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droden6's reviews
76 reviews
What I Ate in One Year (and Related Thoughts) by Stanley Tucci
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
Ferris by Kate DiCamillo
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
It has been a long time since I have finished a middle grade novel - for myself. What is unique about middle grade literature is the imagination and whimsicalness, even in the midst of hard things.
Adult novels can lend themselves to putting the characters through the wringer, and often with little hope. But not with a DiCamillo book. So much hope was woven throughout the fabric of the story until the very end. I thought it was delightful.
For this particular novel, I would say it is “upper middle grade” only because there is a ghost premise. I don’t know when I’ll let my oldest read it, but I definitely want to have a conversation about how ghost are not real before she were to read this. Other than that, I was quite charmed by my very first DiCamillo book. I recommend!
Adult novels can lend themselves to putting the characters through the wringer, and often with little hope. But not with a DiCamillo book. So much hope was woven throughout the fabric of the story until the very end. I thought it was delightful.
For this particular novel, I would say it is “upper middle grade” only because there is a ghost premise. I don’t know when I’ll let my oldest read it, but I definitely want to have a conversation about how ghost are not real before she were to read this. Other than that, I was quite charmed by my very first DiCamillo book. I recommend!
One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Mother Act by Heidi Reimer
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Minor: Abortion
Raging feminism
The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
2 stars
I don’t know where to begin. First, ALL of the trigger warnings you can imagine. Second, this could have easily been 100 pages shorter. Third, I didn’t need a billion characters, especially when one reappeared at the end and I had completely forgotten about them.
The two stars are only because the setting and its descriptions were beautiful and perfect for the summer. Also, I was transported into this summer trip, even though I didn’t know what I was signing up for. I definitely need a palette cleanser after this.
I don’t know where to begin. First, ALL of the trigger warnings you can imagine. Second, this could have easily been 100 pages shorter. Third, I didn’t need a billion characters, especially when one reappeared at the end and I had completely forgotten about them.
The two stars are only because the setting and its descriptions were beautiful and perfect for the summer. Also, I was transported into this summer trip, even though I didn’t know what I was signing up for. I definitely need a palette cleanser after this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual violence
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
adventurous
emotional
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? No
4.0
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0