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A review by thebookishmeg
Blended by Sharon M. Draper
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Blended is a sweet and heartfelt young Middle-grade novel that follows an 11-year-old protagonist, Isabelle, as she tries to figure out her identity, come to grips with her parent’s divorce, and deal with a racial incident at her school. It is a really important read for all readers, particularly aimed at a younger audience.
Isabelle is a wonderful character. She is funny, relatable, and full of the curiosity of an 11-year-old attempting to understand the world. She is an incredibly caring character; even though she spends the novel torn between two houses and two identities, Isabelle is always looking out for her friends and family. Izzy’s dad is black; her mum is white – and Izzy isn’t sure who she is or where she fits in the world. She is forced to contend with micro-aggressive actions, as well as a disturbing incident at her school, and I loved the way in which Sharon M. Draper explained social issues through the eyes of a child, and through Isabelle’s parents’ explanations.
On top of trying to figure out who she is, Isabelle is also dealing with her parent’s recent divorce. I loved the presentation of divorced parents – I definitely didn’t read enough books with them as a child – and stepparents and step-siblings, of having two homes, two families, and acting differently with each parent. This book almost had me in tears multiple times seeing the ways in which Isabelle’s parents inadvertently took their anger against each other out on Izzy; they failed to see the way they were putting their daughter in the middle of a battle she never agreed to fight. It broke my heart a little bit, but I think it is an incredibly important book and I wish I had read it as a child.
It was heartbreaking, challenging to read at times, but also funny and ultimately inspiring. It is a definite must-read for children aged around 8+ and, as I love the middle-grade genre and think so many children’s books are incredibly special, everyone else too!
Isabelle is a wonderful character. She is funny, relatable, and full of the curiosity of an 11-year-old attempting to understand the world. She is an incredibly caring character; even though she spends the novel torn between two houses and two identities, Isabelle is always looking out for her friends and family. Izzy’s dad is black; her mum is white – and Izzy isn’t sure who she is or where she fits in the world. She is forced to contend with micro-aggressive actions, as well as a disturbing incident at her school, and I loved the way in which Sharon M. Draper explained social issues through the eyes of a child, and through Isabelle’s parents’ explanations.
On top of trying to figure out who she is, Isabelle is also dealing with her parent’s recent divorce. I loved the presentation of divorced parents – I definitely didn’t read enough books with them as a child – and stepparents and step-siblings, of having two homes, two families, and acting differently with each parent. This book almost had me in tears multiple times seeing the ways in which Isabelle’s parents inadvertently took their anger against each other out on Izzy; they failed to see the way they were putting their daughter in the middle of a battle she never agreed to fight. It broke my heart a little bit, but I think it is an incredibly important book and I wish I had read it as a child.
It was heartbreaking, challenging to read at times, but also funny and ultimately inspiring. It is a definite must-read for children aged around 8+ and, as I love the middle-grade genre and think so many children’s books are incredibly special, everyone else too!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Racism, and Police brutality