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maxinefloyd's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 ⭐️s! I teared up at parts of this book. It was such a sweet representation of adolescence, & much of it was relatable to how I remember feeling at this age. The relationship between mother, daughter and grandmother was also such a sweet dynamic. I would love for my daughter to read this book once she reaches middle school. It also gave me perspective into what might go through her mind when we get to this age, and how I can love on her well. Inspiring and a true joy to read.
nicolemhewitt's review against another edition
5.0
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Reckless, Glorious, Girl is a coming-of-age story set in the deep South about the bonds of family and loving your roots. This intergenerational story focuses a lot on the relationship that Bea has with her mother and her grandmother. I love that the book shows an untraditional family structure (Bea’s father died, and it’s her paternal grandmother who lives with them) without making it into a huge deal. But it also deals with the circumstances realistically—Bea’s mother and grandmother don’t always agree, and that can cause tension, especially when it comes to raising Bea. The book explores the theme of class and identity as well. Bea struggles a bit with wanting to fit in with the popular kids at school, a task that feels harder to her because of her clothes bought at Goodwill and her lower-class Southern twang (the fact that she calls her grandma Mamaw is specifically something she gets teased for a bit). But she also feels proud of who she is, and eventually comes to realize that she doesn’t need to change herself to fit into a crowd that might not be her best fit. Kids will relate to Bea’s struggle between what is right and what will get her the most attention—many kids at this age are dealing with those kinds of choices. And there are lots of mentions of Bea’s period—a topic that young girls don’t often see on the page and probably need to. Overall, this is a quiet story, lighter on plot than on character, but it focuses on topics that young girls will relate to and the unique Southern setting makes it stand out.
Reckless, Glorious, Girl is a coming-of-age story set in the deep South about the bonds of family and loving your roots. This intergenerational story focuses a lot on the relationship that Bea has with her mother and her grandmother. I love that the book shows an untraditional family structure (Bea’s father died, and it’s her paternal grandmother who lives with them) without making it into a huge deal. But it also deals with the circumstances realistically—Bea’s mother and grandmother don’t always agree, and that can cause tension, especially when it comes to raising Bea. The book explores the theme of class and identity as well. Bea struggles a bit with wanting to fit in with the popular kids at school, a task that feels harder to her because of her clothes bought at Goodwill and her lower-class Southern twang (the fact that she calls her grandma Mamaw is specifically something she gets teased for a bit). But she also feels proud of who she is, and eventually comes to realize that she doesn’t need to change herself to fit into a crowd that might not be her best fit. Kids will relate to Bea’s struggle between what is right and what will get her the most attention—many kids at this age are dealing with those kinds of choices. And there are lots of mentions of Bea’s period—a topic that young girls don’t often see on the page and probably need to. Overall, this is a quiet story, lighter on plot than on character, but it focuses on topics that young girls will relate to and the unique Southern setting makes it stand out.
lawbooks600's review against another edition
emotional
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
3.0
Representation: Biracial (half Black and half white) and implied Latina and Asian characters
Score: Six points out of ten.
It turns out that a library I went to hasn't ran out of poetry. Yet. That's when I thought when I found out that Reckless, Glorious, Girl was in verse so I picked it up alongside another one. Unfortunately, both of them were only okay and not without flaws. Neither of them were as outstanding as similar texts like Alone by Megan E. Freeman or Under the Broken Sky by Mariko Nagai.
It starts with the first character I see, Beatrice Miller, living with her mother and grandmother during the summer before seventh grade. Reckless, Glorious, Girl has a tedious beginning spanning half of the text but it soon picks up when Beatrice goes to seventh grade but worries about the events that could happen there, as well as all the physical changes she must experience. Reckless, Glorious, Girl shines in its quick chapters and engaging pacing. It was unputdownable.
I liked that Beatrice was flawed and experienced character development and her dynamics with her mother and grandmother. However, my most frustrating gripe with Reckless, Glorious, Girl is the writing style, because it's like what happens when someone presses the Enter key many times. It's so repetitive. The author doesn't need to repeat herself several times to prove her point. It's like she needed a sledgehammer to do that. The middle 200 pages were only about Beatrice journeying through seventh grade when another character, Chloe, invited her to a sleepover. The last 100 pages were dramatic, but there's a high note at the end.
Score: Six points out of ten.
It turns out that a library I went to hasn't ran out of poetry. Yet. That's when I thought when I found out that Reckless, Glorious, Girl was in verse so I picked it up alongside another one. Unfortunately, both of them were only okay and not without flaws. Neither of them were as outstanding as similar texts like Alone by Megan E. Freeman or Under the Broken Sky by Mariko Nagai.
It starts with the first character I see, Beatrice Miller, living with her mother and grandmother during the summer before seventh grade. Reckless, Glorious, Girl has a tedious beginning spanning half of the text but it soon picks up when Beatrice goes to seventh grade but worries about the events that could happen there, as well as all the physical changes she must experience. Reckless, Glorious, Girl shines in its quick chapters and engaging pacing. It was unputdownable.
