undertowsoul's review
5.0
I adored this book. For those of you reading this review close to when I write it in 2017, I'm sorry you have to wait for the release of this book but it is completely worth it. I have to say I was a bit leery going into this one just because I knew it would rely on the characters and I'm picky with character building but the author did an amazing job of building the main characters. I especially loved Harriet. This is not your typical coming of age book but it's a great one for early teens as it's a clean book that deals with hard stuff and real relationships, including how to cope. It does a pretty good job of normalizing things that many kids struggle with and that's never a bad thing. Basically what I'm saying is if you've read the blurb on the cover and it sounds even vaguely interesting, buy it! You won't regret the read.
I would like to thank the publisher, author, and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
I would like to thank the publisher, author, and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
novelbloglover's review
4.0
Book Review
Title: Tiny Infinities
Author: J.H. Diehl
Genre: MG/Family/Mental Health
Rating: ****
Review: The opening chapter of Tiny Infinites was great, we are introduced to Alice a swimmer who is hiding at the pool to avoid seeing her father move out despite being aware the police are looking for her. On her way home, she sees a strange young girl walking alone and rescues her from being hit by a car, but she injures her hand in the process. We soon learn that the girl's name is Piper and she moved in next door to Alice and that she obviously has some kind of mental disability.
We learn that Piper has some form of hearing loss as she doesn't hear people and only certain sounds, but she also acts like a small child despite us assuming she is the same age as Alice who is nearly 13. We learn a lot about Alice's home life and that she was extremely close to her dad until recently and her mom was injured in a car accident but has lingering problems. However, things in her life aren't going the way she wants them to despite everything she is doing but she does have some positives she can focus on like Harriet and swimming.
As we cross the ¼ mark in the novel, it is clear to see that Alice doesn’t have a good relationship with either of her parents right now especially her father who she feels has chosen to abandon her which isn’t the case. Despite this, she does find a bit of respite with babysitting Timmy, but she also helps with Piper as no one even her parents have managed to keep her attention for as long as Alice does. It seems to me that Piper is autistic or has something similar given her behavior and mannerisms.
As we approach the halfway mark in the novel, I really liked how Alice and Harriet’s friendship was developing, it does seem forced, but it feels new and slightly awkward as new friendships do. I liked the developing relationship between Alice and Piper as the more time they spend together the more Alice is beginning to understand Piper and her condition and what it means to care for someone like Piper. The relationship between Piper and Alice develops further as she is able to get Piper to react to specific commands like stop and sleep, but she also gets Piper to talk which no one has been able to do in years.
As we cross into the second half of the novel, everything seems to be going great for Alice as she even gets Piper to talk but when she tries to tell Piper’s parents, they don’t believe her, and she gets into some serious trouble for this. I personally felt that Alice’s mother is so neglectful wrapped up in her own world so much so that it borders on abusive. Despite this and her strained friendship with Harriet, there are some silver linings and she is getting to grips with her crush on Owen.
As we approach the ¾ mark in the novel, Owen and Alice come up with the plan to videotape Piper and get her to talk again so they have some evidence but everyone Alice has mentioned the plan to seems to think that it is a bad idea. However, there seem to be some forces at work not allowing Alice to give up on the girl that even her parents are beginning to lose hope with. In some ways, Piper and Alice’s situations are similar although Piper is ignored because she can’t communicate, while Alice talks yet no one seems to listen about what she really wants.
As we cross into the final section of the novel, so much stuff happens which I don’t want to go into detail about, but it leads to Alice finding her feet in the world and finding her voice to actually tell her parents that she isn’t happy with their situation and for once they actually listen to her. We also see the bonds of friendship developed between the characters get stronger. While I was hoping for a romance between Alice and Owen which didn’t happen, I was still pleased about where their relationship ended up by the end of the novel.
Overall, this book is extremely character driven mainly focusing on Alice and her transition from childhood to adulthood mainly because of the decisions of the adults around her. I liked the realistic approach the responsibility, family issues and so many other aspects of this novel. While this isn’t in my typical genre of books that I like to read from, I sincerely enjoyed Tiny Infinities and I highly recommend you give it a go and it is short and easy to read but packs a real punch in the feelings department.
