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blissfulbookworm's review against another edition
4.0
This book is so much more than a typical root-for-the-underdog tale. It's a moving story that weaves together larger issues like immigration, undocumented status, white flight, under-resourced high schools, income inequality, racism, and the failed promise of the American Dream. I know that this has been made into a movie, and the book addresses how the film version ends on a happy note. However, the events of this story are real, and for the actual students and teachers involved, their lives have moved on in uncertain, and at times unhappy, directions. Spare Parts sharply brings into focus how broken our immigration system is, and how misguided nativism is ultimately squandering our nation's future.
szbailey's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Inspirational story of a high school robotics team with team members who are illegal immigrants.
kellymariez's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
fast-paced
4.75
chloermohr's review against another edition
2.0
It was an extremely compelling story but I wasn't a fan of the writing style and had to read this for school so that's why I didn't enjoy this as much as I would have wanted to.
coulterdaniel's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
4.0
dlberglund's review against another edition
5.0
Love. This book made me feel a lot of things-- passion for teaching, anger at other people's judgments, excitement for science, fear of what the next few years will bring for the Dreamers and kids (and young adults) like the ones in this book. There's a lot of hope in here, though the politics are unavoidable. A great book for all audiences.
mschlat's review against another edition
5.0
I cried while reading this book... It's one thing to have a kickass story of four lower income high school students beating college students (including some from MIT) at a robotics competition. It's another to continue the story and show what happens when the four students (all from Mexico, none of them citizens, two of them in the country illegally) cannot continue with their success and, in most cases, do not get four year college degrees.
My tears occurred when the students were praised for their engineering. Because they and their school were poor, they actually used simpler and more effective engineering principles than the teams that had bucks (and a ton of assumptions of how to do things). A heartbreaking book and a strong witness to those who can rise above and the laws that can bring them back down.
My tears occurred when the students were praised for their engineering. Because they and their school were poor, they actually used simpler and more effective engineering principles than the teams that had bucks (and a ton of assumptions of how to do things). A heartbreaking book and a strong witness to those who can rise above and the laws that can bring them back down.
blevins's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this one a lot. Both uplifting & frustrating, it is the story of a group of undocumented Mexican kids who get on a high school robotics team in Phoenix and who travel to California for a competition in 2004. Arizona at this time was a hotbed of anti-immigration zealots who were shouting from the rooftops about building a wall on the border & deport everyone who wasn't a citizen. Like these kids. I'm not going to spoil the story if you don't know about it but it is a very underdog tale with these kids taking on students with lots of money from MIT and other colleges. I was pulling for these kids and their PVC pipe robot like it was a sporting event by the end. The book not only tells their story but it also hammers home just how absurd Arizona and the government is regarding Mexican immigrants coming to America. It ticked me off to be honest, as there are a lot of morons out there and the politicians are at the front of the line. This has just been made into a film, no surprise. Unfortunately, it has George Lopez in the lead role. Shockingly it isn't a Disney picture, as they could have worked their Disney magic with it and taken the story to another level.
llkendrick's review against another edition
5.0
I love a true story about underdogs rising to the top and this book didn't disappoint. The movie about this event is coming out soon and I'm glad I read the book first!