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812 reviews
Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis
5.0
First, I need to point out the cover of this book. I think it’s stunning. It definitely got my attention right away. Whoever designed it deserves a serious pay raise.
I’ve lost count of how many young adult dystopias I’ve read over the past few years. They’ve all started to blur together in my mind, but once in a while, one stands out. Not A Drop To Drink is a standout. It isn’t about a war, a plague, or a sadistic government that needs overthrowing. It’s just about people doing their best to survive. That’s a refreshing addition to the genre.
Lynn and her mother own a pond in a world where water is scarce. They spend every day defending their water from the people who need it. Lynn has no trouble shooting anyone who gets near her pond . . . until she climbs down from her rooftop sniper perch and starts talking to her thirsty neighbors.
The writing is sparse, gritty, and powerful. I love the subtle differences in the way that the country characters and the city characters speak. This is a beautiful debut novel, and Mindy McGinnis may become one of my new favorite authors.
The characters are the second-best part of the book (after the writing). Lynn is so tough. She reminds me a lot of Katniss from The Hunger Games, but Lynn is a more-willing participant in the deaths of her neighbors. She’s strong minded. She knows exactly what she wants and how to get it. I enjoyed seeing her change as she learns to trust the people around her.
I’m having a hard time coming up with something that I didn’t like about this book. The romance probably could have used more development. Lynn is very inexperienced with physical affection. At the beginning of the book, she doesn’t understand what “Flirt” means, and she doesn’t know anything about sex. She doesn’t even know how to kiss Eli, her love interest. Lynn and Eli’s relationship becomes physical very quickly. It’s not unrealistic, and they don’t have sex, but it still creeps me out because she’s so much less experienced than him.
Not A Drop To Drink is a quick read with a lot of action. I read it in a few hours and loved every second of it. I’m looking forward to the sequel.
I’ve lost count of how many young adult dystopias I’ve read over the past few years. They’ve all started to blur together in my mind, but once in a while, one stands out. Not A Drop To Drink is a standout. It isn’t about a war, a plague, or a sadistic government that needs overthrowing. It’s just about people doing their best to survive. That’s a refreshing addition to the genre.
Lynn and her mother own a pond in a world where water is scarce. They spend every day defending their water from the people who need it. Lynn has no trouble shooting anyone who gets near her pond . . . until she climbs down from her rooftop sniper perch and starts talking to her thirsty neighbors.
The writing is sparse, gritty, and powerful. I love the subtle differences in the way that the country characters and the city characters speak. This is a beautiful debut novel, and Mindy McGinnis may become one of my new favorite authors.
The characters are the second-best part of the book (after the writing). Lynn is so tough. She reminds me a lot of Katniss from The Hunger Games, but Lynn is a more-willing participant in the deaths of her neighbors. She’s strong minded. She knows exactly what she wants and how to get it. I enjoyed seeing her change as she learns to trust the people around her.
I’m having a hard time coming up with something that I didn’t like about this book. The romance probably could have used more development. Lynn is very inexperienced with physical affection. At the beginning of the book, she doesn’t understand what “Flirt” means, and she doesn’t know anything about sex. She doesn’t even know how to kiss Eli, her love interest. Lynn and Eli’s relationship becomes physical very quickly. It’s not unrealistic, and they don’t have sex, but it still creeps me out because she’s so much less experienced than him.
Not A Drop To Drink is a quick read with a lot of action. I read it in a few hours and loved every second of it. I’m looking forward to the sequel.
Sky Jumpers by Peggy Eddleman
3.0
Sky Jumpers is a post-apocalyptic middle grade novel about a group of cliff diving twelve-year-olds who need to save their town from invading bandits.
The narrator is a kickass heroine named Hope. She’s a natural leader with a passion for competitions and physical activity. There’s no challenge she won’t accept. She isn’t afraid to climb tall trees or jump from the cliffs that surround her home. Her classmates are drawn to her because of her athletic talents and leadership abilities. Unfortunately, her desire to push the limits often gets her in trouble.