Title: Tiny Infinities
Author: J.H. Diehl
Genre: MG/Family/Mental Health
Rating: ****
Review: The opening chapter of Tiny Infinites was great, we are introduced to Alice a swimmer who is hiding at the pool to avoid seeing her father move out despite being aware the police are looking for her. On her way home, she sees a strange young girl walking alone and rescues her from being hit by a car, but she injures her hand in the process. We soon learn that the girl's name is Piper and she moved in next door to Alice and that she obviously has some kind of mental disability.
We learn that Piper has some form of hearing loss as she doesn't hear people and only certain sounds, but she also acts like a small child despite us assuming she is the same age as Alice who is nearly 13. We learn a lot about Alice's home life and that she was extremely close to her dad until recently and her mom was injured in a car accident but has lingering problems. However, things in her life aren't going the way she wants them to despite everything she is doing but she does have some positives she can focus on like Harriet and swimming.
As we cross the ¼ mark in the novel, it is clear to see that Alice doesn’t have a good relationship with either of her parents right now especially her father who she feels has chosen to abandon her which isn’t the case. Despite this, she does find a bit of respite with babysitting Timmy, but she also helps with Piper as no one even her parents have managed to keep her attention for as long as Alice does. It seems to me that Piper is autistic or has something similar given her behavior and mannerisms.
As we approach the halfway mark in the novel, I really liked how Alice and Harriet’s friendship was developing, it does seem forced, but it feels new and slightly awkward as new friendships do. I liked the developing relationship between Alice and Piper as the more time they spend together the more Alice is beginning to understand Piper and her condition and what it means to care for someone like Piper. The relationship between Piper and Alice develops further as she is able to get Piper to react to specific commands like stop and sleep, but she also gets Piper to talk which no one has been able to do in years.
As we cross into the second half of the novel, everything seems to be going great for Alice as she even gets Piper to talk but when she tries to tell Piper’s parents, they don’t believe her, and she gets into some serious trouble for this. I personally felt that Alice’s mother is so neglectful wrapped up in her own world so much so that it borders on abusive. Despite this and her strained friendship with Harriet, there are some silver linings and she is getting to grips with her crush on Owen.
As we approach the ¾ mark in the novel, Owen and Alice come up with the plan to videotape Piper and get her to talk again so they have some evidence but everyone Alice has mentioned the plan to seems to think that it is a bad idea. However, there seem to be some forces at work not allowing Alice to give up on the girl that even her parents are beginning to lose hope with. In some ways, Piper and Alice’s situations are similar although Piper is ignored because she can’t communicate, while Alice talks yet no one seems to listen about what she really wants.
As we cross into the final section of the novel, so much stuff happens which I don’t want to go into detail about, but it leads to Alice finding her feet in the world and finding her voice to actually tell her parents that she isn’t happy with their situation and for once they actually listen to her. We also see the bonds of friendship developed between the characters get stronger. While I was hoping for a romance between Alice and Owen which didn’t happen, I was still pleased about where their relationship ended up by the end of the novel.
Overall, this book is extremely character driven mainly focusing on Alice and her transition from childhood to adulthood mainly because of the decisions of the adults around her. I liked the realistic approach the responsibility, family issues and so many other aspects of this novel. While this isn’t in my typical genre of books that I like to read from, I sincerely enjoyed Tiny Infinities and I highly recommend you give it a go and it is short and easy to read but packs a real punch in the feelings department.
echuk3's review
5.0
This is my 85/100 book for since January 1st 2018. It has to be one of my favourites so far, if not my most favourite. Everything about this novel is exceedingly beautiful and tender. I read this in one sitting simply because I needed the experience of submerging myself in Alice’s world. Beautiful.
jenw's review
4.0
Everything is changing for Alice as summer approaches. Her family is crumbling around her as her father moves out, her younger brothers go to live with an aunt and she is left to help her mother who is struggling with physical and mental issues. Alice has to deal with some hard financial realities because now her father has to support two households. New neighbors move in next door and there is tension from the beginning when Alice has a late-night encounter with their daughter, Piper, who has some developmental delays. Alice has been a competitive swimmer for years and now she is moving to a new age bracket and is at a disadvantage because she will be racing against older, more experienced swimmers. Alice has also isolated herself from her friends because of all the challenges she faces at home.
At swimming practice Alice meets Harriet who is “exceedingly” intelligent and excels in many areas including academics, music and swimming but is socially awkward. The two girls share many experiences throughout the summer and learn some valuable lessons.
When I started this book I was skeptical that the author would be able to successfully address all the themes she introduced. This book explores many different family dynamics, friendships, and mental health challenges. It also promotes math, science and participation in sports. I especially enjoyed the investigation of the idea that the difference between things that are often considered total opposites can be very small. I was satisfied that the author had sufficiently dealt with all these topics by the end of the story.
The writing in this novel is beautiful and the characters are convincing. I really liked this book and I highly recommend it to anyone. However, my personal experience tells me it will be difficult to get boys to read it because the main character is female, thus making it a "girl" book.
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book!
At swimming practice Alice meets Harriet who is “exceedingly” intelligent and excels in many areas including academics, music and swimming but is socially awkward. The two girls share many experiences throughout the summer and learn some valuable lessons.
When I started this book I was skeptical that the author would be able to successfully address all the themes she introduced. This book explores many different family dynamics, friendships, and mental health challenges. It also promotes math, science and participation in sports. I especially enjoyed the investigation of the idea that the difference between things that are often considered total opposites can be very small. I was satisfied that the author had sufficiently dealt with all these topics by the end of the story.
The writing in this novel is beautiful and the characters are convincing. I really liked this book and I highly recommend it to anyone. However, my personal experience tells me it will be difficult to get boys to read it because the main character is female, thus making it a "girl" book.
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book!
burstnwithbooks's review
5.0
I became... incredibly attached to this book. I could not put it down and I flew through it within a day. I really hope that this author puts out more books in the future because I need more. This was my perfect middle grade, and now I absolutely need to find more!
bredmgz214's review
5.0
This book was given to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Even though I read the description of the book before I read it, I still really didn't know what to expect. I'm glad that I read this book. I think it is a perfect coming of age story where the main character is full of flaws and has a flawed life that is so relatable. We go on this summer journey with her as she deals with her life "falling apart around her" as she tries to put it back together. Alice seemed like such a mature little girl and her character was awesome. I would definitely buy this book and recommend it.
spinesinaline's review
4.0
This was VERY enjoyable and I can’t get over the beautiful jacket. The inside cover is pretty too!
samwlabb's review
4.0
Nothing had been the same since Alice's mother's accident, but then Alice's whole universe began to unravel. Her father had left, her brothers were gone, and her mother was trying to get rid of Alice too, but she had a plan to try and get things back to the way they used to be.
This was a really lovely story about Alice's struggles with all the changes her family was experiencing. Change is hard, and these were some huge upheavals for Alice. I found it so easy to embrace Alice. She was determined and tenacious and patient. She had a huge heart, which was especially obvious, when she was working with younger people such as her brothers, Timmy, and Piper. She was dealing with some big things and had some grown-up responsibilities placed on her. But still, she retained a youthful exuberance, which I loved.
One of the best things about this book are all the relationships that are explored - family, friendship, and even a crush are part of Alice's story. Her bond with her brothers was really special, and her aunt was a great supporter, but I think it was the dynamic between Alice and Harriet that won my heart. Harriet was quite a unique and interesting sidekick. She was quite the foil for Alice, but she was also her biggest champion. I loved the way she pushed her outside of her comfort zone and encouraged her to try new things and see things in a different way. Harriet was a quality friend.
Other things I loved:
• Swimming! Alice's enthusiasm was contagious. All her hard work and swimming aspirations had me hooked, and I found that I really enjoyed going to the pool. (Even the cheers)
• I love science, and I think I was drooling during all the Harriet science nerdy parts. I admired all her experimentation and found her entire exploration of the lightening bug enthralling.
• Dad was pretty upfront with Alice, and I appreciated that one person was honest with her. He wasn't perfect, but he tried and I felt the bond between them was quite genuine.
• Poolside picnics were often shared, and curly fries for the win
• Tent living almost sounded doable. I guess I loved the story behind the tent, and it was sort of symbolic to what Alice was trying to hold on to.
