Reviews

Look Out for the Fitzgerald-Trouts by Esta Spalding

aholeistodig's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

Hands down, my favorite book of 2016.

Just reread Look Out, and found myself so excited to get back to the island with Kim, Kimo, Peppa, and Toby.

The whole book is just so delightful, and weird, and unpredictable, a little funny and a little scary, and just a little sad, too. ("Grownups ruin everything" sure reads, to me as an adult, at least, with an extra sting in 2018 America.)

A must-read for Dahl and Pinkwater devotees. Like those authors' stories, the misadventures of the F-Ts won't be literally relatable to most kids reading, but their experiences will absolutely ring familiar to any child who's felt the joy, disappointment, and confusion of navigating the world. So, any child.

After all, when it comes down to it, we're all the Awfuls, aren't we?

abibemade's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

One of my favorite kinds of kids books is the sibling adventure. This is a great addition to that genre. I read this first book because I wanted to keep up with what R7 is reading, but I think I might try to fit in the others of the series. A little bit Lemony Snicket, a little E. Nesbit, and a little Penderwicks... a lot of fun.

pandacat42's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

Had to read this for the CLAU committee. It was actually pretty good. Siblings are basically abandoned by the adults in their lives and they take care of each other.

andreareads's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

ciaralo's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

Cute and fun, this family was heart-warming. Will definitely be checking out book two!

littleelfman's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

What fun! This made me think of the kind of 'other kids than me living their lives' adventure that I would have loved as a kid! As an adult I was mildly distressed by all the TERRIBLE parents. But that's all part of life for some.

yapha's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

Kim, Kimo, Pippa, and Toby are more or less siblings (ages 11 to 5) who live in a car on a tropical island. Between them they share four parents -- two mothers and two fathers. The fathers have disappeared and the mothers give them money from time to time. It is better for the four of them to depend on each other than the terrible parents in their lives. And they do seem to manage quite well. They eat breakfast, go to school, do their laundry, and remember to wash their hands. Still, it would be really nice to have a house. Especially now that they are beginning to outgrow their little green car. Children ages 10 and up will enjoy this book and envy the freedom of the Fitzgerald-Trouts.

ARC provided by publisher

catzngoenz's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

zoes_human's review against another edition

Go to review page

funny

2.0

Look Out for the Fitzgerald-Trouts is a fun and quirky middle-grade adventure following four homeless and unsupervised children in a non-traditional family. It's a playful spin on an old genre. While the humor is appropriate for the age group, there are still some good laughs to be found for adults who might find themselves reading aloud. It manages to blend in some great lessons while still remaining relatable to a variety of children. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book via a Goodreads giveaway. Many thanks to all involved in providing me with this opportunity. I also thank them on behalf of my local Literacy Council to whom I donate the children's books I win.

acej8's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

I receive this as a giveaway from Goodreads, in exchange for fair review.

To start off with, I absolutely love the look and feel of this book. Complete with a blue font lettering and hued illustrations. I read this book and less than 24 hours, probably the quickest 200+ page read for me this year thus far. I have since imparted the gift of literacy, and given the book away to extended family.

The Fitzgerald-Trouts is in many ways a unique book, as well as an amalgam of others. First off Spalding's writing style/technique is very similar to that of Lemony Snicket's in the Series of Unfortunate Events. She refers to herself a lot while also writing about a group of misfortunate siblings. Essentially the main protagonists consists of Kim and Kimo, a twin sister and brother respectively and their young siblings Pippa and Toby. They're more step siblings than real full blooded ones, sharing four different parents among them. All four of them are living together in a green car in a beach parking lot having been abandoned by their parents. They rarely see them, and when they do it is to collect some money or other resources. They take it upon themselves to survive. Meaning, getting to school, washing their clothes, finding a house, etcetera. Along the way they hit some snags and innovate success in their own young minded ways.

The story was really reminiscent of Lewis Sacher's "Holes", and "The Boxcar Children Series" by Gertrude Chandler Warner. It reminded me of a sense of nostalgia for my younger grade school years. The Island theme was an awesome addition to the story. My only caveats were some fanatical situations the siblings find themselves in. That being said the theme of the story is that you may find your self in tough situations, and bad things may happen to you, but you have the power to move on, and left yourself above the fray with collaboration, and positive thinking/actions. Another great addition to the middle grade fiction genre.