With a narrator like Hope, this book does not lack action. The excitement starts on page 1 and rarely slows down. The quick pacing and spirited characters can easily hold the attention of young readers. Peggy Eddleman does an amazing job of capturing the voice of a twelve-year-old and making Hope relatable.
As an adult-aged reader, I have a few issues with the book. If you are a lover of science fiction, you may have to suspend your disbelief. A lot. The science and the actions of the adult characters aren’t always logical. These problems most likely won’t bother young readers, though.
This book is action-packed, but the main plot takes a long time to get started. The first half of the story is mostly just world building and character development. The world building is fascinating, but the story feels a bit directionless until the bandits finally show up. After the bandits overrun the town, the action really takes off. Unfortunately, some of the action scenes are difficult to picture. There is a map of the town in the front of the book, but it didn’t help me very much.
I also have a problem with the whole “inventing” aspect. The leaders of Hope’s town force all of its citizens to create inventions that will improve the lives of the townspeople. Hope seems to be the only person in town who has trouble inventing. Even the five-year-olds are genius inventers. Anyone who can’t invent is looked down upon. This does tie in to the story’s “Find your strengths” theme, but it comes across as unrealistic and heavy-handed.
The best part of this book is its theme. There is a lot for readers to take away from the story. Hope learns that everybody has different strengths and weaknesses. The challenge is figuring out how to use your strengths to accomplish your goals.
Sky Jumpers is book #1 of a trilogy (I think?). I really enjoyed seeing this post-apocalyptic world from Hope’s point-of-view, but I probably will not continue reading the series.
The narrator is a kickass heroine named Hope. She’s a natural leader with a passion for competitions and physical activity. There’s no challenge she won’t accept. She isn’t afraid to climb tall trees or jump from the cliffs that surround her home. Her classmates are drawn to her because of her athletic talents and leadership abilities. Unfortunately, her desire to push the limits often gets her in trouble.
With a narrator like Hope, this book does not lack action. The excitement starts on page 1 and rarely slows down. The quick pacing and spirited characters can easily hold the attention of young readers. Peggy Eddleman does an amazing job of capturing the voice of a twelve-year-old and making Hope relatable.
As an adult-aged reader, I have a few issues with the book. If you are a lover of science fiction, you may have to suspend your disbelief. A lot. The science and the actions of the adult characters aren’t always logical. These problems most likely won’t bother young readers, though.
This book is action-packed, but the main plot takes a long time to get started. The first half of the story is mostly just world building and character development. The world building is fascinating, but the story feels a bit directionless until the bandits finally show up. After the bandits overrun the town, the action really takes off. Unfortunately, some of the action scenes are difficult to picture. There is a map of the town in the front of the book, but it didn’t help me very much.
I also have a problem with the whole “inventing” aspect. The leaders of Hope’s town force all of its citizens to create inventions that will improve the lives of the townspeople. Hope seems to be the only person in town who has trouble inventing. Even the five-year-olds are genius inventers. Anyone who can’t invent is looked down upon. This does tie in to the story’s “Find your strengths” theme, but it comes across as unrealistic and heavy-handed.
The best part of this book is its theme. There is a lot for readers to take away from the story. Hope learns that everybody has different strengths and weaknesses. The challenge is figuring out how to use your strengths to accomplish your goals.
Sky Jumpers is book #1 of a trilogy (I think?). I really enjoyed seeing this post-apocalyptic world from Hope’s point-of-view, but I probably will not continue reading the series.
Doubt by John Patrick Shanley
4.0
This review is of the stage play script. In 2008, the stage play was adapted in to a movie that stars Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, and Viola Davis.
Doubt is a deceptively simple story: a nun at a Catholic school believes that a priest is having inappropriate contact with a student. The nun has no evidence to back up her accusations against the priest, but her instincts are telling her that something is wrong. The play is set in 1960s New York and confronts the issues of race, homosexuality, and sexual abuse.
The brilliance of this play is in its layers. It examines doubt on multiple levels. There is no certainty. The characters doubt themselves, and the audience is always wondering who is telling the truth. The characters and their motivations are amazingly complex. There are no clear-cut heroes and villains in this story. Everything is murky and ambiguous.
The plot moves quickly, and the suspense of not knowing who to trust keeps the audience engaged. The action is subtle but never boring. I had to keep reading to find out if the nun could prove her accusations against the priest. It’s very easy to become invested in the plot and the characters.
Doubt is not the most exciting play I’ve ever read, but the story and the characters are definitely compelling. It’s worth reading.
Doubt is a deceptively simple story: a nun at a Catholic school believes that a priest is having inappropriate contact with a student. The nun has no evidence to back up her accusations against the priest, but her instincts are telling her that something is wrong. The play is set in 1960s New York and confronts the issues of race, homosexuality, and sexual abuse.
The brilliance of this play is in its layers. It examines doubt on multiple levels. There is no certainty. The characters doubt themselves, and the audience is always wondering who is telling the truth. The characters and their motivations are amazingly complex. There are no clear-cut heroes and villains in this story. Everything is murky and ambiguous.
The plot moves quickly, and the suspense of not knowing who to trust keeps the audience engaged. The action is subtle but never boring. I had to keep reading to find out if the nun could prove her accusations against the priest. It’s very easy to become invested in the plot and the characters.
Doubt is not the most exciting play I’ve ever read, but the story and the characters are definitely compelling. It’s worth reading.
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
5.0
I don’t know how to review this book. I don’t think it’s even possible.
The Diary of a Young Girl is the real-life diary of a 13-15 year-old girl who spent two years in hiding during World War II. This diary is probably one of the world’s most valuable historical documents. Anne Frank faithfully recorded the events of the war and how they impacted her life.
The author’s maturity and honesty are astounding. I definitely wasn’t that introspective as a teenager. She really seemed to understand herself and what she wanted in life. That makes the ending so much more tragic.
I like that this edition of the book has a foreword and afterword. They both provide historical information, and I found them to be more interesting than the diary itself. They put the diary in historical context so that the reader can fully understand it. I appreciated the extra information.
I’m very happy that I finally got around to reading this book. It should be required reading for the entire planet.
The Diary of a Young Girl is the real-life diary of a 13-15 year-old girl who spent two years in hiding during World War II. This diary is probably one of the world’s most valuable historical documents. Anne Frank faithfully recorded the events of the war and how they impacted her life.
The author’s maturity and honesty are astounding. I definitely wasn’t that introspective as a teenager. She really seemed to understand herself and what she wanted in life. That makes the ending so much more tragic.
I like that this edition of the book has a foreword and afterword. They both provide historical information, and I found them to be more interesting than the diary itself. They put the diary in historical context so that the reader can fully understand it. I appreciated the extra information.
I’m very happy that I finally got around to reading this book. It should be required reading for the entire planet.
St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves by Karen Russell
4.0
Karen Russell is one of the most talented and creative short story writers I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. The title story of this collection is one of my favorite short stories ever, and the rest of the collection does not disappoint.
In these quirky magical realism tales, boys frantically ice skate through artificial blizzards, fat girls get stuck inside giant seashells, and a teenager takes her ghost boyfriend to swamp prom. The stories feature young characters and are hilarious and heartbreaking. They blend vivid realism and wild imagination in a way that leaves the reader feeling slightly off-kilter.
Here are a few of the stand-out stories:
In “Haunting Olivia,” two brothers set out to find their sister after she floats away on a giant crab shell. This story perfectly blends humor and devastation.
In “Children’s Reminiscences of the Westward Migration,” a Minotaur pulls his wife and children across the plains in a covered wagon. This story took me a while to get into, but the characters are so strange that I ended up loving it.
As I already mentioned, “St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves” is one of my favorite short stories ever. It’s about the nuns at St. Lucy’s Home and their attempt to turn a pack of wild wolfgirls into proper young ladies. This story is sad and weird and laugh-out-loud funny. The writing is brilliant. It’s definitely the best story in the collection.
It’s hard to come up with criticisms of this book, but I think a few of the stories went over my head a little. I didn’t feel like I totally understood their full meaning. Also, many of the characters in the stories are very similar. Every story features at least one precocious child, and I would have liked the kids to have more distinct personalities.
These are very minor criticisms. I highly recommend this book, especially if you’re in the mood for something unusual.
In these quirky magical realism tales, boys frantically ice skate through artificial blizzards, fat girls get stuck inside giant seashells, and a teenager takes her ghost boyfriend to swamp prom. The stories feature young characters and are hilarious and heartbreaking. They blend vivid realism and wild imagination in a way that leaves the reader feeling slightly off-kilter.
Here are a few of the stand-out stories:
In “Haunting Olivia,” two brothers set out to find their sister after she floats away on a giant crab shell. This story perfectly blends humor and devastation.
In “Children’s Reminiscences of the Westward Migration,” a Minotaur pulls his wife and children across the plains in a covered wagon. This story took me a while to get into, but the characters are so strange that I ended up loving it.
As I already mentioned, “St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves” is one of my favorite short stories ever. It’s about the nuns at St. Lucy’s Home and their attempt to turn a pack of wild wolfgirls into proper young ladies. This story is sad and weird and laugh-out-loud funny. The writing is brilliant. It’s definitely the best story in the collection.
It’s hard to come up with criticisms of this book, but I think a few of the stories went over my head a little. I didn’t feel like I totally understood their full meaning. Also, many of the characters in the stories are very similar. Every story features at least one precocious child, and I would have liked the kids to have more distinct personalities.
These are very minor criticisms. I highly recommend this book, especially if you’re in the mood for something unusual.
Rumble by Ellen Hopkins
4.0
I love Ellen Hopkins. She’s an amazing poet. Her novels-in-verse are so unique, and she doesn’t shy away from difficult topics. Rumble confronts the issues of bullying, suicide, mental illness, religion, and homophobia.
Eighteen-year-old Matt loses faith in everything when his younger brother commits suicide. It takes a near-death experience and a few unexplainable events for Matt to start trusting the people in his life again.
I’m a huge fan of Ellen Hopkins’s work, but I didn’t like this book as much as her others. The plot seems a bit directionless at times, and the poems aren’t as varied as the ones in some of her other books. I also think that the secondary characters could have used more development. There are a lot of minor characters, and the reader doesn’t get to know them very well. A few times I found myself going, “Wait, who is that again?”
I had a hard time connecting with Matt at first. In the beginning of the book, he’s whiny and melodramatic, but I grew to like him as the story progressed. He’s complex and has a great sense of humor. He also has some serious problems, but he’s not completely loathsome. I love how much my opinion of him changed over the course of the story. I didn’t know that was possible.
I also love how the author handles religion. Matt is an atheist, but most of the people in his life are Christians. Instead of vilifying one side or the other, the story encourages readers to be open-minded and not cling to absolutes (all that ‘I’m right and you’re wrong’ stuff). The characters learn tolerance, forgiveness, and understanding. The book is worth reading just for that.
Rumble isn’t Ellen Hopkins’s strongest novel, but I still enjoyed it.
Eighteen-year-old Matt loses faith in everything when his younger brother commits suicide. It takes a near-death experience and a few unexplainable events for Matt to start trusting the people in his life again.
I’m a huge fan of Ellen Hopkins’s work, but I didn’t like this book as much as her others. The plot seems a bit directionless at times, and the poems aren’t as varied as the ones in some of her other books. I also think that the secondary characters could have used more development. There are a lot of minor characters, and the reader doesn’t get to know them very well. A few times I found myself going, “Wait, who is that again?”
I had a hard time connecting with Matt at first. In the beginning of the book, he’s whiny and melodramatic, but I grew to like him as the story progressed. He’s complex and has a great sense of humor. He also has some serious problems, but he’s not completely loathsome. I love how much my opinion of him changed over the course of the story. I didn’t know that was possible.
I also love how the author handles religion. Matt is an atheist, but most of the people in his life are Christians. Instead of vilifying one side or the other, the story encourages readers to be open-minded and not cling to absolutes (all that ‘I’m right and you’re wrong’ stuff). The characters learn tolerance, forgiveness, and understanding. The book is worth reading just for that.
Rumble isn’t Ellen Hopkins’s strongest novel, but I still enjoyed it.
