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4.68 AVERAGE
4.68 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
This is a Beehive nominee for 2022. I'm not sure if it's middle grade or YA, but because of the tough subject matter, I'm tagging it as YA. It was well-written.
This is a very confronting novel about failures in families in today’s word.
Brilliantly written, we fall in love with 12 year old Della and her protective older sister Suki. We know something horrible happened to these young girls but we can’t even begin to imagine what they lived through. Kimberley guides us gently on their journey whilst not shying away from some harsh truths and realities we are forced to confront.
I will say that although we are used to her writing for middle grade readers, this book is NOT appropriate for children under the age of 14, due to the sensitivity of the issues within the pages.
Brilliantly written, we fall in love with 12 year old Della and her protective older sister Suki. We know something horrible happened to these young girls but we can’t even begin to imagine what they lived through. Kimberley guides us gently on their journey whilst not shying away from some harsh truths and realities we are forced to confront.
I will say that although we are used to her writing for middle grade readers, this book is NOT appropriate for children under the age of 14, due to the sensitivity of the issues within the pages.
4.5: The voice is young at times, but also so endearing. I loved the depiction of friendship and how to be a friend to someone during difficult times. This was also one of the better depictions of trauma and how it can affect students in school that I've ever read.
This story is the story of many children and I’m so glad it was told. Yes, it’s extremely heavy but it is also extremely necessary. There is healing and hope and I would recommend it to students and staff alike.
dark
emotional
sad
tense
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
This was a difficult book emotionally, but it was well done. Della is a 10-year-old girl starting a new life in foster care, along with her 16-year-old sister Suki, after their “father” abused her. As Della says throughout this novel, hard things are hard to talk about, and often, people don’t want to hear them.
This novel focuses mostly on Della’s struggles after escaping Cliffton’s house, both personally and in school. There’s also a secret that is causing Suki to have nightmares every single night, but Della can’t figure it out. Aren’t they safer here in foster care?
Again, a tough book, but I appreciated how carefully and truthfully it was handled for this age level. It gracefully handed topics like abuse, foster care, poverty, consent, bullying, and mental health. Highly recommend.
This novel focuses mostly on Della’s struggles after escaping Cliffton’s house, both personally and in school. There’s also a secret that is causing Suki to have nightmares every single night, but Della can’t figure it out. Aren’t they safer here in foster care?
Again, a tough book, but I appreciated how carefully and truthfully it was handled for this age level. It gracefully handed topics like abuse, foster care, poverty, consent, bullying, and mental health. Highly recommend.
I was a little worried about how this book on sexual assault would be presented for young readers, but I shouldn’t have worried. It is a wonderful story with sisters who have gone through hell and back. The older one ends up not being able to deal with the horrible things that happened to her. This story is told by the younger sister, who can cuss like a sailor. However for her story she has turned the cuss words into “snow” words, so there is no inappropriate language.
I was floored by the statement that 2/3 of women have been sexually assaulted in some way, shape or form, including the author of this book. This book would be a great read for a fifth grade through 8th grade reading groups. Girls would see how to respond appropriately to someone touching them without permission and boys would see that what might have started out as fun, has real consequences on those involved.
I was floored by the statement that 2/3 of women have been sexually assaulted in some way, shape or form, including the author of this book. This book would be a great read for a fifth grade through 8th grade reading groups. Girls would see how to respond appropriately to someone touching them without permission and boys would see that what might have started out as fun, has real consequences on those involved.
challenging
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes