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aimeesbookishlife 's review for:
Kick
by Mitch Johnson
A fantastic idea for a middle-grade book, and very well executed too. Budi is a really relatable and well-rounded character, easy to root for. He isn't perfect, but the mistakes and bad decisions he makes are understandable and make the story more realistic.
There are several different plot threads in the book but not to the extent that it gets confusing. The cast of side-characters add depth and some characters like Budi's best friend Rochy get their own character arcs, but all without distracting too much from Budi's tale. It is more of a character-driven novel than a story-driven one, which helps the reader empathise with Budi.
I picked up this book in my local branch of Waterstones because it was one of the Books of the Month and although I'm not much of a football fan I love to see children's and YA books that introduce readers to international issues. The worker at the checkout told me that the author was a member of staff in that very shop, which is why they were promoting it, and that made me even more willing to support it. I thought it was a fantastic debut and I will be recommending it very widely so it gets the recognition it deserves.
According to a Q&A at the back of my edition, the author is already working on a story about the aftermath of war and I will definitely read that when it comes out.
I would recommend this book to older children and pre-teens who love football. It's a great way to introduce them to serious issues such as sweatshops and poverty.
There are several different plot threads in the book but not to the extent that it gets confusing. The cast of side-characters add depth and some characters like Budi's best friend Rochy get their own character arcs, but all without distracting too much from Budi's tale. It is more of a character-driven novel than a story-driven one, which helps the reader empathise with Budi.
I picked up this book in my local branch of Waterstones because it was one of the Books of the Month and although I'm not much of a football fan I love to see children's and YA books that introduce readers to international issues. The worker at the checkout told me that the author was a member of staff in that very shop, which is why they were promoting it, and that made me even more willing to support it. I thought it was a fantastic debut and I will be recommending it very widely so it gets the recognition it deserves.
According to a Q&A at the back of my edition, the author is already working on a story about the aftermath of war and I will definitely read that when it comes out.
I would recommend this book to older children and pre-teens who love football. It's a great way to introduce them to serious issues such as sweatshops and poverty.