The Purgatorium by Eva Pohler
1.0
I know that I’m in the minority for disliking this novel, but I had a hard time getting through it. There are just too many problems for me to overlook.
Daphne believes that she is going on vacation with her best friend, but when she gets to the island, she discovers that she has been tricked into going to a therapeutic resort for people with mental health issues. She is forced to participate in “games” that confuse and terrify her.
The plot is fast-paced, and the descriptions of the island are beautiful, but the writing is mostly lackluster, and the story isn’t believable. The way that mental illness is depicted isn’t realistic. The “games” are all silly, cruel, or both. I couldn’t understand why Daphne continued to go along with them, especially at the end of the book. Over the course of the novel, everyone she loves lies to her. She’s put in physical danger many times. Her body is altered without her consent. She’s even tricked into committing animal abuse. Why isn’t she angry about this?
I also had a hard time with the number of underdeveloped secondary characters. They were all just names to me. I kept having to flip back through the pages to remind myself who they are.
The premise of this book is intriguing, but the story fell flat for me.
Daphne believes that she is going on vacation with her best friend, but when she gets to the island, she discovers that she has been tricked into going to a therapeutic resort for people with mental health issues. She is forced to participate in “games” that confuse and terrify her.
The plot is fast-paced, and the descriptions of the island are beautiful, but the writing is mostly lackluster, and the story isn’t believable. The way that mental illness is depicted isn’t realistic. The “games” are all silly, cruel, or both. I couldn’t understand why Daphne continued to go along with them, especially at the end of the book. Over the course of the novel, everyone she loves lies to her. She’s put in physical danger many times. Her body is altered without her consent. She’s even tricked into committing animal abuse. Why isn’t she angry about this?
I also had a hard time with the number of underdeveloped secondary characters. They were all just names to me. I kept having to flip back through the pages to remind myself who they are.
The premise of this book is intriguing, but the story fell flat for me.
Smoke by Ellen Hopkins
5.0
Every time I review an Ellen Hopkins book, I start the review with “Ellen Hopkins is brilliant.” This review is no exception. Ellen Hopkins is still a brilliant poet, and this book is wonderful.
Smoke is a novel-in-verse and the sequel to Burned. It continues the story of two sisters, Pattyn and Jackie Von Stratten. Pattyn is on the run from the police, and Jackie is left to clean up the wreckage that Pattyn left behind.
Smoke picks up right where Burned left off. The action starts immediately and doesn’t really slow down. This is a super-fast read. Even though it’s over 500 pages, I easily finished it in a day. The poems are beautifully written, and there is a large enough verity of them that they don’t feel repetitive. I was completely engrossed in the story, and I am so happy that it has a hopeful ending. The ending of Burned is very depressing. I’m glad that some of the characters’ issues are resolved in the sequel.
Just like with Burned, Ellen Hopkins does an amazing job of showing the results of religious abuse. It’s a topic that isn’t discussed often. I think that most authors wouldn’t be brave enough to approach it. I know that Burned and Smoke are both criticized for being anti-Mormon, but I don’t see them that way. I see them as anti-religious abuse and anti-religious extremism. Abuse can happen within any religion, and these books are a great way to get people talking about the issue.
My only criticism of Smoke is the lack of character development. Pattyn and Jackie’s boyfriends are both too perfect for my tastes. I would have liked them to be more realistically flawed. I also think the mother could have used more development. Some of her behaviors and decisions are difficult to understand without knowing her better.
Despite the lack of character development, I love this book. I think I love all of Ellen Hopkins’s books. If you haven’t read one, you really should.
Smoke is a novel-in-verse and the sequel to Burned. It continues the story of two sisters, Pattyn and Jackie Von Stratten. Pattyn is on the run from the police, and Jackie is left to clean up the wreckage that Pattyn left behind.
Smoke picks up right where Burned left off. The action starts immediately and doesn’t really slow down. This is a super-fast read. Even though it’s over 500 pages, I easily finished it in a day. The poems are beautifully written, and there is a large enough verity of them that they don’t feel repetitive. I was completely engrossed in the story, and I am so happy that it has a hopeful ending. The ending of Burned is very depressing. I’m glad that some of the characters’ issues are resolved in the sequel.
