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A review by couillac
Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff
4.0
Albie touches my heart. Graff's story of an underachiever struggling with a new school, his best friend's sudden fame, and his parents' high expectations makes for a memorable read.
Albie is a pretty normal kid who doesn't quite understand why his parents often seem frustrated with him. He's actually adjusting well to his public school, learning multiplication by accident in math club, making friends and sharing gummy bears with fellow outsider Betsy, and still managing to squeeze in board game sessions with best friend Erlan in spite of his family's new reality TV show. He even has a new babysitter who helps him sneak Captain Underpants books past his mom and works with him on drawing comic book superheroes. But his grades are still poor, and his parents are disappointed. Then even his friendships start to unravel.
Albie is the rare protagonist of kid lit who is not the chosen one - he's just an average kid. But Graff does an admirable job of carefully showing readers that despite everything that the world keeps telling Albie he doesn't have or isn't capable of, there's so much that Albie can do. He's a loving, patient son, a good friend, a diligent student who wants to do better, and an earnest, kind human being. In the end, his problems don't magically disappear, he doesn't ace any exams, and the people who have left him don't return. But through the understanding of his teachers and his own quiet strength and honesty, he does move forward in his relationships and in his own acceptance of himself.
I had a few minor quibbles about the fairly one-note and rather absent parents, and the borderline stereotypical Asian grandfather, but no book is perfect, and this is really Albie's story. Those kids who often feel unexceptional (and who doesn't at some point?) will finally see themselves in a world of books that is so often focused on the extraordinary and the quirky kids, and all children will relate to Albie's hopes and fears. In some ways, a quiet book, but with broad appeal and plenty of humor and affection to keep things light. Don't miss this one.
Albie is a pretty normal kid who doesn't quite understand why his parents often seem frustrated with him. He's actually adjusting well to his public school, learning multiplication by accident in math club, making friends and sharing gummy bears with fellow outsider Betsy, and still managing to squeeze in board game sessions with best friend Erlan in spite of his family's new reality TV show. He even has a new babysitter who helps him sneak Captain Underpants books past his mom and works with him on drawing comic book superheroes. But his grades are still poor, and his parents are disappointed. Then even his friendships start to unravel.
Albie is the rare protagonist of kid lit who is not the chosen one - he's just an average kid. But Graff does an admirable job of carefully showing readers that despite everything that the world keeps telling Albie he doesn't have or isn't capable of, there's so much that Albie can do. He's a loving, patient son, a good friend, a diligent student who wants to do better, and an earnest, kind human being. In the end, his problems don't magically disappear, he doesn't ace any exams, and the people who have left him don't return. But through the understanding of his teachers and his own quiet strength and honesty, he does move forward in his relationships and in his own acceptance of himself.
I had a few minor quibbles about the fairly one-note and rather absent parents, and the borderline stereotypical Asian grandfather, but no book is perfect, and this is really Albie's story. Those kids who often feel unexceptional (and who doesn't at some point?) will finally see themselves in a world of books that is so often focused on the extraordinary and the quirky kids, and all children will relate to Albie's hopes and fears. In some ways, a quiet book, but with broad appeal and plenty of humor and affection to keep things light. Don't miss this one.