schausjk's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
4.25
This book handled the complexities of family dynamics between adopted and biological siblings in a way that felt authentic.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Deportation, Racism, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and Child abuse
Minor: Infertility, Lesbophobia, Animal death, Abandonment, Eating disorder, and Death
talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Bullying, Medical content, Sexism, Violence, Grief, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Misogyny, and Pregnancy
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Sexual content, Vomit, Ableism, Cancer, Animal death, Eating disorder, Deportation, Death of parent, Car accident, Child abuse, Death, Homophobia, Infertility, and Racism
Slut shaming. Underage drug use.abigailnoack's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
This is one of the strongest YA contemporaries that I've read all year. It's my second time reading Robin Benway, and I'm excited to keep going through her other books!
I wasn't sure if I would like the book being told through 3 perspectives, but everything felt really balanced. Grace, Maya, and Joaquin are all equal narrators with their own personality, history, and family situation. Each of them are going through their own life-altering circumstances in their personal lives when they get the chance to meet their bio siblings for the first time. Their storylines intersect in an incredible way that kept me interested and so invested in the characters lives and relationships. I wanted to be their friends and hangout with them. Truly great group chemistry. They obviously don't have a perfect relationship *the second* that they meet, but their desire to be a family and to know each other just touched my heart. I wanted every good thing for them.
The strongest point of this book is definitely showing how differently each of their lives turned out from being adopted at birth, to spending a lifetime hopping through the foster care system. It also discusses how race can be a factor in this, as Joaquin is half Mexican. It's also just about family: the one you're born into, the one that you find, and the people you choose to surround yourself with that feel like home. It definitely does a great job exploring the pain and grief that can come with the adoptive and foster care systems, along with the types of trauma from being adopted/not ever being adopted, etc. I loved the open discussions about therapy and counselling. I wish that was more normalized in YA fiction.
This book was so emotional, and simultaneously heart-breaking and heart-warming. Grace, Maya, and Joaquin made me feel so many emotions. It's a heavier contemporary, but it's definitely worth the read.
I wasn't sure if I would like the book being told through 3 perspectives, but everything felt really balanced. Grace, Maya, and Joaquin are all equal narrators with their own personality, history, and family situation. Each of them are going through their own life-altering circumstances in their personal lives when they get the chance to meet their bio siblings for the first time. Their storylines intersect in an incredible way that kept me interested and so invested in the characters lives and relationships. I wanted to be their friends and hangout with them. Truly great group chemistry. They obviously don't have a perfect relationship *the second* that they meet, but their desire to be a family and to know each other just touched my heart. I wanted every good thing for them.
The strongest point of this book is definitely showing how differently each of their lives turned out from being adopted at birth, to spending a lifetime hopping through the foster care system. It also discusses how race can be a factor in this, as Joaquin is half Mexican. It's also just about family: the one you're born into, the one that you find, and the people you choose to surround yourself with that feel like home. It definitely does a great job exploring the pain and grief that can come with the adoptive and foster care systems, along with the types of trauma from being adopted/not ever being adopted, etc. I loved the open discussions about therapy and counselling. I wish that was more normalized in YA fiction.
This book was so emotional, and simultaneously heart-breaking and heart-warming. Grace, Maya, and Joaquin made me feel so many emotions. It's a heavier contemporary, but it's definitely worth the read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Infertility
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