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A review by alexblackreads
The Wrong Side of Right by Jennifer Thorne
4.0
I was immediately drawn to this book. I had a hunch from the moment I saw it that it would be perfect for me, and I was right. I've never read an ebook before, but it was the only way I could access this book (with the library's physical locations currently closed) and it was so worth it. I flew through this in one night and it was everything I wanted it to be.
Two critiques that kept this at four stars for me. The first was the politics. It felt very shallow and overly simplified. I've read contemporaries, even YA contemporaries, that deal with politics and handle it better than this. Kate's father is a republican but her views align closer to the democratic party, so that does generate a lot of conflict, and I was quite interested in the conflict. But it seems much too easy, almost drawn in black and white. On one issue that Kate disagrees with her father, she drags him out to listen to people and hear their side of the issue. Upon listening to them for like an hour, he changes his mind almost completely and deviates from all his prior policy. I don't believe for one second that a career politician who's running for president, regardless of his party or policy, is ignorant enough to be change his entire position on an issue based on one individual's sob story. He has people talk at him all day every day and I can't believe no one had ever told him a sob story before. That was one big moment, but it happened in smaller ways throughout the book too. I just wish it had been handled with more depth and nuance.
My other issue was that it seemed like the book was very focused on the plot. Everything that happened was directly related to the plot of the story, which kind of leaves a lot of emptiness in the world building. It definitely improved throughout the book, but there was a while it felt kind of bare bones and I just wanted more, more of this world and these people and their lives. Having everything directly related to just the plot makes it feel too linear and less believable, and I think Thorne could've taken a little more time to explore.
But I loved this. I devoured this in one night and it was pretty much exactly what I wanted it to be. I love stories that focus on kids in politics, and the way having parental figures in politics impacts a kid's behavior outside of just the policy. The way they dress and act and talk is all monitored. The President's Daughter by Ellen Emerson White is one of my favorite books and I think that's why I was so excited to pick this up. It's a very different story, but this one explored a lot of the elements I love about White's book too. It's hard for kids in the spotlight, especially kids who aren't used to. I love seeing the learning process of dealing with the press.
I also liked the relationship between Kate and her stepmother. I think it so easily could have been negative in order to write most of the adults out of her life, but instead Thorne went a much more interesting route and so much of this book is actually about Kate and Meg's relationship. It's awkward and hesitant and neither of them know exactly what relationship they want or should have, but it's so heartfelt and touching.
The last third of this book had me tearing up. Maybe it's because I'd been staring at my phone screen for four hours and it was 3am, but I think it had to do with all of Kate's pain and everything in her life coming to a head. It was great.
Just overall a really great, really fun book. I had a blast reading it and would recommend to people who are interested in teenagers who have to deal with being in the political sphere and parent-child relationships. This was one of those books that I'm not sure will stick with me for a long time, but I'm so glad I picked it up because this is my reading comfort zone and it was perfect for my mood.
Two critiques that kept this at four stars for me. The first was the politics. It felt very shallow and overly simplified. I've read contemporaries, even YA contemporaries, that deal with politics and handle it better than this. Kate's father is a republican but her views align closer to the democratic party, so that does generate a lot of conflict, and I was quite interested in the conflict. But it seems much too easy, almost drawn in black and white. On one issue that Kate disagrees with her father, she drags him out to listen to people and hear their side of the issue. Upon listening to them for like an hour, he changes his mind almost completely and deviates from all his prior policy. I don't believe for one second that a career politician who's running for president, regardless of his party or policy, is ignorant enough to be change his entire position on an issue based on one individual's sob story. He has people talk at him all day every day and I can't believe no one had ever told him a sob story before. That was one big moment, but it happened in smaller ways throughout the book too. I just wish it had been handled with more depth and nuance.
My other issue was that it seemed like the book was very focused on the plot. Everything that happened was directly related to the plot of the story, which kind of leaves a lot of emptiness in the world building. It definitely improved throughout the book, but there was a while it felt kind of bare bones and I just wanted more, more of this world and these people and their lives. Having everything directly related to just the plot makes it feel too linear and less believable, and I think Thorne could've taken a little more time to explore.
But I loved this. I devoured this in one night and it was pretty much exactly what I wanted it to be. I love stories that focus on kids in politics, and the way having parental figures in politics impacts a kid's behavior outside of just the policy. The way they dress and act and talk is all monitored. The President's Daughter by Ellen Emerson White is one of my favorite books and I think that's why I was so excited to pick this up. It's a very different story, but this one explored a lot of the elements I love about White's book too. It's hard for kids in the spotlight, especially kids who aren't used to. I love seeing the learning process of dealing with the press.
I also liked the relationship between Kate and her stepmother. I think it so easily could have been negative in order to write most of the adults out of her life, but instead Thorne went a much more interesting route and so much of this book is actually about Kate and Meg's relationship. It's awkward and hesitant and neither of them know exactly what relationship they want or should have, but it's so heartfelt and touching.
The last third of this book had me tearing up. Maybe it's because I'd been staring at my phone screen for four hours and it was 3am, but I think it had to do with all of Kate's pain and everything in her life coming to a head. It was great.
Just overall a really great, really fun book. I had a blast reading it and would recommend to people who are interested in teenagers who have to deal with being in the political sphere and parent-child relationships. This was one of those books that I'm not sure will stick with me for a long time, but I'm so glad I picked it up because this is my reading comfort zone and it was perfect for my mood.