The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
schausjk's review
- 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
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
- 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
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
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
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.Â
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.Â
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.
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Infertility