heatherchrisman's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

4.0


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dancingprince's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Real and necessary.

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kajasversion's review

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Its definitely a really interesting book and a fun read overall, but at the end of the day it is written for kids younger than i am and the writing style is appropriate for the age demographic. I really resonated with Junior when he was going through his grief and i do feel like the themes of the book were approached in an easily comprehensive way. However i think the story is very unrealistic, especially when referring to the racism since i don’t think they are willing to just look past it so easily.  

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nina17's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny sad fast-paced

4.0


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renereadsthings's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


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brookey8888's review against another edition

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funny informative inspiring reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5


I appreciated this book, but I’m not the target audience. I just can’t stand teenage boy humor and this book is full of it(which is fine because that’s the target demographic). I did love the discussion about the cycles they face and talk about friendships and race. I think this is a good book for discussion and learning for kids. 

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alysonwonderland84's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny inspiring lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5


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parkyparkpark's review against another edition

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3.5


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keisdiary's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

so good omg


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jonwood's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Read this for an online teaching course. 

The book is a brutally honest look at the life of a kid in a community that is victim of unfair circumstance. His family and neighbors seem trapped in an perpetual self-destructive cycle of alcohol and gambling. It's a depressing reality that many children find them selves stuck in. Even when the protagonist gets to go to a better school, it's revealed a lot of the well to do people have their own problems, which just you shouldn't judge anyone without knowing their story. Deaths and acts of violence are sudden and reflect the pointlessness of it in real life.

In all, I think is a rather reflection and frank discussion on the harsh reality many kids face and a good way for those unaware to that life to become more aware. I suppose the reason I didn't love the book is that the author seems to do a good job capturing the juvenile/bathroom/homophobic humor that reminds too much of the boys would attempt to avoid as an adolescent, and I don't want to spend too much time around people who talk like that. 

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