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markma's review against another edition
3.0
This book was ok. It was basically a romance. Otherwise it was good because the topic was pretty good.
This book is about a girl named Autumn and a boy named Aodnis. Aodnis is in a wheel chair because he was born without knees, calves, and feet. Autumn has a lot of trouble reading. This book is how they come together.
This book is about a girl named Autumn and a boy named Aodnis. Aodnis is in a wheel chair because he was born without knees, calves, and feet. Autumn has a lot of trouble reading. This book is how they come together.
nisanre's review against another edition
5.0
I am not sure I have fully settled into Sharon G. Flake's writing style, but I really love the diversity of her characters. There are so few books that make it into mainstream that have characters with disabilities at their forefront. This one has not one but two major characters and several minor characters that are both visibly and invisibly disabled. Her portrayal of Autumn, who has a reading disability (or at least is significantly behind in reading, she does not have an IEP) reminded me so much of the students I work with. There were even things that she or other characters said that I read to my class and said "tell me this is not you," and they all laughed and said "yeah, that's about right."
*Spoilers start here*
My only wish for this novel is that the transformation of Adonis was given more time to develop. While there were hints that it was going to happen, I feel like he made almost too sudden of a shift. Although, there are points at the end of the novel that show that he hasn't made a complete change and that he still needs some work, so it doesn't bother me THAT much.
Overall, this is the "quick read" book that I recommend above all others this year!
*Spoilers start here*
My only wish for this novel is that the transformation of Adonis was given more time to develop. While there were hints that it was going to happen, I feel like he made almost too sudden of a shift. Although, there are points at the end of the novel that show that he hasn't made a complete change and that he still needs some work, so it doesn't bother me THAT much.
Overall, this is the "quick read" book that I recommend above all others this year!
chiantilya2498's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
tense
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
5.0
mrsalane's review against another edition
5.0
I am not sure I have fully settled into Sharon G. Flake's writing style, but I really love the diversity of her characters. There are so few books that make it into mainstream that have characters with disabilities at their forefront. This one has not one but two major characters and several minor characters that are both visibly and invisibly disabled. Her portrayal of Autumn, who has a reading disability (or at least is significantly behind in reading, she does not have an IEP) reminded me so much of the students I work with. There were even things that she or other characters said that I read to my class and said "tell me this is not you," and they all laughed and said "yeah, that's about right."
*Spoilers start here*
My only wish for this novel is that the transformation of Adonis was given more time to develop. While there were hints that it was going to happen, I feel like he made almost too sudden of a shift. Although, there are points at the end of the novel that show that he hasn't made a complete change and that he still needs some work, so it doesn't bother me THAT much.
Overall, this is the "quick read" book that I recommend above all others this year!
*Spoilers start here*
My only wish for this novel is that the transformation of Adonis was given more time to develop. While there were hints that it was going to happen, I feel like he made almost too sudden of a shift. Although, there are points at the end of the novel that show that he hasn't made a complete change and that he still needs some work, so it doesn't bother me THAT much.
Overall, this is the "quick read" book that I recommend above all others this year!
marisas1985's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoyed the idea behind this story and even some of the moments in the story where kids with disabilities come together and create clubs and play games and what not. However, I didn’t care much for the book overall. I found that the story bounced around quite a bit, even within a chapter. Each chapter is narrated by one of the two main characters, Autumn or Adonis and at one second you believe they hate each other and the next second their stance has completely changed.
Maybe this is written the way a 14 year old thinks, but I struggled quite a bit in figuring out what was going on, what was a fantasy or thought and what was actually happening. The back of the book makes implications which never happen although they are talked about.
I would recommend this book to someone with a higher reading level then their grade or maybe a classroom where discussions about the characters, the chapters, the crisis etc, can all be dissected from several different points of view. This book would also be a good book for a student to do a book report on because of the message it sends.
Maybe this is written the way a 14 year old thinks, but I struggled quite a bit in figuring out what was going on, what was a fantasy or thought and what was actually happening. The back of the book makes implications which never happen although they are talked about.
I would recommend this book to someone with a higher reading level then their grade or maybe a classroom where discussions about the characters, the chapters, the crisis etc, can all be dissected from several different points of view. This book would also be a good book for a student to do a book report on because of the message it sends.
beththebookdragon's review against another edition
4.0
This book has some of the most realistic dialogue and fully-realized relationships among high schoolers that I've read in a teen book. The story itself bogs down a bit at a couple of places in the middle, but overall it's not a flashy adventure story but a story of different ways of dealing and not dealing with varied disabilities, of slow perseverence and of denial finally being broken through. And of real life teens.
Highly recommended for both young men and women, for sports fans and romance fans (and teen chefs as well!). If you believe in bibliotherapy, this is good for teens (and adults!) struggling with just about any kind of disability or difficulty.
Librarians, media specialists, and bookstore staff: Put it on display, as I did, it'll go out.
Highly recommended for both young men and women, for sports fans and romance fans (and teen chefs as well!). If you believe in bibliotherapy, this is good for teens (and adults!) struggling with just about any kind of disability or difficulty.
Librarians, media specialists, and bookstore staff: Put it on display, as I did, it'll go out.
afro75's review against another edition
3.0
Ms. Flake painted a convencing portrait of parents rising above their limited self knowledge to give their daughter a chance at a better life.
rosepetals1984's review against another edition
3.0
Sharon G. Flake's "Pinned" has so much heart and authentic voices behind it, and I think that's one of the reasons why I enjoyed reading it as much as I did. Taking perspectives of two teens who struggle with their respective limitations and rounding them out in an environment where they cross and collide with their challenges is something I applaud in any young adult book - and Flake does it well for the most part. The book toggles between Autumn, a talented female wrestler who struggles with reading and doing well in her academics, and Adonis, an academically ambitious boy who finds it hard to make friends and suffers from a physical disability.
