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izzys_internet_bookshelf's review
4.0
4/5
This book was so crazy. I enjoyed seeing it from different perspectives of moving into a new town and how people can be divided.
This book was so crazy. I enjoyed seeing it from different perspectives of moving into a new town and how people can be divided.
sarahanne8382's review against another edition
4.0
I was equal parts close to throwing this across the room and not being able to put it down throughout. I think my favorite thing about this book is that there were no easy answers.
Shania's told that the reason she and her mother moved to the city of Big Rock is that they could start over after her grandmother died and after her father left them with an older woman, and so that Shania could attend school at the prestigious Bard Academy, but as Shania begins to uncover family secrets, she learns it not that simple. As she begins to uncover Bard's secrets she learns that little white lies have consequences.
As a kid from a small mostly white town, I wasn't that much different from Shania, and given some different circumstances, I might have ended up as confused as her. Cole did a great job of building tension and while I wanted to scream at how dumb Shania was, I remember being that dumb in high school, wanting desperately to only see the best in people who were nice to me. It made me see how important it is for kids to see to grow up seeing their inherent value or they'll seek it out from anybody as they get older.
Although the movie Mean Girls didn't have a overt white supremacist theme in it, I couldn't help but compare Catherine to Regina George and wanted to explore the Queen Bee aspect playing in to Shania's willingness to go along with casual racism. For example, she was okay with Catherine's casual racism and willing to pretend Prescott wasn't as bad as he was if it meant she could belong with the popular group. Not that that justifies any amount racism, but just to understand how she made the decisions she made and how those decisions could appeal to some. It felt icky, but also important to understanding why these hateful ideologies don't die off.
Shania's told that the reason she and her mother moved to the city of Big Rock is that they could start over after her grandmother died and after her father left them with an older woman, and so that Shania could attend school at the prestigious Bard Academy, but as Shania begins to uncover family secrets, she learns it not that simple. As she begins to uncover Bard's secrets she learns that little white lies have consequences.
As a kid from a small mostly white town, I wasn't that much different from Shania, and given some different circumstances, I might have ended up as confused as her. Cole did a great job of building tension and while I wanted to scream at how dumb Shania was, I remember being that dumb in high school, wanting desperately to only see the best in people who were nice to me. It made me see how important it is for kids to see to grow up seeing their inherent value or they'll seek it out from anybody as they get older.
Although the movie Mean Girls didn't have a overt white supremacist theme in it, I couldn't help but compare Catherine to Regina George and wanted to explore the Queen Bee aspect playing in to Shania's willingness to go along with casual racism. For example, she was okay with Catherine's casual racism and willing to pretend Prescott wasn't as bad as he was if it meant she could belong with the popular group. Not that that justifies any amount racism, but just to understand how she made the decisions she made and how those decisions could appeal to some. It felt icky, but also important to understanding why these hateful ideologies don't die off.
sonshinelibrarian's review against another edition
3.0
I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book, some of which are evoked intentionally by the author and some are just my mixed feelings. Note: There is a lot of profanity throughout, which was distracting to me.
justinevandale's review
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
I had this book sitting on my Sora app and needed something to listen to while driving to work. I didn’t know what this book was about going into it. I think the cover is pretty.
This was a decent book, and easy read it is an YA book. It covers some triggering topics like white supremacy. I did like it because it shows how some people are blinded by privilege and even when seeing something happening in front of them they have a choice to make of whether to do something or not. We see our main character go through a lot of choices even if she ends up making the poor choice.
I’m not sure if I would recommend this book or not.
This was a decent book, and easy read it is an YA book. It covers some triggering topics like white supremacy. I did like it because it shows how some people are blinded by privilege and even when seeing something happening in front of them they have a choice to make of whether to do something or not. We see our main character go through a lot of choices even if she ends up making the poor choice.
I’m not sure if I would recommend this book or not.
illidia316's review against another edition
2.0
This book is not my favorite. I wanted to like it. The plot sounded really interesting. However, I just did not care for it. I don’t know if it was the writing style or what, but I didn’t feel any connection to the characters whatsoever. Overall, this book was just really difficult to read.
bhirsch27's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
loffy81's review
3.0
I really wanted to like this book. I was told by a friend it was the best book she read last year. Shania moves after the sudden loss of her grandmother. Her mother believes they need a fresh start. Shania struggles with the race relations in her new city. She end the book much as she begins it, completely naive to her white privilege. I can’t tell if she is a whit supremest or against it, I don’t get her relationship with Ben or admiration of Prescott- as all he seems to do is flake on her. I really hoped for more.
angelfire2018's review against another edition
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
ps2's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bonney's review
challenging
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes