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mindfullibrarian's review
5.0
Excellent middle grade and young adult book! This very well-written story about a middle school girl with scoliosis blends a very heartfelt account (based on the author's experiences as a child) of being in a back brace and the accompanying blow to her self-confidence, with a realistic and warm story of friendship and middle school and soccer and boys. There is an author's note about her own experiences with scoliosis and resources for kids experiencing the same struggles she did. While the issue in this book is a specific one, Rachel's efforts to deal with being different will be relatable to pretty much every teen and tween in our world today. (I received an e-ARC of this book from Edelweiss- all opinions are my own)
mdettmann's review
4.0
Rachel loves to play soccer, hang out with her friends, and has scoliosis. As she begins 7th grade she is fitted with a back brace to wear to help stop the curvature of her spine so that she doesn't have to have spine surgery like her mother did. Wearing the brace is not only physically painful for Rachel at times, but emotionally as well, as she navigates bullies, mean girls, and growing apart from one of her closest friends all because of her brace.
I really loved how the author wrote from her own experiences with scoliosis to write this story and offered peer support information in her author's note. The mother/daughter relationship was one of the strongest parts of the book, as I can see even Rachel-aged readers feeling for both Rachel, who just wants to be herself, and her mother, who wants what is best for her daughter. I think many readers will relate to feeling ostracized by their peers at times, wanting to stand up for themselves, and navigating teenage romance. The ending does tie up everything nicely, but I think it worked perfectly for this story.
I really loved how the author wrote from her own experiences with scoliosis to write this story and offered peer support information in her author's note. The mother/daughter relationship was one of the strongest parts of the book, as I can see even Rachel-aged readers feeling for both Rachel, who just wants to be herself, and her mother, who wants what is best for her daughter. I think many readers will relate to feeling ostracized by their peers at times, wanting to stand up for themselves, and navigating teenage romance. The ending does tie up everything nicely, but I think it worked perfectly for this story.
burstnwithbooks's review
3.0
I had a lot of mixed feelings about this book. It did some things well, and it definitely had good intentions, but a lot of it also frustrated me. It’s intended for a younger audience, so that played a big part in it, and I found myself agreeing with the main character’s mom a lot. I thought a lot of things seemed outdated and were likely based on the author’s past experience... which has already changed. But still, it was nice to see a new book about scoliosis, and I hope it isn’t the last!
sophiesaur's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Maybe I do hate middle grade books
saber77's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
sunshine169's review
4.0
I picked up this book because the main protagonist Rachel has scoliosis and has to wear a super uncomfortable back brace. I had gone through a similar thing when I was her age. I have a double curve. The descriptions of the brace and what it is like wearing one are pretty spot on. I had one of those monstrosities. The descriptions of the bullying that happened to Rachel were also spot on. I remember the taunts that I have boobs growing out my back or that I am stuffing my bra because of the way the brace stuck out my back and pushed everything up. I stopped wearing it because I couldn't stand the bullying anymore. Not wearing it has been one of my life's biggest regrets. I never related to a middle grade book as much as I have to this one.
liralen's review
4.0
Nice. A bit like an updated [b:Deenie|12206282|Deenie|Judy Blume|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1311993370s/12206282.jpg|2428922], but with rather more complexity. Rachel isn't concerned with becoming a model, but she does want to kick butt on the soccer field...and wearing a bulky brace to prevent her scoliosis from getting worse was not part of the plans. She has to wear it 23 hours per day, which means that it impacts every part of her life. It's impossible to hide, and Rachel's afraid that it'll spell doom not only for her middle-school soccer career but also for her social life. Worse, Rachel's mother (who had surgery for her own scoliosis, once upon a time) seems to think she should be grateful for the experience and can't, or won't, understand why any of it upsets Rachel.
So there's a lot going on, but in a good way. I can see how this would be a good resource for kids facing wearing a brace. (As an adult who's only vaguely informed about scoliosis, I learned quite a bit, and it never felt preachy.) Rachel's pretty low-key and relatable, and there's real tension regarding how things will shake out with her friends. If Deenie was going to be updated, this was a good way to go about it.
So there's a lot going on, but in a good way. I can see how this would be a good resource for kids facing wearing a brace. (As an adult who's only vaguely informed about scoliosis, I learned quite a bit, and it never felt preachy.) Rachel's pretty low-key and relatable, and there's real tension regarding how things will shake out with her friends. If Deenie was going to be updated, this was a good way to go about it.
chronicallybookish's review
4.0
Quick Stats
Age Rating: 9+
Over All: 4.25 stars
Plot: 3.5/5
Characters: 4/5 (MC is 5/5, everyone else is like 3.5/5)
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 3.5/5
Disability Rep: 5/5
This book was a quick but very meaningful read. There is so much heart in this book.
Rachel was a relatable, realistic narrator. I honestly don’t know how Alison Gerber managed to capture the voice of a 12 year old so precisely. Reading Rachel’s narration genuinely felt like jumping into my own pre-teen head as I learned to come to terms with my own disabilities. There were multiple points where I got teary-eyed. I might not have scoliosis, but the isolating aspects of being disabled at that age are universal, and it was so healing to my inner child to read about someone else feeling those feelings.
Unlike Rachel, my mom has always been my ultimate supporter. Maybe that’s why I couldn’t stand reading the interactions between the two of them. Her mom just came off as too flat and emotionless. It didn’t make sense to me. I felt like I needed to see more of her motivation—especially as we are eventually supposed to forgive and empathize with her.
Even when we did get that moment of opening up and explanations… it just didn’t ring true. I still couldn’t understand how she had so clearly missed everything that her daughter was feeling? Her apathy before that moment was far too extreme compared to her reasonings, and the abrupt shift in personality and actions (albeit for the better) after that moment gave me whiplash and also felt unrealistic.
There was so much emphasis in that point of the book on Rachel explaining herself better. On “talking things out”, as if she hadn’t already been doing that. From my perception, the issue was never Rachel not explaining herself. It was that no one listened to her.
Like, when Rachel has that talk with her mom, her mom is like “I didn’t know,” and the emphasis is on Rachel finally explaining herself… as if she hadn’t already been actively saying all of these things before. She was actively saying, I hate this thing, it hurts, it makes me look weird, kids stare at me, etc. Like those sentiments were made via dialogue, plus she was indirectly communicating with tears and fighting and slammed doors… It was all so blatantly obvious, and yet the blame ended up put on her for not communicating. That was infuriating. And that messaging, that its all on the disabled kids’ shoulders to be super well articulated about these incredibly hard, confusing things doesn’t sit right with me.
However, all of the representation outside of that was phenomenal, and I think this book would do amazingly at helping disabled tweens—especially those with scoliosis—feel less alone, and I think the good aspects do well outweigh the negative. I defintiely do recommend this book, however I also think that when you read it, you should keep in mind that making it the literal child’s responsibility to communicate in a way that the adult finds acceptable in order to be taken seriously. Disability is an incredibly emotionally volatile experience, and to say that our needs and feelings should only be taken seriously when we are able to say them precisely and calmly is incredibly problematic. While I doubt that was the author’s intended message, it does come off that way, and it’s something you should be mindful of while reading.
Age Rating: 9+
Over All: 4.25 stars
Plot: 3.5/5
Characters: 4/5 (MC is 5/5, everyone else is like 3.5/5)
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 3.5/5
Disability Rep: 5/5
This book was a quick but very meaningful read. There is so much heart in this book.
Rachel was a relatable, realistic narrator. I honestly don’t know how Alison Gerber managed to capture the voice of a 12 year old so precisely. Reading Rachel’s narration genuinely felt like jumping into my own pre-teen head as I learned to come to terms with my own disabilities. There were multiple points where I got teary-eyed. I might not have scoliosis, but the isolating aspects of being disabled at that age are universal, and it was so healing to my inner child to read about someone else feeling those feelings.
Unlike Rachel, my mom has always been my ultimate supporter. Maybe that’s why I couldn’t stand reading the interactions between the two of them. Her mom just came off as too flat and emotionless. It didn’t make sense to me. I felt like I needed to see more of her motivation—especially as we are eventually supposed to forgive and empathize with her.
Even when we did get that moment of opening up and explanations… it just didn’t ring true. I still couldn’t understand how she had so clearly missed everything that her daughter was feeling? Her apathy before that moment was far too extreme compared to her reasonings, and the abrupt shift in personality and actions (albeit for the better) after that moment gave me whiplash and also felt unrealistic.
There was so much emphasis in that point of the book on Rachel explaining herself better. On “talking things out”, as if she hadn’t already been doing that. From my perception, the issue was never Rachel not explaining herself. It was that no one listened to her.
Like, when Rachel has that talk with her mom, her mom is like “I didn’t know,” and the emphasis is on Rachel finally explaining herself… as if she hadn’t already been actively saying all of these things before. She was actively saying, I hate this thing, it hurts, it makes me look weird, kids stare at me, etc. Like those sentiments were made via dialogue, plus she was indirectly communicating with tears and fighting and slammed doors… It was all so blatantly obvious, and yet the blame ended up put on her for not communicating. That was infuriating. And that messaging, that its all on the disabled kids’ shoulders to be super well articulated about these incredibly hard, confusing things doesn’t sit right with me.
However, all of the representation outside of that was phenomenal, and I think this book would do amazingly at helping disabled tweens—especially those with scoliosis—feel less alone, and I think the good aspects do well outweigh the negative. I defintiely do recommend this book, however I also think that when you read it, you should keep in mind that making it the literal child’s responsibility to communicate in a way that the adult finds acceptable in order to be taken seriously. Disability is an incredibly emotionally volatile experience, and to say that our needs and feelings should only be taken seriously when we are able to say them precisely and calmly is incredibly problematic. While I doubt that was the author’s intended message, it does come off that way, and it’s something you should be mindful of while reading.
readingthroughtheages's review
5.0
A book that is certainly close to my heart. I'm glad to see a physical disability written in a very realistic format.
yapha's review
4.0
Rachel has been having routine check ups for scoliosis for years. She is genetically predisposed to developing it since her mother suffered from it. Just before the start of seventh grade she gets the unfortunate news that in order to prevent surgery, she is going to need to wear a back brace. Rachel is devastated. It completely destroys the vision of seventh grade that she has for herself. And worse, her mother seems to have no compassion for the fact that she has to wear it 23 hours a day. But with the help of her friends, Rachel finds reserves of strength she didn't know she had and pushes forward with her soccer dreams. This powerful novel is packed with raw emotion that brought this reader to tears more than once. Highly recommended for grades 4 & up.