suegat's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sc104906's review against another edition
4.0
One story told from three different perspectives.
Bridget was in a devastating accident a few years ago, and even though she has overcome the physical ramifications of it, she is still dealing with the emotional issues. Bridget feels that her life must mean something, because she was saved for a reason, right? Bridgett's friends, Emily and Tabitha, seem to be growing up and outgrowing the threesome's friendship. Bridget just doesn't know how to get back to where she was before the accident.
Sherman is the classic brainy boy, who has a secret crush on a girl. His family has been going through their own issues. Sherm's grandfather left his grandmother and people from three different generations are dealing with the ripples of this decision.
The last perspective is presented by an unknown character, who is going through her own growing pains. She needs to find a way back to herself.
While the description sounds pretty boring, the book was fairly interesting. It addresses growing pains that all go through. I enjoyed the audiobook.
Bridget was in a devastating accident a few years ago, and even though she has overcome the physical ramifications of it, she is still dealing with the emotional issues. Bridget feels that her life must mean something, because she was saved for a reason, right? Bridgett's friends, Emily and Tabitha, seem to be growing up and outgrowing the threesome's friendship. Bridget just doesn't know how to get back to where she was before the accident.
Sherman is the classic brainy boy, who has a secret crush on a girl. His family has been going through their own issues. Sherm's grandfather left his grandmother and people from three different generations are dealing with the ripples of this decision.
The last perspective is presented by an unknown character, who is going through her own growing pains. She needs to find a way back to herself.
While the description sounds pretty boring, the book was fairly interesting. It addresses growing pains that all go through. I enjoyed the audiobook.
katmystery's review against another edition
4.0
I don't know.
It was kind of sweet, but everything was realistic to the point of making this book not much fun.
Well written but with a vague plot-line. More of a ballad than a song, in musical terms.
It was kind of sweet, but everything was realistic to the point of making this book not much fun.
Well written but with a vague plot-line. More of a ballad than a song, in musical terms.
raquel_reading_stuff's review against another edition
4.0
Rebecca Stead is one of my favorite authors: she knows how to make seemingly normal events in characterss lives connect in all sorts of interesting ways. The story is somewhat interweaved into the present and future because a recurring POV takes place on Valentine's Day, and the book takes place before and during Valentine's day. I really appreciate how realistically and believably Stead portrays middle school/high school- not the cliques that come to everyone's mind when they think of girl conflict, but the separation of friends and how friends sometimes change- sometimes for worse, better, but most importantly different from what you knew. I've read Queen Bees and Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman and Odd Girl Out by Rachel SImmons, and the ideas they claim about girl behavior are all perfectly portrayed in this book: the race to be a "woman," (which here equals getting a boyfriend, having curves, and sometimes abandoning old friends to get a higher position in the hierarchy, etc) and the trials that friends and enemies go through within. I appreciate that hardly any characters are portrayed as all good or all bad: like in real life, they are deep and have their own relatable points of view. I like how the characters are so young that they have almost no preconceived notions about growing up, cliches, and girl conflict, which gives their voices a more authentic touch. The story is sweet. I recommend it to teens (some themes may be awkward/innapropriate/hard to understand for tweens or younger). I love Rebecca Stead! I've met her at a book signing, and her voice is so authentic and fun to read. Reading this book made me reflect on the behavior of teens and growing up, which was very refreshing in Stead's style. It also, along with the two books mentioned earlier, made me think a lot about femenism and gender roles. This book (though not mindblowing like When You Reach Me), makes you think and is very sweet and interesting. It's good.
melissapalmer404's review against another edition
5.0
Book #75 Read in 2015
Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead (YA)
This book shows that tweens and teens can have it rough. Bridge, Tab and Emily have been friends for years. As they go through middle school, they begin to have different interests (civil right, boys and finding a spot to fit in) but they remain loyal to each other. A parallel story of 9th graders involving Tab's older sister Celeste and her friends Vinny and Gina show that high school has its own set of issues. These characters figure out what friendship is and that it is ok to follow ones own path. Well written, I think middle and high school girls would really enjoy it. I received a copy of this book from the Amazon Vine program in exchange for a honest review.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead (YA)
This book shows that tweens and teens can have it rough. Bridge, Tab and Emily have been friends for years. As they go through middle school, they begin to have different interests (civil right, boys and finding a spot to fit in) but they remain loyal to each other. A parallel story of 9th graders involving Tab's older sister Celeste and her friends Vinny and Gina show that high school has its own set of issues. These characters figure out what friendship is and that it is ok to follow ones own path. Well written, I think middle and high school girls would really enjoy it. I received a copy of this book from the Amazon Vine program in exchange for a honest review.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
textpublishing's review against another edition
5.0
There's not much to say about Goodbye Stranger that hasn't already been said.
Suffice to say, if you're not already a Rebecca Stead fan, here's another reason to start:
‘Rebecca Stead has such respect for her pre- and early- teen characters, and the girls and boys in this story are so well drawn…The story is about how friendships shift and change, how we shift and change, and how to live through the mistakes that we all inevitably make. I identified with this story so much, and can’t wait to pass it on to my daughter.’ Readings
‘This novel not only sensitively explores togetherness, aloneness, betrayal and love, it also acknowledges something crucial to the business of growing up: how anyone’s personal “we of me” might look different a little while from now, and later still, different again.’
New York Times
Suffice to say, if you're not already a Rebecca Stead fan, here's another reason to start:
‘Rebecca Stead has such respect for her pre- and early- teen characters, and the girls and boys in this story are so well drawn…The story is about how friendships shift and change, how we shift and change, and how to live through the mistakes that we all inevitably make. I identified with this story so much, and can’t wait to pass it on to my daughter.’ Readings
‘This novel not only sensitively explores togetherness, aloneness, betrayal and love, it also acknowledges something crucial to the business of growing up: how anyone’s personal “we of me” might look different a little while from now, and later still, different again.’
New York Times
resslesa's review against another edition
5.0
The plot doesn't move fast but I loved the way it was told and all came together in the end. I also love it's multi layered story of friendship
cgoldenberg's review against another edition
4.0
"Life is where you sleep and what you see when you wake up in the morning, and who you tell about your weird dream, and what you eat for breakfast and who you eat it with. Life isn't something that happens to you. It's something you make yourself, all the time."
4/5 stars
4/5 stars
msseviereads's review against another edition
5.0
Perfection. Messy imperfect middle schoolers, so much to love and so much to think about in this book. I want this to be a novel group in the fall for my students. Fantastic.