard telling a middle school kid about that. They just have to go through it, which sucks. @christina.wyman.books did an excellent job with characterization, as well as also showing a toxic sibling relationship, and a rough home life. Students will relate to this #novel and know they arenât alone. And it does get better.
CW: toxic relationships, physical abuse, vomit, bullying (theme), cyberbullying, divorce (theme), alcoholism, smoking, drinking, classism, financial struggles
đŹ
Max Plink is struggling in middle school. Her parents are always fighting, her sister is her biggest bully, and now she has to wear a orthodontic headgear called âthe jawbreakerâ. As if life wasnât hard enough. Max is also worried about entering a video journalism competition, even though itâs her dream, because then sheâd have to be on camera. Between that hanging over her head, money being tight at home and her best friend being distant, Max tries really hard to see the good in things, but at some point something has to give.
đŚˇ
This MG book hit very close to home for me, as I also struggled with a similar orthodontic issue as Max. I wore braces from 2nd grade until I was a junior in college + retainers & more to avoid having the surgery they wanted me to. Even as an adult I struggled with TMJ and ended up getting veneers to try and correct my bite. Luckily for me the bullying wasnât too much since most kids had braces at some point (just not as long as me lol). I also believe Iâm a stronger person for it, but thatâs hard telling a middle school kid about that. They just have to go through it, which sucks. @christina.wyman.books did an excellent job with characterization, as well as also showing a toxic sibling relationship, and a rough home life. Students will relate to this #novel and know they arenât alone. And it does get better.
CW: toxic relationships, physical abuse, vomit, bullying (theme), cyberbullying, divorce (theme), alcoholism, smoking, drinking, classism, financial struggles
ellbo_oks333's review
3.0
definitely reminds me of smile but im not sure if its in a good way
Merged review:
definitely reminds me of smile but im not sure if its in a good way
Merged review:
definitely reminds me of smile but im not sure if its in a good way
lkstrohecker's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
akmackrell's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
fionak's review
emotional
funny
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? No
4.0
A enjoyable and engaging read that addresses bullying (among other things). I particularly liked how flawed the parents are and the protagonist's burgeoning autonomy. Wyman's real-life experience clearly informs the narrative and makes it believable and relatable.
alisong906's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
4.75
tiggerrd's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
tense
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
nightwing's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
5.0
Thanks to NetGalley & Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.
Wow, wow, what a fantastic book! The characters were all three-dimensional and extremely fleshed out and felt like ordinary people I'd run into on the street. Everyone's motivations made sense. It's a tough introduction since you're thrown into the middle of Max's issues but it starts building up from there. Her parents have dark sides to them but nothing too depressing and in the end, they're shown as flawed parents but are willing to be better.
Max is a great protagonist as well, very flawed but her actions always made sense. Her friends could've been fleshed out more but honestly, there was a lot going on in this book I'm glad they weren't a main focus.
My favorite part is how the sisters bullied each other and the book didn't demonize them for it--they were going through tough times, economically and emotionally. The two bullies at school didn't magically get redeemed which was nice, but the sisters had to work through their own bullying thanks to the administration & the parents intervening. I'm sick of bullies always getting redeemed and sometimes people are just jerks, so I like that the sister got redeemed but the other two bullies didn't and were still jerks to the bitter end.
Fair warning this is NOT a graphic novel like the cover suggests. Other than the teeth problems, I can't say this shares many similarities with Smile but it's still a really good read. Highly recommend!
Wow, wow, what a fantastic book! The characters were all three-dimensional and extremely fleshed out and felt like ordinary people I'd run into on the street. Everyone's motivations made sense. It's a tough introduction since you're thrown into the middle of Max's issues but it starts building up from there. Her parents have dark sides to them but nothing too depressing and in the end, they're shown as flawed parents but are willing to be better.
Max is a great protagonist as well, very flawed but her actions always made sense. Her friends could've been fleshed out more but honestly, there was a lot going on in this book I'm glad they weren't a main focus.
My favorite part is how the sisters bullied each other and the book didn't demonize them for it--they were going through tough times, economically and emotionally. The two bullies at school didn't magically get redeemed which was nice, but the sisters had to work through their own bullying thanks to the administration & the parents intervening. I'm sick of bullies always getting redeemed and sometimes people are just jerks, so I like that the sister got redeemed but the other two bullies didn't and were still jerks to the bitter end.
Fair warning this is NOT a graphic novel like the cover suggests. Other than the teeth problems, I can't say this shares many similarities with Smile but it's still a really good read. Highly recommend!