At it's core, this was a coming of age story, which was a little sad and a little heartbreaking, but realistic. Diehl addressed Alice's challenges with care and with a lot of insight.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
This was a really lovely story about Alice's struggles with all the changes her family was experiencing. Change is hard, and these were some huge upheavals for Alice. I found it so easy to embrace Alice. She was determined and tenacious and patient. She had a huge heart, which was especially obvious, when she was working with younger people such as her brothers, Timmy, and Piper. She was dealing with some big things and had some grown-up responsibilities placed on her. But still, she retained a youthful exuberance, which I loved.
One of the best things about this book are all the relationships that are explored - family, friendship, and even a crush are part of Alice's story. Her bond with her brothers was really special, and her aunt was a great supporter, but I think it was the dynamic between Alice and Harriet that won my heart. Harriet was quite a unique and interesting sidekick. She was quite the foil for Alice, but she was also her biggest champion. I loved the way she pushed her outside of her comfort zone and encouraged her to try new things and see things in a different way. Harriet was a quality friend.
Other things I loved:
• Swimming! Alice's enthusiasm was contagious. All her hard work and swimming aspirations had me hooked, and I found that I really enjoyed going to the pool. (Even the cheers)
• I love science, and I think I was drooling during all the Harriet science nerdy parts. I admired all her experimentation and found her entire exploration of the lightening bug enthralling.
• Dad was pretty upfront with Alice, and I appreciated that one person was honest with her. He wasn't perfect, but he tried and I felt the bond between them was quite genuine.
• Poolside picnics were often shared, and curly fries for the win
• Tent living almost sounded doable. I guess I loved the story behind the tent, and it was sort of symbolic to what Alice was trying to hold on to.
At it's core, this was a coming of age story, which was a little sad and a little heartbreaking, but realistic. Diehl addressed Alice's challenges with care and with a lot of insight.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
mindfullibrarian's review
4.0
Thanks to the author for this review copy for Kid Lit Exchange
(MINOR SPOILER ALERT involving MC's mother)
Diehl has written an incredibly rich middle school story with themes of divorce, chronic illness, friendship and most of all, SWIM TEAM. I loved this book and think that Alice's messy and unpredictable life will be so relatable for so, so many tweens and early teens. I especially appreciated the storyline involving Alice's mother NOT being cleanly resolved and NOT showing a miraculous recovery ~ kids know just as well as adults do that things aren't always as simple as many novels like to portray them as, and Diehl shows this very well. I loved the babysitting storyline and the whole "mystery" with Piper and her speech, and I thought the friendship with Harriet was so well-written and compassionate regarding Harriet's uniqueness. The gentle crush included in the book makes it appealing for students in grades 6 and up, but still very appropriate even for 4th and 5th grade. Oh, and the SWIM TEAM aspect. Hand this to any kid you know who swims ~ I feel like there are just not enough books focusing on this sport, but I may be biased given my childhood spent on pool decks and obsessing over my own 50 Free split!
Highly recommended for all libraries and classrooms serving a middle grade audience! I will be buying it for my own library and my 12-year-old daughter.
(MINOR SPOILER ALERT involving MC's mother)
Diehl has written an incredibly rich middle school story with themes of divorce, chronic illness, friendship and most of all, SWIM TEAM. I loved this book and think that Alice's messy and unpredictable life will be so relatable for so, so many tweens and early teens. I especially appreciated the storyline involving Alice's mother NOT being cleanly resolved and NOT showing a miraculous recovery ~ kids know just as well as adults do that things aren't always as simple as many novels like to portray them as, and Diehl shows this very well. I loved the babysitting storyline and the whole "mystery" with Piper and her speech, and I thought the friendship with Harriet was so well-written and compassionate regarding Harriet's uniqueness. The gentle crush included in the book makes it appealing for students in grades 6 and up, but still very appropriate even for 4th and 5th grade. Oh, and the SWIM TEAM aspect. Hand this to any kid you know who swims ~ I feel like there are just not enough books focusing on this sport, but I may be biased given my childhood spent on pool decks and obsessing over my own 50 Free split!
Highly recommended for all libraries and classrooms serving a middle grade audience! I will be buying it for my own library and my 12-year-old daughter.