A review by marylannireads
Please Pay Attention by Jamie Sumner

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 
Life has not been easy for eighth-grader Bea Coughlin. Born too early and living with cerebral palsy, Bea knows all too well the challenges that life can bring. But when an armed gunman invades her school one fateful day, Bea’s life becomes even harder. Though unable to protect herself from danger during the tragic event, Bea ultimately rolls away sporting invisible wounds that give each new day an undercurrent of fear. With support from friends and loved ones, however, Bea begins to find ways to heal while embracing the fighter she is inside. This compelling novel in verse depicts in gut wrenching detail the events and aftermath of a school shooting in Bea’s community. Based loosely on events from the author’s own experience, the narrative contains a feeling of veracity and depth that is palpable for readers. Bea lives in a wheelchair, but she is not a person to let her limitations define her. As Bea and her community work through the events at Bea’s school, Bea faces each day with an admirable level of tenacity and perseverance. A diverse cast of characters surrounds Bea in her life, and these figures enhance the universal appeal of a book that bravely explores an event that has become all too common in American life. Heart-wrenching and thought-provoking, this novel is accessible to middle grade and older readers, and it calls upon everyone to do what they can to make school the safe space it is intended to be.

 
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