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jengennari's review against another edition
4.0
Set in 1980s Harlem, this is the story of Ebony-Grace, who spends a summer with her father in New York City while her mother in Alabama cares for her sick grandfather. Obsessed with Star Trek and her dreams of going into space, Ebony feels like an alien in the city. Full of break-dancing, contests, and catastrophes, this book will appeal to geeky sci-fi kids who have trouble making friends. Nice touch interspersing a few comic panels between chapters.
mjkienbaum's review against another edition
emotional
fast-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
3.0
azajacks's review against another edition
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renatasnacks's review against another edition
3.0
Hmm, I struggled with this one. I think that was intended--the voice here is really strong and gets you deep into Ebony-Grace's head, and she seems to be a character who's pretty clearly on the spectrum but, given that it's set in 1984, that word is never used. Instead her parents call her spoiled, fresh, tell her to stop playing around, etc etc etc. So I get that we felt left out of the story because her family was keeping things from her, but in the end it felt unsatisfying because there were really big pieces of information that we never got as a reader.
Still--it's an interesting POV and I think some readers will really connect to it, and it's great to see a character who's a young black girl inspired by Uhura from Star Trek--the power of representation!
Still--it's an interesting POV and I think some readers will really connect to it, and it's great to see a character who's a young black girl inspired by Uhura from Star Trek--the power of representation!
gallagirlreads's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
mmz's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
thebooksupplier's review against another edition
4.0
Sticky Note Review @ the (book) supplier https://thebooksupplier.com/2019/10/13/my-life-as-an-ice-cream-sandwich-sticky-note-reviews/
slipppers98's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
medium-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
2.0
The story revolves around Ebony Grace, who would be believable as a 9 year old… but she’s 12. And in all my years of working with kids, including those with disabilities, I’ve yet to encounter a child of middle school age who is as socially unawares and lost in their imagination as Ebony. That as the point of contention with her same-age peers does not work as a believable point of conflict IMHO. If she’d been 9, or even 10, I’d have liked it more.
That said, the writing is gorgeous. Onomatopoeia, vivid imagery, and other poetic devices were employed that made this book particularly geared toward audiobook. I will definitely read other books by this author.
That said, the writing is gorgeous. Onomatopoeia, vivid imagery, and other poetic devices were employed that made this book particularly geared toward audiobook. I will definitely read other books by this author.
nairam1173's review against another edition
2.0
I'm sad that this fell kind of flat for me. I listened to Ibi Zoboi talk about it at a book festival and honestly was primed to like it.
I decided to write this review because I didn't find Ebony-Grace as challenging as a narrator as a lot of the other low reviews here have. She's imaginative, coping, and struggles to connect to her peers--I didn't really feel the need for her to be diagnosed in any other way. She also doesn't seem actively hostile, just awkward and selfish, which kids (and humans) often are.
I mostly found the plot disappointing, as it kind of rambled from one point to another, rarely seemed to actually conclude arcs, and had Ebony give a monologue of what she'd learned in the last two pages. I found it hard to stay engaged in because of the plot issues, and overall disappointing to finish.
I decided to write this review because I didn't find Ebony-Grace as challenging as a narrator as a lot of the other low reviews here have. She's imaginative, coping, and struggles to connect to her peers--I didn't really feel the need for her to be diagnosed in any other way. She also doesn't seem actively hostile, just awkward and selfish, which kids (and humans) often are.
I mostly found the plot disappointing, as it kind of rambled from one point to another, rarely seemed to actually conclude arcs, and had Ebony give a monologue of what she'd learned in the last two pages. I found it hard to stay engaged in because of the plot issues, and overall disappointing to finish.
mefrost's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
4.0