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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
Gorgeous and wrenching, even though I knew how it ended before I read it. Looking forward to teaching it.
A beautifully written story. I particularly like how much the author leaves you to fill in for yourself, how every tiny detail isn't printed on the page but you feel it just the same.
emotionally wrecked!! merry christmas eve! such a beautiful story and writing and dialogue
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Simple, but the writing was TOO simple for a complicated plot. Not engaging at all sadly.
Oh my aching, screaming, broken heart. This is lovely.
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Racism, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Abandonment
Moderate: Infidelity
Reading If You Come Softly was a single sitting experience for me. The writing was so well done it barely felt like time was passing.
I love how Woodson creates characters and the duel perspective was perfect. So often in YA romance it feels like one side is far more developed than the other (usually the female side), but here you didn't get that cardboard cut out, could-be-anyone, self-insert feeling. It felt like Ellie and Jeremiah were two living, breathing teenagers who were excited to be falling in love for the first time.
In the plot department, I liked that this was more than a romance. There is some serious depth in how parental relationships are experienced and how this can effect a teen perspective on love. But more importantly, the racial tension was palpable. It was really interesting to see how both Ellie and Jeremiah experienced the gawking within their own perspectives. I think it made that element of daily racism also feel like a living breathing thing.
I would recommend this if you are looking for something quick to read and yet relevant as hell.
I love how Woodson creates characters and the duel perspective was perfect. So often in YA romance it feels like one side is far more developed than the other (usually the female side), but here you didn't get that cardboard cut out, could-be-anyone, self-insert feeling. It felt like Ellie and Jeremiah were two living, breathing teenagers who were excited to be falling in love for the first time.
In the plot department, I liked that this was more than a romance. There is some serious depth in how parental relationships are experienced and how this can effect a teen perspective on love. But more importantly, the racial tension was palpable. It was really interesting to see how both Ellie and Jeremiah experienced the gawking within their own perspectives. I think it made that element of daily racism also feel like a living breathing thing.
I would recommend this if you are looking for something quick to read and yet relevant as hell.
3.5/5. On paper, a fairly by-the-numbers YA romance. But what sets this book apart is its social relevance. Even twenty years after its publication, the book’s exploration of race, family, and relationships still rings true