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syl_val15's review
5.0
Goodbye, Stranger by Rebecca Stead
5/5 Stars!
I saw this book while I was at a bookstore, the cover and the title caught my eyes and the next thing I did was: bought the book, went home and read it.
Goodbye Stranger is the perfect coming-of-age story, with realistic plot-line and intriguing characters, also it's a story with a lot of action. which has nothing to do with wild adventures or violence, but more with the contacts that the friends have at home, outside the streets and at school: fun and less fun things in a family and daily life.
This book has three storytellers: an auctorial, a you-narrator and an I-narrator, which I really really love and have never read a book with three narratives before. The chapters about Bridge and her family and friends are told by an omniscient narrator. The chapters entitled 'Valentine's Day' are told by a 'you' storyteller, which sometimes creates an unreliable perspective. The I-narrator, after all, is the letter writer Sherm. He writes letters to his grandfather, Nonno Gio.
I loved reading about Bridget and her relationship with her parents, brother and best friends, we also get flashbacks from her past and the accident, in her present life beside her friendships with her two bestfriends she builds a new friendship with a boy named Sherm. Each of the girl go through their own kinds of issues and each one is relatable and realistic.
Definitely worth the time, simple yet intersting and a heart-warming book, highly recommended!
5/5 Stars!
I saw this book while I was at a bookstore, the cover and the title caught my eyes and the next thing I did was: bought the book, went home and read it.
Goodbye Stranger is the perfect coming-of-age story, with realistic plot-line and intriguing characters, also it's a story with a lot of action. which has nothing to do with wild adventures or violence, but more with the contacts that the friends have at home, outside the streets and at school: fun and less fun things in a family and daily life.
This book has three storytellers: an auctorial, a you-narrator and an I-narrator, which I really really love and have never read a book with three narratives before. The chapters about Bridge and her family and friends are told by an omniscient narrator. The chapters entitled 'Valentine's Day' are told by a 'you' storyteller, which sometimes creates an unreliable perspective. The I-narrator, after all, is the letter writer Sherm. He writes letters to his grandfather, Nonno Gio.
I loved reading about Bridget and her relationship with her parents, brother and best friends, we also get flashbacks from her past and the accident, in her present life beside her friendships with her two bestfriends she builds a new friendship with a boy named Sherm. Each of the girl go through their own kinds of issues and each one is relatable and realistic.
Definitely worth the time, simple yet intersting and a heart-warming book, highly recommended!
ultramarine316's review
5.0
So good. A slice of life story about how friendships grow and change in middle school and high school. Some timely issues that work to make the story seem more believable without making it seem like an issue book. Uplifting themes. Believable characters. Lots to like about this book.
librarydancer's review
DNF. Listened to about 50 minutes of the audiobook, and I was just bored.
killeenm's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
liked it but it was more YA/middle school than anticipated. It was a fun lil fiction read but I wouldn’t revisit
linneamo's review
5.0
genre: realistic fiction
summary: Bridge deals with growing up as her group of friends face middle school changes. Her friends branch out trying to find their identities as some make mistakes and some grow apart. Bridge struggles to figure out her purpose.
notes: includes a part about texting pictures in underwear to the opposite sex, handled innocently
for kids who like: Rebecca Stead, Mocking Bird, the Casson family series
age group: age 11+
my review: i feel like even though the whole sexting issue is handled innocently enough for an older middle grader, the overall feel of the novel itself is mature (not for content so much as the way it is written) I also think that older tween and teen would be able to identify with it more than someone under age 11.
summary: Bridge deals with growing up as her group of friends face middle school changes. Her friends branch out trying to find their identities as some make mistakes and some grow apart. Bridge struggles to figure out her purpose.
notes: includes a part about texting pictures in underwear to the opposite sex, handled innocently
for kids who like: Rebecca Stead, Mocking Bird, the Casson family series
age group: age 11+
my review: i feel like even though the whole sexting issue is handled innocently enough for an older middle grader, the overall feel of the novel itself is mature (not for content so much as the way it is written) I also think that older tween and teen would be able to identify with it more than someone under age 11.
xtinareally's review against another edition
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I know this is not really for my demographic, however I enjoy reading other genres to understand what's out there and the different types of writing styles. I am glad I borrowed this as an audiobook because I don't think I would have finished just reading this myself (and with an audiobook I was able to speed up the narration). Overall, the main characters and their family/ friendships/ hardships really grew on me even though it took a long time to get to a chapter where plot points started moving at a good pace. I still liked the story though less than an average 3-star rating. I think other middle school/early high school aged kids could read it as a good YA coming of age story.
