nath_py's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Violence
sashabrains's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-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
heresthepencil's review
4.0
rep: sapphic mc with anger management issues, sapphic li, lesbian parents, side character with ADHD
tw: blood, bullying, panic attacks
Review also posted on Reads Rainbow. ARC provided by the publisher.
The Science of Being Angry could actually have a lot of different titles, the most prominent among them: The Power of Being Loved. Because while it is a book about being angry and no one could argue with that, just as much it’s a book about being loved. About how you can be loved despite and in spite of being angry all the time.
Joey is eleven, and a lot of the time her chest feels tight and she wants to just scream and scream, until it all comes down. She has so much anger in her little body, and doesn’t know how to deal with it. So like every child, she figures it’s her fault and it’s on her alone to fix it.
That’s the greatest strength of The Science of Being Angry (and Melleby’s writing in general, to be honest): giving a kid an amazing support system. Joey has two moms, two identical but totally different brothers (she’s a triplet), an older brother, and a best friend. Not all of them always understand her (even she doesn’t understand her own feelings sometimes!), but they do all try. They do things they didn’t maybe believe in at first, because it might help her; they give her a second chance after second chance; they show her she’s loved. Sometimes that’s all that matters.
There are no definitive answers in The Science of Being Angry, and the ending itself is more of a promise than anything else. But that hope is exactly what a troubled, a little bit lost kid might need. This novel tells you that no matter how much you think you messed up, there’s always a way out & people who will help you find it.
tw: blood, bullying, panic attacks
Review also posted on Reads Rainbow. ARC provided by the publisher.
The Science of Being Angry could actually have a lot of different titles, the most prominent among them: The Power of Being Loved. Because while it is a book about being angry and no one could argue with that, just as much it’s a book about being loved. About how you can be loved despite and in spite of being angry all the time.
Joey is eleven, and a lot of the time her chest feels tight and she wants to just scream and scream, until it all comes down. She has so much anger in her little body, and doesn’t know how to deal with it. So like every child, she figures it’s her fault and it’s on her alone to fix it.
That’s the greatest strength of The Science of Being Angry (and Melleby’s writing in general, to be honest): giving a kid an amazing support system. Joey has two moms, two identical but totally different brothers (she’s a triplet), an older brother, and a best friend. Not all of them always understand her (even she doesn’t understand her own feelings sometimes!), but they do all try. They do things they didn’t maybe believe in at first, because it might help her; they give her a second chance after second chance; they show her she’s loved. Sometimes that’s all that matters.
There are no definitive answers in The Science of Being Angry, and the ending itself is more of a promise than anything else. But that hope is exactly what a troubled, a little bit lost kid might need. This novel tells you that no matter how much you think you messed up, there’s always a way out & people who will help you find it.
cn3's review
emotional
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
madelinefmcguire's review
5.0
Eleven year old Joey is angry like all the time and she doesn't understand why. She has two moms who love each other (and her), an older brother and her two fellow triplet brothers so she's never without company. But lately all the feelings and questions- does she have a crush on her best friend Layla, why is her oldest brother staying with his dad, and the stress of a genealogy project- are making her lash out and hurt people. Joey doesn't want to hurt anyone least of all her friends and family if only she could figure out where all her anger is coming from.
This book hurt my heart because Joey is trying so hard not to be angry and she's only 11 so it doesn't work like that. This book does such a good job of showing off a blended family, family dynamics and just general feelings as an eleven year old. A good recommendation for someone who likes coming of age stories, the "main character has this problem/issue/disability/thing they have to accept/overcome"
This book hurt my heart because Joey is trying so hard not to be angry and she's only 11 so it doesn't work like that. This book does such a good job of showing off a blended family, family dynamics and just general feelings as an eleven year old. A good recommendation for someone who likes coming of age stories, the "main character has this problem/issue/disability/thing they have to accept/overcome"
greysonk's review
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? It's complicated
4.5
ljrinaldi's review
4.0
This is one of those books where you ache for the protagonist through the whole book. Joey is in pain, mental pain. She wants to scream all the time, and she lashes out at others that love her. Her two moms don't know what is wrong, and don't know how to help her.
Her class is doing a section on genetics, and she wonders where all this anger is coming from. Is it nature or nurture? Did it come from her mom, or from her donor. If it is from her donor, does he know how to control his rage?
Joey doesn't want to be this way, so very angry at the world, but she doesn't know how to solve it, and keeps getting in worse and worse trouble.
There were times I was crying. The author knows how to tear our heart to shreds.
Not an easy book to read, but a good book, because it explores that anger.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
Her class is doing a section on genetics, and she wonders where all this anger is coming from. Is it nature or nurture? Did it come from her mom, or from her donor. If it is from her donor, does he know how to control his rage?
Joey doesn't want to be this way, so very angry at the world, but she doesn't know how to solve it, and keeps getting in worse and worse trouble.
There were times I was crying. The author knows how to tear our heart to shreds.
Not an easy book to read, but a good book, because it explores that anger.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
seventhaurora's review
5.0
*4.75 stars*
my second nicole melleby book and another one i absolutely loved.
melleby does family dynamics SO well and writes such complex yet largely sympathetic main characters, your heart can't help but to both hurt and cheer for them.
in particular, The Science of Being Angry follows a family with two lesbian moms, their triplets, and the triplets' big brother from one of the moms' first marriage. this particular family dynamic is a huge part of the book and is a cornerstone in 11-year-old joey (one of the triplets)' journey to figure out why she is so angry all of the time, and why she sometimes hurts the people she loves, despite her best intentions.
we follow joey as she tries to navigate 6th grade, her complex relationship with her twin triplet brothers, her complicated feelings towards her ex-best friend, and the ball of anger inside her that she feels might make her explode at any second.
this book perfectly encapsulates the feeling of knowing you are hurting someone and wanting to stop, but not knowing how. not even knowing how to articulate what is going on inside your mind and your body. being autistic, i know this feeling all too well, and i felt a kind of kinship with joey.
nicole melleby is a seriously strong contender for being my favourite middle grade author. this is a book i will keep on my shelves and keep in mind to recommend to all the 10- to 13-year-olds i can.
my second nicole melleby book and another one i absolutely loved.
melleby does family dynamics SO well and writes such complex yet largely sympathetic main characters, your heart can't help but to both hurt and cheer for them.
in particular, The Science of Being Angry follows a family with two lesbian moms, their triplets, and the triplets' big brother from one of the moms' first marriage. this particular family dynamic is a huge part of the book and is a cornerstone in 11-year-old joey (one of the triplets)' journey to figure out why she is so angry all of the time, and why she sometimes hurts the people she loves, despite her best intentions.
we follow joey as she tries to navigate 6th grade, her complex relationship with her twin triplet brothers, her complicated feelings towards her ex-best friend, and the ball of anger inside her that she feels might make her explode at any second.
this book perfectly encapsulates the feeling of knowing you are hurting someone and wanting to stop, but not knowing how. not even knowing how to articulate what is going on inside your mind and your body. being autistic, i know this feeling all too well, and i felt a kind of kinship with joey.
nicole melleby is a seriously strong contender for being my favourite middle grade author. this is a book i will keep on my shelves and keep in mind to recommend to all the 10- to 13-year-olds i can.
bravelass85's review
4.0
A solid YA that addresses complex issues around mental health, bullying, and blended families. I was searching for a novel that would address these issues and have prominent LGBTQ characters.