midnightdreamer's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
chrissireads's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed The Apple Tart Of Hope when I read it a few years back, so I was immediately intrigued by this book. I’m really glad I requested and read this book because it was incredibly heart-warming.
It centres around Grace and Bee who have experienced far too much grief in their life. Grace’s sister, Bee seems to have a very vivid imagination. She believes that their dog can talk, that she’s visited by ghosts and lots more besides. Grace believes that she knows what’s real and what’s not unlike her sister. Grace is determined to show her sister what’s reality. However, she begins to find out that the line between real life and fantasy is much muddier than she had ever anticipated.
I loved the characters, but particularly Bee. I loved that she was so quirky. She wasn’t afraid of who she was. I felt like Grace just wanted to fit in. I loved how Bee was unapologetic. Bee did come across as a little older than she actually is, but that didn’t matter to me. I loved that Bee didn’t care if people thought she was weird whilst Grace was embarrassed of her sister’s quirks.
This book is intended as a middle grade read, so don’t be surprised if you find it to be quite young. It is, but it was also highly enjoyable to read as an adult. It’s so quick to read at just over 200 pages. I loved the hints of magical realism, it made the book stand out for me. I loved how there was a focus on grief, mental health and family.
It centres around Grace and Bee who have experienced far too much grief in their life. Grace’s sister, Bee seems to have a very vivid imagination. She believes that their dog can talk, that she’s visited by ghosts and lots more besides. Grace believes that she knows what’s real and what’s not unlike her sister. Grace is determined to show her sister what’s reality. However, she begins to find out that the line between real life and fantasy is much muddier than she had ever anticipated.
I loved the characters, but particularly Bee. I loved that she was so quirky. She wasn’t afraid of who she was. I felt like Grace just wanted to fit in. I loved how Bee was unapologetic. Bee did come across as a little older than she actually is, but that didn’t matter to me. I loved that Bee didn’t care if people thought she was weird whilst Grace was embarrassed of her sister’s quirks.
This book is intended as a middle grade read, so don’t be surprised if you find it to be quite young. It is, but it was also highly enjoyable to read as an adult. It’s so quick to read at just over 200 pages. I loved the hints of magical realism, it made the book stand out for me. I loved how there was a focus on grief, mental health and family.
megstyas13's review against another edition
3.0
A really beautifully written book, that focuses on love, loss and the toll that grief can take on someone. Although at times I didn't feel like it was something I would particularly reread again, it was a lovely heart warming story of the relationship between two sisters!
FULL REVIEW TO COME.
FULL REVIEW TO COME.
lydiahephzibah's review against another edition
2.0
At its heart, The List of Real Things is a story about coping with grief.
Gracie and her six-year-old sister Bee are living with their grandfather and their uncle after their parents’ deaths several years ago, and things spiral downwards when their grandfather died.I found the summary to be a little misleading, however, as it took quite a while for the book to kick off and reach the turning event of the grandfather’s death. There was a lot of build-up, most of which felt superlative to the summary.
There was a side-plot of Gracie trying to fit in with her friends and getting a new boyfriend, which was referenced in the original summary but appears to have changed since, and it seemed like an unnecessary addition to a story about family and grief. What is trying to be a poignant story about loss would have been a lot more effective had it made this subplot more relevant, or dropped it altogether. It just didn’t work for me, when I would’ve preferred to see more characterisation of Gracie’s Uncle Frank and her Aunt Lucy.
One thing that irritated me quite a lot was that I struggled to believe that Bee was six when she spoke more like a wise old ninety-year-old. The characters mention she’s a little odd, but her speech just didn’t ring true for a six-year-old (who, at one brief point, was suddenly eight). It did lessen the impact of the story for me. I think it would have been a lot more powerful had Bee acted a bit more like a child.
However, her character was one full of hope and optimism when it came to life and death, thanks to her wild imagination that she tries to share with Gracie, who is far more grounded in reality and is embarrassed by her little sister. At times, I thought Gracie stepped out of line and her embarrassment seemed beyond the scope of reality: at one point, her sister is invited to the party of Gracie’s crush’s little sister, so Gracie lies to stop her sister from going, to save face. Not only was it cruel, but it just didn’t seem realistic.
