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librarylaura's review
5.0
I've been eagerly anticipating reading "A Soft Place To Land" because I so enjoyed "From the Desk of Zoe Washington" last year. Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC to read and review.
I highly recommend "A Soft Place to Land." It's so well written that I could have finished it in one sitting (if I had stayed up past my bedtime) and all of the characters felt real and relatable. Each of the kids we meet has their own backstory, which provides several points of connection for readers. This book does what Janae Marks does best, which is to take a kid-friendly dive into hard issues that impact families everyday.
Joy says, "Yeah, sometimes I feel like someone took a slingshot and shot me high into the air, and now I'm waving my arms and trying to find a soft place to land. You know?" ...That's a great way to describe what dealing with a big life change feels like for all of us.
In A Soft Place To Land, Joy is grappling with the fact that her family has just sold their home and moved into an apartment due to her dad's job loss. This book hits home personally for me in a few ways. First of all, we had to sell a house and move in with my grandparents when I was a teenager, and that was a challenging change at a pivotal time for me. I could relate to some of Joy's feelings and experiences. I also work with a ministry now that provides resources for people in job transition, so there's another connection to my own life. The number of job losses and turnovers in the U.S. averaged 21.7 million annually, so think about how many kids are impacted by stories like Joy's each year!! And families have to move and make changes for lots of other reasons too. Kids need the message of this book.
Ultimately, Joy learns that it's not a place that's the most important, but the people. She makes some new friends, learns some lessons, and gains some perspective on her family's situation. And I think readers of all ages will relate to her desire to find a "soft place to land."
I highly recommend "A Soft Place to Land." It's so well written that I could have finished it in one sitting (if I had stayed up past my bedtime) and all of the characters felt real and relatable. Each of the kids we meet has their own backstory, which provides several points of connection for readers. This book does what Janae Marks does best, which is to take a kid-friendly dive into hard issues that impact families everyday.
Joy says, "Yeah, sometimes I feel like someone took a slingshot and shot me high into the air, and now I'm waving my arms and trying to find a soft place to land. You know?" ...That's a great way to describe what dealing with a big life change feels like for all of us.
In A Soft Place To Land, Joy is grappling with the fact that her family has just sold their home and moved into an apartment due to her dad's job loss. This book hits home personally for me in a few ways. First of all, we had to sell a house and move in with my grandparents when I was a teenager, and that was a challenging change at a pivotal time for me. I could relate to some of Joy's feelings and experiences. I also work with a ministry now that provides resources for people in job transition, so there's another connection to my own life. The number of job losses and turnovers in the U.S. averaged 21.7 million annually, so think about how many kids are impacted by stories like Joy's each year!! And families have to move and make changes for lots of other reasons too. Kids need the message of this book.
Ultimately, Joy learns that it's not a place that's the most important, but the people. She makes some new friends, learns some lessons, and gains some perspective on her family's situation. And I think readers of all ages will relate to her desire to find a "soft place to land."
raethereviewer's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-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
5.0
This was a top tier middle grade! I loved everything about it. The characters were fleshed out really well. The friendships and family relationships were given a great amount of focus. I loved the way conflicts were resolved in this one. It’s absolutely perfect for middle grade aged children but I think this is one of those books that everyone should be reading, regardless of age.
akmackrell's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
antonique_reads's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-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
Content Warnings
Minor: Mental illness
readingwithcats's review
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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
karisjmadison's review
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-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? No
4.5
mpevans0517's review against another edition
5.0
Excuse me, why haven't I heard any of you talking about this book yet? Janae Marks, the brilliant author of From the Desk of Zoe Washington, brings another wonderful middle grade novel about life, change, coming of age, etc. This book was so great! The audio was really well done.
Small setup with no spoilers: Joy's family moved to an apartment building when her family can no longer afford their home after her father lost his job. She loses her piano lessons, and now has to share a room with her little sister. She meets Nora, who becomes a fast friend, and along with a group of kids in the building, Joy creates a new, soft place to land in this unfamiliar world.
Small setup with no spoilers: Joy's family moved to an apartment building when her family can no longer afford their home after her father lost his job. She loses her piano lessons, and now has to share a room with her little sister. She meets Nora, who becomes a fast friend, and along with a group of kids in the building, Joy creates a new, soft place to land in this unfamiliar world.
emileereadsbooks's review
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
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
4.25
Thank you Netgalley and Katherine Tegen Books for the gifted book that I read in partnership with the audio from the library.
Joy has had a picture book life, up until now. Her parents' financial situation has changed and her family has had to downsize from the house she called home into an apartment where she has to share a room with her younger sister. She has to go to a new school and make new friends. Plus, her parents are fighting all the time, making life at home not the safe haven it once was. But thankfully she meets a neighbor about her age who introduces her to her peers in the building and their super secret refuge in the building that the adults don't know about. It's there that Joy starts communicating with someone via the literal writing on the wall and is forced to examine her own emotions and motivations.
Writing with heart and a tender care for the very real feelings these middle school characters are experiencing, Janae Marks shapes this tale of finding a metaphorical and literal soft place to land with a skilled hand.
Bonus, the dog characters, especially Ziggy are *chef's kiss*.
Joy has had a picture book life, up until now. Her parents' financial situation has changed and her family has had to downsize from the house she called home into an apartment where she has to share a room with her younger sister. She has to go to a new school and make new friends. Plus, her parents are fighting all the time, making life at home not the safe haven it once was. But thankfully she meets a neighbor about her age who introduces her to her peers in the building and their super secret refuge in the building that the adults don't know about. It's there that Joy starts communicating with someone via the literal writing on the wall and is forced to examine her own emotions and motivations.
Writing with heart and a tender care for the very real feelings these middle school characters are experiencing, Janae Marks shapes this tale of finding a metaphorical and literal soft place to land with a skilled hand.
Bonus, the dog characters, especially Ziggy are *chef's kiss*.
cynthiareads's review
emotional
mysterious
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? No
4.0
booksgamesvinyl's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
tense
fast-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
3.0