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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.
amy_0251's review
5.0
4.5
honestly loved this book. it was rich and full and since its so hard to give it a placement anywhere in the many genres out there i was pretty clueless as to what the plot may be going into it. and throughout it i still didnt. bee was such a beautiful character filled with such emotion. and that was what it was, a book oozing emotions from the words. ive always loved how sarah writes these dark and twisted tales like a bed time story and you might think thats not your thing but trust me on this.
i think graces character development was perfect because it wasnt a straight line of sadness to happiness. she started of as a more or less happy child and due to different overlapping sircumstances she went into this depression that wasnt displayed with crying or eating a tub of icecream in one sitting. sarah, without once mentioning it, managed to come across just how tired and in need of another word heavy she felt. one other thing i really loved is how original it was, the main character was the older sister and it was great seeing the older sisters need to take care of the younger one. another thing that i think that i have alsways loved in her books is: there is no villain. well not really, yes theres the people that we hate but yet again they are still humans. they dont realise they have ever done anything wrong and they arent really ever told. basically i will read anything sarah moore fitzgerald throws at me, not just because shes a great and innovational writer but also because i havent come across a book in a long while that i have been truly surprised by the plot. Pale emily much? personally mindblown
honestly loved this book. it was rich and full and since its so hard to give it a placement anywhere in the many genres out there i was pretty clueless as to what the plot may be going into it. and throughout it i still didnt. bee was such a beautiful character filled with such emotion. and that was what it was, a book oozing emotions from the words. ive always loved how sarah writes these dark and twisted tales like a bed time story and you might think thats not your thing but trust me on this.
i think graces character development was perfect because it wasnt a straight line of sadness to happiness. she started of as a more or less happy child and due to different overlapping sircumstances she went into this depression that wasnt displayed with crying or eating a tub of icecream in one sitting. sarah, without once mentioning it, managed to come across just how tired and in need of another word heavy she felt. one other thing i really loved is how original it was, the main character was the older sister and it was great seeing the older sisters need to take care of the younger one. another thing that i think that i have alsways loved in her books is: there is no villain. well not really, yes theres the people that we hate but yet again they are still humans. they dont realise they have ever done anything wrong and they arent really ever told. basically i will read anything sarah moore fitzgerald throws at me, not just because shes a great and innovational writer but also because i havent come across a book in a long while that i have been truly surprised by the plot. Pale emily much? personally mindblown
amysbookishlife's review
3.0
Although marketed for middle grade, The List of Real Things was a really emotional, heart wrenching read that had me reaching for the tissues once or twice…or maybe more. The story flowed really easily and the writing style was just lovely. It just felt really natural. Also, the magic realism was really exciting and took me on an amazing journey that I didn’t want to come away from. It was a touching read about life, loss, grief and how truly magical the imagination can really be. It really does makes you wonder about what is real and what isn’t and how we truly define reality. Despite being targeted for a younger audience I can see anyone of any age taking something away from this book.
nerdygeekyfanboy's review
5.0
Weer een prachtig en emotioneel verhaal van Sarah Moore Fitzgerald! Lees hier mijn recensie:
https://nerdygeekyfanboy.com/recensie/recensie-the-list-of-real-things/
https://nerdygeekyfanboy.com/recensie/recensie-the-list-of-real-things/
faerieontheshelf's review
4.0
↠ 3.5 Stars
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review
Definitely more on the younger side of YA, but there is something warm and homely and comforting about The List of Real Things. It's a quick read, barely over 200 pages, and looks primarily at the relations between two sisters, one who wishes to fit in amongst her peers and another who's a bit more quirky. The writing style and narration was lovely and the story flowed well, never getting too heavy or bogged down. The small hints of magical realism were just enough to add an extra layer of excitement without becoming overdone and unrealistic. A sweet read indeed.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review
Definitely more on the younger side of YA, but there is something warm and homely and comforting about The List of Real Things. It's a quick read, barely over 200 pages, and looks primarily at the relations between two sisters, one who wishes to fit in amongst her peers and another who's a bit more quirky. The writing style and narration was lovely and the story flowed well, never getting too heavy or bogged down. The small hints of magical realism were just enough to add an extra layer of excitement without becoming overdone and unrealistic. A sweet read indeed.
goldenbooksgirl's review
3.0
As I was a huge of Sarah`s previous novels, I was looking forward to this, but though I liked aspects a lot, I had mixed feelings. It`s about sisters Grace and Bee as they navigate their grief over losing their parents a few years prior and another member of their family during the book, while Grace also attempts to teach Bee, who is perceived by her family to be imagining things, the difference between fact and fiction. I liked their complicated but ultimately loving sibling relationship, and those between them and the other members of their family, which were similarly troubled yet touching in how much they care for each other. The other thing I really enjoyed was the magical realism element, and I wish there had been some more of it, as the scene in which it is most prominent was wonderful. The final thing I liked about the book was that the prose was stunning, but there were also things I didn`t like as much, such as finding it really slow paced till around halfway through, and I found the blurb quite different to the events of the book. I`ll still be reading whatever the author writes next, but ultimately this wasn`t what I expected 3.5/5
saccalai's review
4.0
After the death of their parents, sensible Grace is trying her best to look after her little sister. Crazy, funny Bee doesn't seem to know the difference between real and imagination. She speaks to people Grace can't see and thinks their dog, tells her things. But is Bee really imagining or does she just see more than other people? Maybe you don't always have to be sensible, maybe you can believe in a little more than just what you can see.