You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
emily_1215 's review for:
My Jasper June
by Laurel Snyder
2nd read: June 2020 (5 stars, naturally)
Don't mind me; I'm still crying over this book a year later. I felt nervous about rereading this and felt a pressure to love this book just as much as I did the first time and in the same way, and kind of didn't. It's okay, though.
I still love this book, and it's still my favorite middle-grade of all time. Jasper and Leah's friendship is so special to me, and I stand by everything I said in my initial review. I love the magical atmosphere, and I still love the exploration of grief and other difficult emotions. This time, the thing that I've been thinking about most is the Sad Game. I've already given it a try, and I will reiterate how important it is that this age group learns that it is 100% okay to sit with your feelings and let them out in a healthy way.
I forgot how absolutely heartbreaking the situation in Leah's family is, and I love the journey that they take because of and with Jasper. I also forgot the dynamism of Jasper and Leah's friendship, and I actually really like that they both say and do hurtful things and then work through them because that's just how friendships work. These characters can be so messy, and they're doing their best.
I noticed that some of the dialogue feels unnatural, but I can excuse it because it's not offensively stilted or weird. Also, there should have been way more content with Mr. Face.
This is one of the most unique and magical friendships I've ever encountered in literature, and I love this book forever and ever. It has my entire heart.
5 stars!
I adore this book. It is the perfect balance of heartbreaking, adorable, and whimsical for the middle grade audience, and really, for anyone.
This book is strictly a contemporary, but the word choice, symbolism, and setting create a magical energy. I am honestly surprised that there is no element of magical realism because that's the vibe this book gives, and the ability to create this tone in an exclusively real world is incredible. Coupled with the heavy themes this book handles, the tone makes the book a little lighter and much less bleak.
I love both Leah and Jasper and their friendship. I have a friend who I met and quickly became very close to, who knows most of what I consider to be the worst parts of me, and I saw our friendship in Jasper and Leah. These girls would do anything for each other. I also like that Snyder also includes a strained friendship to demonstrate to readers that our best friends will not always be our best friends, but we will always make new friends who we will love just as much.
My favorite theme in this book is acknowledging that bad things happen, but we can live fearlessly in spite of them. Jasper says, "Just because things are hard doesn't mean life isn't still full of good things." Both of the girls have dealt with their own traumas, but they trust each other and take the risk of forming a friendship. This is the book I needed to read right now.
I feel like kids are told to "look at the bright side" and never say that they're hurting, no matter what has happened, or that someone else has it worse. Adults put on this act that pain isn't real or that it's a choice. My other favorite quote is, "It isn't a contest, pain. And sometimes, you can't make it go away, no matter what you do. You just have to carry it around, you know?" I had to put my book down for a moment because this simple line struck me so hard.
This story deals so head-on with grief and does not shy away from depicting any of the aspects. It's sad, it's beautiful, and I think it's going to change lives and mean a lot to people. I know it meant a lot to me.
Don't mind me; I'm still crying over this book a year later. I felt nervous about rereading this and felt a pressure to love this book just as much as I did the first time and in the same way, and kind of didn't. It's okay, though.
I still love this book, and it's still my favorite middle-grade of all time. Jasper and Leah's friendship is so special to me, and I stand by everything I said in my initial review. I love the magical atmosphere, and I still love the exploration of grief and other difficult emotions. This time, the thing that I've been thinking about most is the Sad Game. I've already given it a try, and I will reiterate how important it is that this age group learns that it is 100% okay to sit with your feelings and let them out in a healthy way.
I forgot how absolutely heartbreaking the situation in Leah's family is, and I love the journey that they take because of and with Jasper. I also forgot the dynamism of Jasper and Leah's friendship, and I actually really like that they both say and do hurtful things and then work through them because that's just how friendships work. These characters can be so messy, and they're doing their best.
I noticed that some of the dialogue feels unnatural, but I can excuse it because it's not offensively stilted or weird. Also, there should have been way more content with Mr. Face.
This is one of the most unique and magical friendships I've ever encountered in literature, and I love this book forever and ever. It has my entire heart.
5 stars!
I adore this book. It is the perfect balance of heartbreaking, adorable, and whimsical for the middle grade audience, and really, for anyone.
This book is strictly a contemporary, but the word choice, symbolism, and setting create a magical energy. I am honestly surprised that there is no element of magical realism because that's the vibe this book gives, and the ability to create this tone in an exclusively real world is incredible. Coupled with the heavy themes this book handles, the tone makes the book a little lighter and much less bleak.
I love both Leah and Jasper and their friendship. I have a friend who I met and quickly became very close to, who knows most of what I consider to be the worst parts of me, and I saw our friendship in Jasper and Leah. These girls would do anything for each other. I also like that Snyder also includes a strained friendship to demonstrate to readers that our best friends will not always be our best friends, but we will always make new friends who we will love just as much.
My favorite theme in this book is acknowledging that bad things happen, but we can live fearlessly in spite of them. Jasper says, "Just because things are hard doesn't mean life isn't still full of good things." Both of the girls have dealt with their own traumas, but they trust each other and take the risk of forming a friendship. This is the book I needed to read right now.
I feel like kids are told to "look at the bright side" and never say that they're hurting, no matter what has happened, or that someone else has it worse. Adults put on this act that pain isn't real or that it's a choice. My other favorite quote is, "It isn't a contest, pain. And sometimes, you can't make it go away, no matter what you do. You just have to carry it around, you know?" I had to put my book down for a moment because this simple line struck me so hard.
This story deals so head-on with grief and does not shy away from depicting any of the aspects. It's sad, it's beautiful, and I think it's going to change lives and mean a lot to people. I know it meant a lot to me.