Just like with Burned, Ellen Hopkins does an amazing job of showing the results of religious abuse. It’s a topic that isn’t discussed often. I think that most authors wouldn’t be brave enough to approach it. I know that Burned and Smoke are both criticized for being anti-Mormon, but I don’t see them that way. I see them as anti-religious abuse and anti-religious extremism. Abuse can happen within any religion, and these books are a great way to get people talking about the issue.
My only criticism of Smoke is the lack of character development. Pattyn and Jackie’s boyfriends are both too perfect for my tastes. I would have liked them to be more realistically flawed. I also think the mother could have used more development. Some of her behaviors and decisions are difficult to understand without knowing her better.
Despite the lack of character development, I love this book. I think I love all of Ellen Hopkins’s books. If you haven’t read one, you really should.
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
4.0
Wade Watts is obsessed with a virtual world called the OASIS. He spends most of his time in the game searching for “the egg,” a prize that could make him a multi-billionaire. After years of searching, he finally figures out a clue to the egg’s whereabouts, but when other players learn about the information he’s uncovered, the game becomes deadly in a very real way.
This book is so much fun. It’s crazy and intense and unpredictable and hilarious. It’s one of the most imaginative novels I’ve read this year. At first, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read it because it’s full of 70s and 80s pop-culture references. I was born in the late 80s, so I wasn’t sure if I’d understand the references, but I shouldn’t have worried. Not understanding the references didn’t diminish my enjoyment of the book in any way. After the first few chapters, the pacing picks up so much that I stopped caring about pop-culture. I just wanted to find out who reaches the egg first.
Both the OASIS virtual world and the dystopian real world are well-developed and believable, but the characters are the best part of the book. They’re snarky, and they have very distinct personalities. My favorite part is when Wade meets his online friends in real life for the first time. A few of his friends are nothing like their online avatars.
I do have to admit that I had a difficult time getting into this book. I seriously considered quitting after the first few chapters. I think that had to do with the author’s writing style. I get the impression that Ernest Cline is more of a storyteller than a writer. The plot, characters, and setting are fabulous, but the writing itself is disappointing. It’s very bland. The beginning of the book is mostly info-dumping and backstory. My eyes glazed over many, many times. I just couldn’t stay interested or absorb the information I was being given. This led to me getting confused several times later in the story. I had to go back and skim the beginning to figure out what I’d missed.
The book does get much better toward the middle. I’m so happy that I didn’t give up. After the painful beginning, the story becomes thoroughly entertaining, and there is a lot for the reader to learn from it. Virtual reality is great, but it’s still no match for the real world.
I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys videogames and has the stamina to slog through slow starts. It’s totally worth the effort.
This book is so much fun. It’s crazy and intense and unpredictable and hilarious. It’s one of the most imaginative novels I’ve read this year. At first, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read it because it’s full of 70s and 80s pop-culture references. I was born in the late 80s, so I wasn’t sure if I’d understand the references, but I shouldn’t have worried. Not understanding the references didn’t diminish my enjoyment of the book in any way. After the first few chapters, the pacing picks up so much that I stopped caring about pop-culture. I just wanted to find out who reaches the egg first.
Both the OASIS virtual world and the dystopian real world are well-developed and believable, but the characters are the best part of the book. They’re snarky, and they have very distinct personalities. My favorite part is when Wade meets his online friends in real life for the first time. A few of his friends are nothing like their online avatars.
I do have to admit that I had a difficult time getting into this book. I seriously considered quitting after the first few chapters. I think that had to do with the author’s writing style. I get the impression that Ernest Cline is more of a storyteller than a writer. The plot, characters, and setting are fabulous, but the writing itself is disappointing. It’s very bland. The beginning of the book is mostly info-dumping and backstory. My eyes glazed over many, many times. I just couldn’t stay interested or absorb the information I was being given. This led to me getting confused several times later in the story. I had to go back and skim the beginning to figure out what I’d missed.
The book does get much better toward the middle. I’m so happy that I didn’t give up. After the painful beginning, the story becomes thoroughly entertaining, and there is a lot for the reader to learn from it. Virtual reality is great, but it’s still no match for the real world.
