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betweentheshelves's review against another edition
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!
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!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Grief, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Ableism, Death, and Mass/school shootings
Minor: Animal death, Bullying, and Homophobia
imstephtacular's review against another edition
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Chronic illness
Moderate: Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Mental illness
Minor: Abortion, Vomit, Racism, Homophobia, Gaslighting, Classism, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Animal death, and Religious bigotry
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