The book redeemed itself more in the last third or so, when it delved more into the family and Bee’s imagination, and Gracie was able to understand her sister a little better as well as her grieving relatives. The story is not without its problems but I imagine it could be of help to children / young teens coming to terms with grief.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Gracie and her six-year-old sister Bee are living with their grandfather and their uncle after their parents’ deaths several years ago, and things spiral downwards when their grandfather died.I found the summary to be a little misleading, however, as it took quite a while for the book to kick off and reach the turning event of the grandfather’s death. There was a lot of build-up, most of which felt superlative to the summary.
There was a side-plot of Gracie trying to fit in with her friends and getting a new boyfriend, which was referenced in the original summary but appears to have changed since, and it seemed like an unnecessary addition to a story about family and grief. What is trying to be a poignant story about loss would have been a lot more effective had it made this subplot more relevant, or dropped it altogether. It just didn’t work for me, when I would’ve preferred to see more characterisation of Gracie’s Uncle Frank and her Aunt Lucy.
One thing that irritated me quite a lot was that I struggled to believe that Bee was six when she spoke more like a wise old ninety-year-old. The characters mention she’s a little odd, but her speech just didn’t ring true for a six-year-old (who, at one brief point, was suddenly eight). It did lessen the impact of the story for me. I think it would have been a lot more powerful had Bee acted a bit more like a child.
However, her character was one full of hope and optimism when it came to life and death, thanks to her wild imagination that she tries to share with Gracie, who is far more grounded in reality and is embarrassed by her little sister. At times, I thought Gracie stepped out of line and her embarrassment seemed beyond the scope of reality: at one point, her sister is invited to the party of Gracie’s crush’s little sister, so Gracie lies to stop her sister from going, to save face. Not only was it cruel, but it just didn’t seem realistic.
The book redeemed itself more in the last third or so, when it delved more into the family and Bee’s imagination, and Gracie was able to understand her sister a little better as well as her grieving relatives. The story is not without its problems but I imagine it could be of help to children / young teens coming to terms with grief.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
themoonkestrel's review against another edition
3.0
This is a book aimed more for younger readers than older ones, and it was a simple sweet story about sisters, family, and grief.
nailicheballah's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
damn, i sure did cry
overall, a nice story about grief and how to overcome it and how to deal with the people in our lives whom are also grieving, all in their own ways
i enjoyed reading this, but i found the ending to be a bit abrupt
overall, a nice story about grief and how to overcome it and how to deal with the people in our lives whom are also grieving, all in their own ways
i enjoyed reading this, but i found the ending to be a bit abrupt
tayloser's review against another edition
4.0
This book was very cute and I honestly loved it. I terrible at writing reviews, but I definitely recommend for middle-grade readers.
ashortbooklover's review against another edition
3.0
Gracie, 14, and Bee, 6, have lived with their eccentric uncle ever since their parents died five years ago. Gracie just wants to be normal. At school she finally has a boyfriend and cool friends, but her quirky home life and 'mental' little sister have begun to feel like liabilities. When their beloved grandfather dies and grief hits the girls again, little Bee's incredible imagination spirals out of control. Old memories and buried secrets bubble to the surface, and she even believes that their parents are waiting in a secret hotel on a clifftop - a place ghosts wait when they haven't yet let go of life. Gracie is determined Bee should wake up to the truth and let go of her outlandish ideas. She makes her write it down: a list of what's real, and what's not. But when it turns out the hotel may be more than just a dream, Gracie's hard line between what is real and what is imagined begins to blur.
The List of Real Things had one of the most beautiful openings I’ve seen for a while and it just set the tone for the rest of the book straight away. The story got to me quite a bit with its nuanced and accurate portrayal of grief.
Fitzgerald has created a book that’s moving, mesmerising and simply a joy to read.
The List of Real Things had one of the most beautiful openings I’ve seen for a while and it just set the tone for the rest of the book straight away. The story got to me quite a bit with its nuanced and accurate portrayal of grief.
Fitzgerald has created a book that’s moving, mesmerising and simply a joy to read.
ghiobv's review
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
isadowski's review against another edition
4.0
“I am Grace McAuliffe, and being with you is not the measure of me. The measure of me is how loudly I sing when all feels as if it is lost. How I’ve been able to get out of bed even when my heart was dark with sadness.”
Het boek begon een beetje traag, maar het einde heeft me ontzettend laten huilen.
Het boek begon een beetje traag, maar het einde heeft me ontzettend laten huilen.