slang123's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I felt this book went on a little too long. It could have been shorter and still had the same effect. It does deal with LGBTQ+, AIDS and violence.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Transphobia, Death of parent, Homophobia, and Racism
miloblue's review
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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
booknerdlau's review
4.0
TW : homophobie, racisme
C'est le genre de livre qu'on devrait faire lire aux enfants à l'école !
Plein de bons sentiments tout en étant réaliste
Bug et Frankie sont super attachants
C'est le genre de livre qu'on devrait faire lire aux enfants à l'école !
Plein de bons sentiments tout en étant réaliste
Bug et Frankie sont super attachants
snorpy's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
4.75
trin_ney18's review
5.0
4.5/5 Stars
Truly if you want a book for a middle grade or older kid to introduce them to diverse characters and their struggles without making them cynical, this is the perfect book.
It was raw in the treatment of people considered different but lighthearted with its focus on found family and friendships.
A very sweet and quick read that I think more people should be talking about.
Truly if you want a book for a middle grade or older kid to introduce them to diverse characters and their struggles without making them cynical, this is the perfect book.
It was raw in the treatment of people considered different but lighthearted with its focus on found family and friendships.
A very sweet and quick read that I think more people should be talking about.
rieviolet's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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? No
4.5
I think it is really wonderful to have middle grade books that deal with such important topics, and in such a good and sensitive way too. I wish I could have read a book like this when I was that age myself.
Also, I always love a good found family trope and here we have a lot of disparate people coming together and caring deeply about each other, it really warmed my heart.
The only fault that I can pinpoint is a bit of overexplanation (especially of the characters' feelings), but that might just be incidental to the intended audience's age range.
Also, I always love a good found family trope and here we have a lot of disparate people coming together and caring deeply about each other, it really warmed my heart.
The only fault that I can pinpoint is a bit of overexplanation (especially of the characters' feelings), but that might just be incidental to the intended audience's age range.
"So there is a word for it."
"Oh honey, there's a word for everything on God's green earth. And if there isn't, we can just make one up.”
Content Warnings
Moderate: Hate crime, Transphobia, Homophobia, Classism, Violence, and Racism
Minor: Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Sexism, Racial slurs, Murder, War, Dysphoria, Bullying, Gun violence, Sexual harassment, Death of parent, and Grief
amymck05's review
5.0
What a sweet story! In the era of book banning, this is sure to make some lists, but I love this quote "Everyone is prejudiced...It's what you do with the prejudice that matters...You can either give in and treat people badly or shine a light on it to understand how arbitrary it all is." I love books where characters aren't all good or all bad. Everyone has flaws, and it's important to see that in literature, too.
abanas's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? It's complicated
5.0
kajh23's review
4.0
I did not expect to like this as much as I did. Certainly Stockard Channing reading the audiobook didn’t hurt! I thought Forman did a great job of capturing the voices of all the characters. It made me chuckle and brought a tear to my eye. Well done.