I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys videogames and has the stamina to slog through slow starts. It’s totally worth the effort.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
4.0
The only word that I can use to describe this book is “beautiful.” The cover is beautiful, the characters are beautiful, the writing is beautiful. Do you see those awards plastered all over the cover? The book totally deserves them.
Ari and Dante are teens who meet at the swimming pool and quickly become best friends. They are both dealing with complicated problems. Ari’s brother is in prison, and he has a hard time getting along with his father. Dante is an outsider who is uncomfortable with his family’s Mexican heritage. Over the course of a few summers, they help each other discover the secrets of the universe and find happiness.
I love the way this book is written. It’s obvious that the author has a background in poetry. The prose is sparse and elegant, and I reread whole chapters just because I was obsessed with the way they sounded. I think I could reread this book a dozen times and not get sick of it.
I also love how much the story focuses on families. Ari and Dante both learn to see their parents as flawed humans. I think a lot of real-life teens have an oversimplified idea of parents. They see their parents as evil overlords or as creatures that sprang into existence the second the teen was born. I like that Ari learns about his parents’ pasts and starts forgiving them for their mistakes. He begins to see his mom and dad as complex humans.
Dante is one of my new favorite fictional characters. I love (I’m using that word way too much) his innocence and enthusiasm. I was so happy for him at the end. I had this huge, stupid smile on my face while reading the last chapter.
I did struggle to connect with Ari. I understand that he’s depressed for most of the book, but his depression often comes across as self-centered whininess. I also dislike the way his story ends. I wish he was self-aware enough to sort out his feelings about Dante by himself. Instead, his parents sit him down and tell him what he’s feeling. I know that the boys’ families are a huge part of the book, but I found this conversation to be a little presumptuous. I wish his parents had guided him through his feelings and let him come to his own conclusions instead of interpreting his feelings for him and telling him what to do about them.
My only other criticism is the sappiness. All of the characters are weepy, and a few of the scenes are so sweet that they’re gag-inducing for me. This probably won’t bother most readers. I just have zero tolerance for sentimentality.
These are all minor criticisms. Overall, this book is amazing. As soon as I finished it, I wanted to flip it over and immediately start reading it again.
Ari and Dante are teens who meet at the swimming pool and quickly become best friends. They are both dealing with complicated problems. Ari’s brother is in prison, and he has a hard time getting along with his father. Dante is an outsider who is uncomfortable with his family’s Mexican heritage. Over the course of a few summers, they help each other discover the secrets of the universe and find happiness.
I love the way this book is written. It’s obvious that the author has a background in poetry. The prose is sparse and elegant, and I reread whole chapters just because I was obsessed with the way they sounded. I think I could reread this book a dozen times and not get sick of it.
I also love how much the story focuses on families. Ari and Dante both learn to see their parents as flawed humans. I think a lot of real-life teens have an oversimplified idea of parents. They see their parents as evil overlords or as creatures that sprang into existence the second the teen was born. I like that Ari learns about his parents’ pasts and starts forgiving them for their mistakes. He begins to see his mom and dad as complex humans.
Dante is one of my new favorite fictional characters. I love (I’m using that word way too much) his innocence and enthusiasm. I was so happy for him at the end. I had this huge, stupid smile on my face while reading the last chapter.
I did struggle to connect with Ari. I understand that he’s depressed for most of the book, but his depression often comes across as self-centered whininess. I also dislike the way his story ends. I wish he was self-aware enough to sort out his feelings about Dante by himself. Instead, his parents sit him down and tell him what he’s feeling. I know that the boys’ families are a huge part of the book, but I found this conversation to be a little presumptuous. I wish his parents had guided him through his feelings and let him come to his own conclusions instead of interpreting his feelings for him and telling him what to do about them.
My only other criticism is the sappiness. All of the characters are weepy, and a few of the scenes are so sweet that they’re gag-inducing for me. This probably won’t bother most readers. I just have zero tolerance for sentimentality.
These are all minor criticisms. Overall, this book is amazing. As soon as I finished it, I wanted to flip it over and immediately start reading it again.