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margaretann84's review
5.0
Full review at A Writer Reads.
I really liked this! I mean, it’s always a roulette with hi-lo books, since the writing can be either brilliant or mediocre fairly easily. It’s the difference between My First Board Book and The Old Man and the Sea—simple vs. style. With In Plain Sight, though, Langston’s simplicity emphasizes the struggles going on in Megan’s head. The reader watches her trying to come to grips with her heritage, unsure whether her own political leanings are inherited, and if she’ll one day turn from chants and marches to bombs. It would have been easy for Langston to just repeat the same sentiments throughout, but each time Megan confronts her fears, it’s from a different angle and with a bit more background knowledge. Seeing her grow in such a short span impresses the writer in me.
I liked the timely nature of the story, as well. We live in a world where domestic terror attacks are becoming more common, unfortunately, and hardly a month passes by without some new name or event being plastered all over the news. However, the perpetrators of these crimes rarely exist in utter isolation; they have families, too. Even “regular” criminals do. In Plain Sight raises questions about just treatment towards the children of convicted felons and the bullying they face when people find out about a past those children might not even have been a part of.
I really liked this! I mean, it’s always a roulette with hi-lo books, since the writing can be either brilliant or mediocre fairly easily. It’s the difference between My First Board Book and The Old Man and the Sea—simple vs. style. With In Plain Sight, though, Langston’s simplicity emphasizes the struggles going on in Megan’s head. The reader watches her trying to come to grips with her heritage, unsure whether her own political leanings are inherited, and if she’ll one day turn from chants and marches to bombs. It would have been easy for Langston to just repeat the same sentiments throughout, but each time Megan confronts her fears, it’s from a different angle and with a bit more background knowledge. Seeing her grow in such a short span impresses the writer in me.
I liked the timely nature of the story, as well. We live in a world where domestic terror attacks are becoming more common, unfortunately, and hardly a month passes by without some new name or event being plastered all over the news. However, the perpetrators of these crimes rarely exist in utter isolation; they have families, too. Even “regular” criminals do. In Plain Sight raises questions about just treatment towards the children of convicted felons and the bullying they face when people find out about a past those children might not even have been a part of.
amdame1's review
3.0
Laura finds out that her whole life has been a lie when she is detained by the police at a protest. Her mom has been hiding in plain sight under a fake name in an attempt to protect Laura from the fact that her father is a terrorist and is in jail, not dead as Laura has always believed. She now struggles with these new truths and the mean gossip that starts to circulate.
A hi-lo about families, friendships, and figuring out who you really are and what's important to you.
A hi-lo about families, friendships, and figuring out who you really are and what's important to you.
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