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claudiaslibrarycard's reviews
1046 reviews
Dancing in the Storm by Amie Darnell Specht, Shannon Hitchcock
emotional
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
4.0
Dancing in the Storm is an authentically written middle grade story about a young girl named Kate who is passionate about gymnastics until a rare genetic disease interrupts her life and changes almost everything.
When Kate is injured and she can no longer hide from her parents just how significantly it is impacting her, she is diagnosed with Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva which is incredibly rare. The story follows her diagnosis and Kate's search for community in her isolating condition.
This book is a quick read with emotional impact and accurate facts about FOP. One of the authors has FOP and the sincere care that went into writing is evident throughout. I think this book is great for young and old(er) alike.
When Kate is injured and she can no longer hide from her parents just how significantly it is impacting her, she is diagnosed with Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva which is incredibly rare. The story follows her diagnosis and Kate's search for community in her isolating condition.
This book is a quick read with emotional impact and accurate facts about FOP. One of the authors has FOP and the sincere care that went into writing is evident throughout. I think this book is great for young and old(er) alike.
Shiner by Amy Jo Burns
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka
5.0
Solid 4 to 4.5 until the last page, then this book and author went off. So good.
Aniana del Mar Jumps in by Jasminne Mendez
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Aniana del Mar Jumps In is a beautiful novel in verse that I could not put down. This middle grade title captured me with its depth of emotion and dynamic characters that will appeal to both young and older readers. At its core, this is a story of intergenerational wounds and disability.
Aniana loves to swim, but her mother is terrified of the water. Because of this, Aniana's father takes her to swim practice in secret. And Aniana is an excellent swimmer, her medals are hiding in her father's tool box. But when her joints begin to swell and her secret is discovered, Aniana's world comes crashing down.
Aniana has an adorable, silly little brother, a father in the Coast Guard, and a very religious mother. All of the characters and the family dynamics were made so relatable and fleshed out so well in very concise poetry. The mother-daughter relationship here is fraught, and the healing at the end is realistic, imperfect, and not oversimplified or trite.
I am a sucker for novels in verse and I'm putting this one among the best I've read in the middle grades age group. I hope you'll read it as well!
Aniana loves to swim, but her mother is terrified of the water. Because of this, Aniana's father takes her to swim practice in secret. And Aniana is an excellent swimmer, her medals are hiding in her father's tool box. But when her joints begin to swell and her secret is discovered, Aniana's world comes crashing down.
Aniana has an adorable, silly little brother, a father in the Coast Guard, and a very religious mother. All of the characters and the family dynamics were made so relatable and fleshed out so well in very concise poetry. The mother-daughter relationship here is fraught, and the healing at the end is realistic, imperfect, and not oversimplified or trite.
I am a sucker for novels in verse and I'm putting this one among the best I've read in the middle grades age group. I hope you'll read it as well!
The Sleepwalkers by Scarlett Thomas
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Reformatory by Tananarive Due
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
The Reformatory is a must read, full stop. I stayed away from this book for quite sometime, because of the length and it's classification as horror. Oh how wrong I was. I flew through the 576 pages in three days, resenting everything I had to do in between reading sessions. Due tells an incredible story, rich with detail and propulsive.
This novel is the story of a boys home in Florida in 1950, where one of our main characters, Robbie Stephens, finds himself after kicking a white boy who harassed his older sister. Sentenced to six months, his sister Gloria is intent on finding help to get him out of this school which is known to abuse and often cause the deaths of young boys who are more the victims of racism and bad luck than guilty of crimes.
Soon after arriving at Gracetown School for Boys, Robbie begins seeing ghosts. He is befriended by Redbone and Blue who help him learn the rules and how to survive. Meanwhile, the haints are showing Robbie that this school has a past even darker than the school's reputation.
This is currently my favorite book of 2024 and I don't know how anything will top it. I cannot recommend this enough. Based on actual boys schools including the Dozier School for Boys, this novel brings important subjects to light in a book that just cannot be put down.
This novel is the story of a boys home in Florida in 1950, where one of our main characters, Robbie Stephens, finds himself after kicking a white boy who harassed his older sister. Sentenced to six months, his sister Gloria is intent on finding help to get him out of this school which is known to abuse and often cause the deaths of young boys who are more the victims of racism and bad luck than guilty of crimes.
Soon after arriving at Gracetown School for Boys, Robbie begins seeing ghosts. He is befriended by Redbone and Blue who help him learn the rules and how to survive. Meanwhile, the haints are showing Robbie that this school has a past even darker than the school's reputation.
This is currently my favorite book of 2024 and I don't know how anything will top it. I cannot recommend this enough. Based on actual boys schools including the Dozier School for Boys, this novel brings important subjects to light in a book that just cannot be put down.
Misconception: A Novella by Amanda Dolan, Liv Constantine
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
4.0
Ya'll, this was fun. You may have recently read or heard about Liv Constantine's short story titled Everywhere You Look- which is, demonstrably, a dumpster fire. This novella, Misconception, is much better. You'll still see what's coming a mile away, but trust me you can't turn away. Also, it was more believable and the character development was strong for the length and enjoyable.
My only note, two people both liking mint chocolate chip ice cream is not a strange coincidence. It's not an unusual flavor. However, this is less ridiculous than red nail polish in the refrigerator in Everywhere You Look.
My only note, two people both liking mint chocolate chip ice cream is not a strange coincidence. It's not an unusual flavor. However, this is less ridiculous than red nail polish in the refrigerator in Everywhere You Look.
What Waits in the Woods by Terri Parlato
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
What Waits in the Woods is a suburban mystery that alternates between the points of view of Rita, an older female detective, and Esme, a nearly thirty year old woman who has just returned to her hometown after her ballerina career and her relationship have both ended. I do not usually enjoy detective books and I'm decidedly on the side of ACAB, yet Rita had character development that made her enjoyable for me. Esme was especially relatable, who hasn't spent too much time, energy, and money on a relationship that didn't deserve it in their twenties?
The night before Esme returns, one of her high school friends is killed in Esme's backyard. Her ailing father was home and heard a scream, her brother was at work, and the list of suspects is quite long as no one seems to quite fit the bill. This slow but steady suburban mystery with a background sense of drama and small town secrets is a great fit for fans of Megan Miranda.
The end was a bit of a surprise for me, but not jaw dropping. I don't regret reading this, it's just not quite my current reading style.
The night before Esme returns, one of her high school friends is killed in Esme's backyard. Her ailing father was home and heard a scream, her brother was at work, and the list of suspects is quite long as no one seems to quite fit the bill. This slow but steady suburban mystery with a background sense of drama and small town secrets is a great fit for fans of Megan Miranda.
The end was a bit of a surprise for me, but not jaw dropping. I don't regret reading this, it's just not quite my current reading style.