A review by molly_dettmann
If I Ever Get Out of Here by Eric Gansworth

3.0

Things I liked: Lewis read like a really awkward kid just wanting to make friends and get through life a little easier. His loneliness was palpable at the beginning and while he did face unfair bullying and discrimination because of his race and where he lived, he also was hard to like sometimes because of his own undoing (a true 7th grader, in my opinion). His friendship with George was genuine and the way they came together and also grew apart so quickly was realistic.

Things I was meh on: The setting. Other than the music and some references the book did not read like it was set in 1975 so that overall just seemed off to me. It’s also a longer, slower read so it might be a harder sell to students.

Friendship, discrimination and prejudice, and identity are all major themes throughout and overall this was still a solid read in my book.