The cons for me were mostly related to the different second and third person narration. I think what was meant to be a technique to keep an air of mystery throughout the storylines, left me more confused or feeling scattered and pulled out of the world by the jarring contrast. And in the end I felt let down once we learned who the second person perspective was and the context of what happened. It felt like that whole storyline didn't need to exist to make the story still feel whole, but I can understand how it added another theme or element by mkaing the reader almost becomes the character to learn about consequences of our actions.
The cons for me were mostly related to the different second and third person narration. I think what was meant to be a technique to keep an air of mystery throughout the storylines, left me more confused or feeling scattered and pulled out of the world by the jarring contrast. And in the end I felt let down once we learned who the second person perspective was and the context of what happened. It felt like that whole storyline didn't need to exist to make the story still feel whole, but I can understand how it added another theme or element by mkaing the reader almost becomes the character to learn about consequences of our actions.
mackenziencheez's review
5.0
A perfectly modern take on the shittiness and weirdness of middle school.
blithesquesttoread's review against another edition
4.0
TBH, I really can't decide how much I liked this book. I mean surely at some point it had me so gripped that I couldn't keep it down.
It starts off with story of Bridge. About an accident she had encountered when she was young and then we come to seventh grade following the stories of three best friends: Tab, Bridge and Emily. And then comes Sherm. And the mystery girl who isn't that big of a mystery as you come to the end. It's like when I was reading the chps for the mystery girl, all I could think about was something bad has happened like really bad. And the ending did kept me stunned. I was like - wait, what? Okay. Cool.
But anyway there are really great things said in this book really suited for teenagers. I guess i picked it up and the right age or maybe if I was a bit younger, it wouldn't have made a big difference. The title actually makes sense once you have read it, it is fairly justified (and by saying this I think I writing an answer for my English paper...)
So yes. I really am glad that I read it and I did love it. I am very much tempted to read it again this instance very carefully to see if I missed anything (which to be honest I think I have).
It starts off with story of Bridge. About an accident she had encountered when she was young and then we come to seventh grade following the stories of three best friends: Tab, Bridge and Emily. And then comes Sherm. And the mystery girl who isn't that big of a mystery as you come to the end. It's like when I was reading the chps for the mystery girl, all I could think about was something bad has happened like really bad. And the ending did kept me stunned. I was like - wait, what? Okay. Cool.
But anyway there are really great things said in this book really suited for teenagers. I guess i picked it up and the right age or maybe if I was a bit younger, it wouldn't have made a big difference. The title actually makes sense once you have read it, it is fairly justified (and by saying this I think I writing an answer for my English paper...)
So yes. I really am glad that I read it and I did love it. I am very much tempted to read it again this instance very carefully to see if I missed anything (which to be honest I think I have).
cornmaven's review
3.0
This is a story about middle school, simply and elegantly told. Bridge nearly lost her life in 3rd grade, and carries the scars of that experience. She has lifelong friends who are changing just as she is, and the story revolves around how these kids navigate the changes, the valleys and hills, and the hard, hard process of learning how to make good decisions. These kids are still kids, they are caught in that middle zone land between childhood and teenage high school years.
So Bridge and her friends see-saw between acting grown up and acting childish. The writing is simple enough for 5-6th graders, but there is some thematic content, namely the issue of sexting, that put it more in the middle school level. I particularly liked the development of Bridge's and Sherm's relationship, as well as Bridge's discovering, slowly, that her friend Vinny from younger days is really a pretty mean girl, except for one instance.
These kids try to protect each other from mistakes, but mistakes they will make. Sherm is also dealing with the fact that his grandfather suddenly up and left his grandmother after 50 years of marriage. He can't make sense of it, and harbors a lot of anger toward his grandfather as a result.
The flow of this book is slow and steady. The high drama is tempered by Stead's talent - she's going to show you the drama but not let it take over. I liked that about this book.
NOTE: This review will appear on my library's social media book review channel in the near future.
So Bridge and her friends see-saw between acting grown up and acting childish. The writing is simple enough for 5-6th graders, but there is some thematic content, namely the issue of sexting, that put it more in the middle school level. I particularly liked the development of Bridge's and Sherm's relationship, as well as Bridge's discovering, slowly, that her friend Vinny from younger days is really a pretty mean girl, except for one instance.
These kids try to protect each other from mistakes, but mistakes they will make. Sherm is also dealing with the fact that his grandfather suddenly up and left his grandmother after 50 years of marriage. He can't make sense of it, and harbors a lot of anger toward his grandfather as a result.
The flow of this book is slow and steady. The high drama is tempered by Stead's talent - she's going to show you the drama but not let it take over. I liked that about this book.
NOTE: This review will appear on my library's social media book review channel in the near future.