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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
3.5 stars
When Trent was in 5th grade, he accidentally hit a hockey puck into the chest of a boy with an undetected heart defect. Unfortunately, the boy died and Trent has blamed himself ever since. Along with this guilt is lots of rage and anger and he often lashes out at all those around him. Now he is heading into 6th grade and is struggling.
I liked Trent's character and thought it was realistically portrayed. Could be a good bibliotherapy book - but the message feels a bit heavy or forced at times. Also the resolution/ending was too ideal.
When Trent was in 5th grade, he accidentally hit a hockey puck into the chest of a boy with an undetected heart defect. Unfortunately, the boy died and Trent has blamed himself ever since. Along with this guilt is lots of rage and anger and he often lashes out at all those around him. Now he is heading into 6th grade and is struggling.
I liked Trent's character and thought it was realistically portrayed. Could be a good bibliotherapy book - but the message feels a bit heavy or forced at times. Also the resolution/ending was too ideal.
We listened to this on a road trip. My kids and I had some questions about the plot otherwise it was an OK listen.
A great YA novel that I intend to use in the classroom. Dark and real portrayal of family, guilt, and teenage anger.
At times really heartbreaking. But, in the end, very satisfying and redeeming.
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
relaxing
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Lisa Graff always does a phenomenal job capturing emotions of kids in that very awkward stage of life--middle school. Trent is struggling because he was part of a freak accident where another kid died, which causes a lot of his family and members of community to treat him differently for no good reason. By accident, he befriends a girl with a large scar on her face who has a much better attitude about her issues. None if the themes are too overt and I think the family relationships ring true, though I struggled to understand Trent's dad as much as he did throughout the story. There is a mature, not too clean ending that will inspire lots of theories from readers.
AMAZING novel!!! Wouldn't have thought it -- sounded like it was going to be too dark for me -- but it was so heartfelt and TRUE and I could feel everything Trent felt the whole way through. Definitely recommend.
I read this with a group in my daughter's 5th grade class. I really enjoyed it, and more importantly, the kids did too. At a certain point in the story, the kids all started empathizing with the main character and were invested in what was going on in his life. They were all excited to see how things turned out. This is a great read for older elementary school kids!
OBOB book for 2018. 3.5 stars. A little slow to get going but the characters are complex and authentic.
Trent can’t manage to move on from last year when a tragic accident ended with another boy dead. Trent lost not only all of his friends because of it but also finds himself unable to play the sports he loved, like baseball. At the same time, Trent is unable to control his anger, even if he puts his most disturbing thoughts down on paper in drawings. It helps a bit, but he continues to have problems getting angry at everything and everyone. It all just proves that he is entirely the messed up kid that everyone things he is already. Fallon enters Trent’s live as they head to middle school. She is a girl who loves baseball movies, has a similar sense of humor, and has clearly also survived a tragedy which left her with a scarred face. Fallon becomes Trent’s closest friend, but one burst of anger may end that too, taking away the only good thing he has left.
Graff does such a beautiful job in this middle grade novel. She creates in Trent a truly complex character, one that readers will need time to understand. Trent is at his heart a boy dealing with death and loss and his own role in it, including showing a lot of self-hatred. So in that way, he is an entirely understandable character, one that is sympathetic. Then there is the angry Trent, who loses control, says horrible things, and lashes out. That part of his personality is hard to like, making him at times a character who is far from heroic. At the same time, this is the same person, likable one moment and the next impossible to like at all.
Graff captures the loss of control that comes with flashing red anger, the words that flow out of control, and the way that it feels in the body. Readers will completely understand those zings of anger and the shame that follows if you lash out. Graff also shows a path forward from being isolated and angry, a way to find people to help you even if you have lashed out at them earlier. It is a powerful story of redemption, of learning to return to who you really are, and of self forgiveness.
Beautifully written, this book is an amazing look at powerful emotions and the equal power of watering plants, breathing deeply and playing baseball. Appropriate for ages 10-13.
Graff does such a beautiful job in this middle grade novel. She creates in Trent a truly complex character, one that readers will need time to understand. Trent is at his heart a boy dealing with death and loss and his own role in it, including showing a lot of self-hatred. So in that way, he is an entirely understandable character, one that is sympathetic. Then there is the angry Trent, who loses control, says horrible things, and lashes out. That part of his personality is hard to like, making him at times a character who is far from heroic. At the same time, this is the same person, likable one moment and the next impossible to like at all.
Graff captures the loss of control that comes with flashing red anger, the words that flow out of control, and the way that it feels in the body. Readers will completely understand those zings of anger and the shame that follows if you lash out. Graff also shows a path forward from being isolated and angry, a way to find people to help you even if you have lashed out at them earlier. It is a powerful story of redemption, of learning to return to who you really are, and of self forgiveness.
Beautifully written, this book is an amazing look at powerful emotions and the equal power of watering plants, breathing deeply and playing baseball. Appropriate for ages 10-13.