I liked that Beatrice was flawed and experienced character development and her dynamics with her mother and grandmother. However, my most frustrating gripe with Reckless, Glorious, Girl is the writing style, because it's like what happens when someone presses the Enter key many times. It's so repetitive. The author doesn't need to repeat herself several times to prove her point. It's like she needed a sledgehammer to do that. The middle 200 pages were only about Beatrice journeying through seventh grade when another character, Chloe, invited her to a sleepover. The last 100 pages were dramatic, but there's a high note at the end.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent
Full trigger warnings: Death of a father in the pastsmalltownbookmom's review against another edition
3.0
A heart-warming middle grade, novel in verse about a young Kentucky girl coming of age. We get to know Beatrice Miller through her own words as she shares her thoughts and feelings about family, friends, puberty and so much more. Beatrice is a strong, self-assured pre-teen that young girls are sure to relate to and enjoy! I enjoyed the audiobook version and would definitely recommend.
tammys_take's review against another edition
4.0
Contemporary coming of age story, twelve year old Beatrice begins middle school and is figuring out who she is and how she fits in. She lives with her exuberant Mamaw and hard working mother, and while her needs are met, she never quite feels she’s enough or has enough, until falling into the wrong crowd at school teaches her some important lessons.
tx2its's review against another edition
4.0
Reading 2021
Book 44: Reckless, Glorious, Girl by Ellen Hagan
Received this book as part of my Christmas gift subscription to Page 1 Books. It is written in verse, with a great story line of strong women. Love the cover of this book as well.
Bea, named after her grandmother Beatrice, lives with her mom and grandmother in the South. Bea's father died when she was younger in a car accident. His death, and the death of Bea's grandfather shape these women as they attend everyday life. Mom and Mamaw work to help Bea navigate all that life has to offer her. Bea is getting ready for seventh grade and all of the anxieties of middle school. She has a crush on a boy, she is behind her friends in body development ( a source of great angst), and her friend relationships are changing. Learning how the world works in your own little corner, and how to learn from mistakes are what Bea is trudging through daily.
This was a sweet book, full of all the angst and anxieties that go along with middle school. Bea was a strong character wanting to be just like her Mamaw. Amazon says the book is reviewed for 3-4 grade, though I would say this is middle school material. There is discussion of puberty, finding your way through middle school identity, first kisses, and other older kid issues. Would add this to my classroom library for sure. My rating 4⭐.
Book 44: Reckless, Glorious, Girl by Ellen Hagan
Received this book as part of my Christmas gift subscription to Page 1 Books. It is written in verse, with a great story line of strong women. Love the cover of this book as well.
Bea, named after her grandmother Beatrice, lives with her mom and grandmother in the South. Bea's father died when she was younger in a car accident. His death, and the death of Bea's grandfather shape these women as they attend everyday life. Mom and Mamaw work to help Bea navigate all that life has to offer her. Bea is getting ready for seventh grade and all of the anxieties of middle school. She has a crush on a boy, she is behind her friends in body development ( a source of great angst), and her friend relationships are changing. Learning how the world works in your own little corner, and how to learn from mistakes are what Bea is trudging through daily.
This was a sweet book, full of all the angst and anxieties that go along with middle school. Bea was a strong character wanting to be just like her Mamaw. Amazon says the book is reviewed for 3-4 grade, though I would say this is middle school material. There is discussion of puberty, finding your way through middle school identity, first kisses, and other older kid issues. Would add this to my classroom library for sure. My rating 4⭐.
miszjeanie's review against another edition
4.0
Reckless, Glorious, Girl is a quintessential coming-of-age story about a girl whose community of women helps her find herself. Set in the US South, this verse novel is chock-full of lush nature, mouthwatering cooking scenes, exuberant sleepovers, and stomach fluttering crushes. If you enjoy introspective heroines and stories centering grandparents, warm female friendships, and the grief of losing a parent you never met, this is the book for you.
Read my full review on my blog.
Many thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Read my full review on my blog.
Many thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
jvanfosson's review against another edition
funny
reflective
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
4.5
story_sanctuary's review against another edition
4.0
One of the great things about this novel-in-verse is how unpretentious it is. Sometimes reading poetry makes it harder for me to connect to a story, because I get lost in the rhythm of the words or have to stop to decode things, but RECKLESS, GLORIOUS, GIRL is really easy to read. It’s still got a lot of emotion and heart, it’s just also really straightforward, which I liked.
Sometimes Beatrice’s character felt a little shallow to me. Everything she felt made sense and seemed realistic. She focused a lot on her skin and how she looked and wanting to be cool– which are totally reasonable things for someone to think about. I guess it just felt like a lot to me, and I wanted her to hurry toward realizing that those things weren’t what was the most important.
Beatrice grows a lot through the story. I love how the story centers around women: her mom and grandmother, her two best friends, even other girls in Beatrice’s class. Her relationships with her mom and Memaw were my favorite for how they challenged each other and sometimes experienced friction, but always they loved each other.
I think readers who enjoyed THE BENEFITS OF BEING AN OCTOPUS will enjoy the heart and family relationships of this story.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Sometimes Beatrice’s character felt a little shallow to me. Everything she felt made sense and seemed realistic. She focused a lot on her skin and how she looked and wanting to be cool– which are totally reasonable things for someone to think about. I guess it just felt like a lot to me, and I wanted her to hurry toward realizing that those things weren’t what was the most important.
Beatrice grows a lot through the story. I love how the story centers around women: her mom and grandmother, her two best friends, even other girls in Beatrice’s class. Her relationships with her mom and Memaw were my favorite for how they challenged each other and sometimes experienced friction, but always they loved each other.
I think readers who enjoyed THE BENEFITS OF BEING AN OCTOPUS will enjoy the heart and family relationships of this story.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
amarieads's review
funny
lighthearted
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
3.0