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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
I read this book when I was still in elementary school. It showed me that nooks could be sad and still be really good. It helped to grow my love for reading.
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
The movie destroyed me when I was younger. Maybe if I read the book first, it would've done the same. Rated 3 stars for nostalgia and the couple of lines of good prose.
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I was prepared and not prepared for the ending of this book and the author did a good job of pulling feelings from me. But the constant fat shaming didn't age well and bothered me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Child death, Fatphobia
adventurous
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Honestly, this book fell way flat for me. I always heard how amazing this story was growing up, so I thought I might give it a try to finally see for myself. I understand that this book was written a long time ago and things were different back then, but even still, there were a few things that through me off even for that time.
SPOILERS
I also didn't like the ending. I knew that Leslie was going to die at the end because of the obvious foreshadowing (it's a children's book so that makes sense), and because I've heard about it. But I was extremely underwhelmed with how the author went about writing it. It was very abrupt. It was announced by his little sister blurting it out and then it moved on very quickly. It was so close to the end of the book that it felt unresolved. It didn't teach kids anything about dealing with death or how to work through the grieving process. The book just ended and it left me feeling unsatisfied.
The story overall was cute. I enjoyed watching these two children navigate friendship and imagination, but I didn't like the ending at all.
SPOILERS
I also didn't like the ending. I knew that Leslie was going to die at the end because of the obvious foreshadowing (it's a children's book so that makes sense), and because I've heard about it. But I was extremely underwhelmed with how the author went about writing it. It was very abrupt. It was announced by his little sister blurting it out and then it moved on very quickly. It was so close to the end of the book that it felt unresolved. It didn't teach kids anything about dealing with death or how to work through the grieving process. The book just ended and it left me feeling unsatisfied.
The story overall was cute. I enjoyed watching these two children navigate friendship and imagination, but I didn't like the ending at all.
I was expecting a lot more emotions, but I feel like I didn’t connect with the characters enough to feel sad. Maybe I’m just more used to longer books.