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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Handles some serious topics.
I particularly appreciated that the 7th-grade kids in the middle-grade novel are actually good friends--they are nice to each other and trying their best to navigate difficult situations. I did not like the sections with the anonymous narrator narrating in the second person.
— 4 stars
"Thanks for being there tonight," Jamie said. "I didn't think I wanted anyone to see me, but it was nice. Like I had someone on my team, you know?"
For starters, I'd like to say that I absolutely adored the relationship between Jamie and Bridge. I love how their relationship is being portrayed in this book, it is especially refreshing to see that siblings actually get along well in real life. I love it is shown that how much they both cared for each other and you just know that they have each other's backs no matter what. Most of my favorite scenes usually involve the two.
Jamie is my favorite character in this book. I love his transition, although it is not a huge character development, but I like how he has changed in the end, proving to have matured through all the bets he's had with his "frenemy".
I love the friendship between Bridge, Tab and Emily. I wouldn't say I was upset, I was more...surprised. I like how they've got each other's backs no matter what, how they've stuck through thick and thin and still come out as a "set" together in the end.
Overall I'd describe this book as refreshing and a quick read. For some readers may get really confused when starting this book as it happened to me as well, but don't worry as everything ties together in the end! I'm still not sure how I feel about the ending, that's why I gave it 4 out of 5 stars but don't take my word for it.
"Thanks for being there tonight," Jamie said. "I didn't think I wanted anyone to see me, but it was nice. Like I had someone on my team, you know?"
For starters, I'd like to say that I absolutely adored the relationship between Jamie and Bridge. I love how their relationship is being portrayed in this book, it is especially refreshing to see that siblings actually get along well in real life. I love it is shown that how much they both cared for each other and you just know that they have each other's backs no matter what. Most of my favorite scenes usually involve the two.
Jamie is my favorite character in this book. I love his transition, although it is not a huge character development, but I like how he has changed in the end, proving to have matured through all the bets he's had with his "frenemy".
I love the friendship between Bridge, Tab and Emily.
Spoiler
When they first made the "no fight" rule, it immediately lead me to think the opposite: that there will be a huge fight coming up. In the end it was kind of funny how I was expecting something that didn't happen.Overall I'd describe this book as refreshing and a quick read. For some readers may get really confused when starting this book as it happened to me as well, but don't worry as everything ties together in the end! I'm still not sure how I feel about the ending, that's why I gave it 4 out of 5 stars but don't take my word for it.
*yawn* I had to force myself to finish it. It was boring, and nothing made me want to read this book after I had started.
Rebecca Stead has become a favorite. She always handles her middle school characters with such kindness & compassion. I hope my kids will pick up all of her books when they're in middle school. Her books are like figuring out a puzzle without a box lid to look at and I always like the end product, handled with care until the last piece falls into place.
Love Rebecca Stead. Her writing is beautiful, her characters feel realistic, and she always does something interesting and unusual. A few quibbles: would Em have really stayed friends with Tab and Bridge? Why does Stead portray Tab's feminism as silly? And why do I feel like we know everyone else better than Bridge, the protagonist? Oh, and skip the audio...really un-listenable. Small quibbles, though. Still a really strong coming of age middle school novel. Grades 5+
Rebecca Stead has written another awesome book. While it's no When You Reach Me, Goodbye Stranger is a great read. The book tells the story of Bridge, Em, and Tab, 3 best friends, as they navigate middle school and experience the changing of relationship dynamics as they age and become interested in boys. The story touched on some teen talking points (sexting and bullying) but managed to not be preachy or dull. It was a nice story that I see both parents and kids really enjoying.
I liked it well enough, but was bothered by two things: the Celeste story line seemed utterly random and only barely tied in, and the sense of place was weirdly off. What NYC is this, where teens go to local schools? Also it seemed weirdly race blind. Nyc is diverse but not
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
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:
Complicated