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A review by alexavi
Pay It Forward by Catherine Ryan Hyde
4.0
I read this at the request of an old teacher with whom I keep in touch. This book evoked more emotion out of me than I thought it would. I brushed the book off initially thinking that the concept is fantastic, but this book is for middle schoolers, so what am I doing reading this? Yet, here we are.
For me, it was slow in the beginning, so I put it off for a long time. It felt inactive and uninteresting, which is why it lost a star. But at some point, the pace picked up, and I met new characters, empathized, invested in relationships/outcomes, chuckled, etc. Here we are, and I actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would. It wasn’t the smoothest read and was written in a … unique.. style, but I don’t think it took too much away from the story.
Wayyyyyyyyyy more intense than I thought it would be for a kids book (it says for ages 8-12). Most people have issues with books like this that have serious topics, and that it’s still for kids. And, hey, I get it. However, personally, when I was 8-12, I could have handled this. Not to say I wasn’t like other kids (well I wasn’t), but many kids would not understand the full severity of each problem that arose in the book, so, in a sense, this book would be “wasted” on them. I feel like waiting for them to be somewhat older or on the older spectrum of the 8-12 would be best for them to understand it better and treat it with more.. reverence(?) I guess, though each kid is different. I also don’t think it’s right for parents to rate this book so harshly for that aspect. Having serious real-life topics does not take away from its literary merit nor “goodness” (it can sometimes quite possibly add to it).
I would recommend a reflective approach to this book. Rate and review it based on yourself- you can add at the end a PSA of your OPINION (key word there) on whether [your] children should read this at a younger age based on its content (don’t ban it from them forever- they should be choosing what they do and do not read freely). After this book gives you a positive idea of how the world could change and maybe some hope, remember.. to pay it forward ;)
For me, it was slow in the beginning, so I put it off for a long time. It felt inactive and uninteresting, which is why it lost a star. But at some point, the pace picked up, and I met new characters, empathized, invested in relationships/outcomes, chuckled, etc. Here we are, and I actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would. It wasn’t the smoothest read and was written in a … unique.. style, but I don’t think it took too much away from the story.
Wayyyyyyyyyy more intense than I thought it would be for a kids book (it says for ages 8-12). Most people have issues with books like this that have serious topics, and that it’s still for kids. And, hey, I get it. However, personally, when I was 8-12, I could have handled this. Not to say I wasn’t like other kids (well I wasn’t), but many kids would not understand the full severity of each problem that arose in the book, so, in a sense, this book would be “wasted” on them. I feel like waiting for them to be somewhat older or on the older spectrum of the 8-12 would be best for them to understand it better and treat it with more.. reverence(?) I guess, though each kid is different. I also don’t think it’s right for parents to rate this book so harshly for that aspect. Having serious real-life topics does not take away from its literary merit nor “goodness” (it can sometimes quite possibly add to it).
I would recommend a reflective approach to this book. Rate and review it based on yourself- you can add at the end a PSA of your OPINION (key word there) on whether [your] children should read this at a younger age based on its content (don’t ban it from them forever- they should be choosing what they do and do not read freely). After this book gives you a positive idea of how the world could change and maybe some hope, remember.. to pay it forward ;)