Very early on in the story, Autumn reveals her crush on Adonis - but Adonis makes it clear that he wants nothing to do with Autumn despite the fact that he thinks about her more than he's willing to admit. She admires his intelligence, he (though it's quite begrudgingly) like her talent in wrestling - not just being the only girl, but for how her moves are "like chess pieces" in the arena.
But there's a problem - Autumn's grades are slipping and if she can't get her act together, she faces being banned from the only thing she feels she's good at doing. Autumn knows her problem - she hates reading and she's not good at it. Her parents struggle with reading as well, but they try to encourage her as much as they can. I really liked how Flake shows the struggles that Autumn goes through in this consideration - it's realistic. Even the sentiments she feels towards her ambitious best friend, Peaches, are palpable. Yet, it does take a while for Autumn to come to terms with being able to make the effort needed to achieve her goals.
Now what to say about Adonis: I honestly did not like his character. He's arrogant, puts down Autumn for her learning handicap, and is quick to dismiss helping her or deny liking her, even going so far as to dismiss her company several times. I understood his personality well enough considering the crude bullying he endured and a near death experience that threw his world in conjunction with his physical limitations (he was born without legs), but it was difficult to sympathize with his mental voice. I did like how ambitious and smart he was, and there were moments that I think he contributed some constructive insights with respect to the situations around him as well as showed kindness to Autumn in some of her rougher moments. Still, it really wasn't enough to redeem his character for me, though I think it was intentional that Flake crafted his character to be that blunt and gruff. I just didn't see the rounding out of his character as readily as Autumn - who came full circle as the novel came to pass.
I did like some of Autumn and Adonis's interactions in their more intimate moments, yet I still felt that their coming together was a little rushed and didn't have the payoff I was hoping for. I think young audiences probably won't mind it that much, but for those who want a story that digs a little deeper, the beginning and middle of "Pinned" are good, but the ending felt a bit hurried in comparison to the rest of the novel.
I think if "Pinned" had managed to tie up some of its loose plot threads and had a little more cohesion towards the end, I could've easily given this 3.5/4 stars. I liked the journey for what it offered overall, but still felt with a little more vetting and rounding out towards the end, it could've hit home with some of the character growth more than what it did.
Overall score: 3/5
Note: I recieved this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Scholastic.
Very early on in the story, Autumn reveals her crush on Adonis - but Adonis makes it clear that he wants nothing to do with Autumn despite the fact that he thinks about her more than he's willing to admit. She admires his intelligence, he (though it's quite begrudgingly) like her talent in wrestling - not just being the only girl, but for how her moves are "like chess pieces" in the arena.
But there's a problem - Autumn's grades are slipping and if she can't get her act together, she faces being banned from the only thing she feels she's good at doing. Autumn knows her problem - she hates reading and she's not good at it. Her parents struggle with reading as well, but they try to encourage her as much as they can. I really liked how Flake shows the struggles that Autumn goes through in this consideration - it's realistic. Even the sentiments she feels towards her ambitious best friend, Peaches, are palpable. Yet, it does take a while for Autumn to come to terms with being able to make the effort needed to achieve her goals.
Now what to say about Adonis: I honestly did not like his character. He's arrogant, puts down Autumn for her learning handicap, and is quick to dismiss helping her or deny liking her, even going so far as to dismiss her company several times. I understood his personality well enough considering the crude bullying he endured and a near death experience that threw his world in conjunction with his physical limitations (he was born without legs), but it was difficult to sympathize with his mental voice. I did like how ambitious and smart he was, and there were moments that I think he contributed some constructive insights with respect to the situations around him as well as showed kindness to Autumn in some of her rougher moments. Still, it really wasn't enough to redeem his character for me, though I think it was intentional that Flake crafted his character to be that blunt and gruff. I just didn't see the rounding out of his character as readily as Autumn - who came full circle as the novel came to pass.
I did like some of Autumn and Adonis's interactions in their more intimate moments, yet I still felt that their coming together was a little rushed and didn't have the payoff I was hoping for. I think young audiences probably won't mind it that much, but for those who want a story that digs a little deeper, the beginning and middle of "Pinned" are good, but the ending felt a bit hurried in comparison to the rest of the novel.
I think if "Pinned" had managed to tie up some of its loose plot threads and had a little more cohesion towards the end, I could've easily given this 3.5/4 stars. I liked the journey for what it offered overall, but still felt with a little more vetting and rounding out towards the end, it could've hit home with some of the character growth more than what it did.
Overall score: 3/5
Note: I recieved this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Scholastic.
evamadera1's review against another edition
challenging
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I loved the voices that Flake created for Autumn and Adonis. Each of their narratives flowed onto the page as if it came straight from the mind of either Autumn or Adonis. The book started with great promise. Unfortunately, it did not live up to that promise. Although it did not fall flat, it did not continue to develop, stagnating. That comes from the frustrating lack of development for both of the characters. Only towards the last 20 pages or so of the narrative did Autumn begin to change; Adonis never really changed and being an intensely frustrating character to begin with, this left me unsatisfied.
I think Flake could have done so much more, explored so much more. Hence the 3 star rating.
I think Flake could have done so much more, explored so much more. Hence the 3 star rating.
thisgrrlreads's review against another edition
3.0
It's about a high school romance (or is it?) between the athletic, nearly illiterate Autumn who is also a wrestler and the intelligent Adonis, a beautiful boy in a wheelchair. Their perspectives were well done and I really appreciated this depiction of the legless Adonis. He radiates self-confidence. There is still a journey for him in this book, but it's different than Autumn's.