A review by ardentbookcooks
Please Pay Attention by Jamie Sumner

dark emotional reflective sad tense 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? No

5.0

Please Pay Attention...but you should not have to. Bea's world is split into a Before and an After, after a school shooting that takes the lives of several students and faculty. This book, primarily for middle grade, but really for all of us, tackles a subject that should hit close to home if you've been living in the US. We all know, are, or have a kid, friend, or family who is part of a school, and school shootings and drills are only becoming more common. 

I will certainly admit to crying and tearing up, not just for Bea, or Josie (her Little buddy), but for all of the students who have had to deal with or prepare to deal with this sort of fear, grief, and loss. I would highly recommend giving this a read, and plan to check out other books by Jamie Sumner.

I was given an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.