Reviews tagging 'Mass/school shootings'

Fight + Flight by Jules Machias

6 reviews

alisazhup's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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pey333's review against another edition

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dark emotional 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

4.5

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betweentheshelves's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Jules Machias is quickly becoming one of my favorite middle grade authors. Their debut, Both Can be True, was great, and this one is basically just as good. I would probably classify it as upper middle grade, because it deals with a lot of heavy issues. Specifically surrounding school shooting drills. There isn't specifically a school shooting in this book, but the school conducts a drill that simulates the sounds, etc. of a real school shooting, which traumatizes the students. For good reason.

Avery and Sarah were both great characters in this, each with strong voices and each on their own journeys to self-discovery. I especially loved Sarah's chapters because they were all illustrated with doodles and they were gorgeous. Both are struggling with different issues, Sarah with severe anxiety and Avery with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. I loved the way they helped each other, and their budding romance was adorable.

All in all, if you're looking for a middle grade that isn't afraid to delve into the difficult stuff, I'd definitely recommend picking up this one!
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imstephtacular's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

4.75

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lettuce_read's review against another edition

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5.0

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leahjanespeare's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

A realistic active shooter drill at school leads to two very different responses, as well as recoveries, and readers are presented with very different but equally valid ways of healing and processing trauma. Avery's headstrong, reactive approach demands revenge on the drill coordinators, while thoughtful Sarah battles her anxiety in order to bring people together. The two girls bring a lot of representation into this story: pansexual, queer questioning, panic attacks, and chronic pain. Today's world is rife with overwhelming events, especially for middle-schoolers: climate change is happening, human rights are threatened, a constant fear of school shooters, and now a global pandemic. This story will help kids appreciate different kinds of bravery in a variety of situations, and hopefully use this knowledge to help cope with their own life experiences.
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