lefaulkenberry's review against another edition
5.0
This is my favorite kind of book. It has striking characters, wild energy, and equal parts humor and pathos. It begins with a horrible event and tracks a young girl as she struggles to escape her own downward spiral. It's beautifully written and had me hooked from the beginning. The best part? As the protagonist moves toward redemption, she saves herself.
caustic_wonder's review against another edition
4.0
I first read this book a few years ago. A friend recommended it and I immediately went to the public library and found it! It was very exciting. And very good. The fact that the public library actually had a book I wanted to read, I mean. The book itself, not so exciting, but very good, yes.
This is the story of Faith Duckle, who through a string of incidents, finds herself attached to a traveling carnival. Now, this doesn't exactly happen until about halfway through the novel, but it is important nonetheless. In the beginning of the novel, Faith was fat. This is how we are introduced to her, as the Fat Girl. She is attacked under the bleachers at school and processes this event in a very real and raw manner. She tries to kill herself and winds up in a rehab where she deals with herself and loses a lot of her weight in the process. In the process of becoming this less fat girl, she keeps her Fat Girl persona to the side. It acts as a secret identity/ subconscious motivator for her.
What I love about this novel is that it is a story of redemption. Faith has lost faith in herself at the beginning of the story. She has done something horrible and runs away from home, joining up with the circus. And while the circus can act as a metaphor for all sorts of human feelings and emotions, the circus is where Faith finds her salvation. She changes her name to Annabelle and in that simple act, manages to redefine herself. She is no longer the dumpy fat girl that everyone used to ignore. She is Annabelle Cabinet. She is a hard worker and good listener.
I feel like I should say more about the novel, but it is not something I can describe. It is a book that should be experienced. I think anyone who was ever picked on in middle or high school could benefit from reading this book. Kind of like Speak, it is a story that captures the not-pretty side of high school. It is the Anti-Gossip Girl story, if you will.
This is the story of Faith Duckle, who through a string of incidents, finds herself attached to a traveling carnival. Now, this doesn't exactly happen until about halfway through the novel, but it is important nonetheless. In the beginning of the novel, Faith was fat. This is how we are introduced to her, as the Fat Girl. She is attacked under the bleachers at school and processes this event in a very real and raw manner. She tries to kill herself and winds up in a rehab where she deals with herself and loses a lot of her weight in the process. In the process of becoming this less fat girl, she keeps her Fat Girl persona to the side. It acts as a secret identity/ subconscious motivator for her.
What I love about this novel is that it is a story of redemption. Faith has lost faith in herself at the beginning of the story. She has done something horrible and runs away from home, joining up with the circus. And while the circus can act as a metaphor for all sorts of human feelings and emotions, the circus is where Faith finds her salvation. She changes her name to Annabelle and in that simple act, manages to redefine herself. She is no longer the dumpy fat girl that everyone used to ignore. She is Annabelle Cabinet. She is a hard worker and good listener.
I feel like I should say more about the novel, but it is not something I can describe. It is a book that should be experienced. I think anyone who was ever picked on in middle or high school could benefit from reading this book. Kind of like Speak, it is a story that captures the not-pretty side of high school. It is the Anti-Gossip Girl story, if you will.
apetruce's review against another edition
2.0
Won an ALA young adult award in 2004, but not my thing -- rape.
itsjadenbaby's review against another edition
4.0
Such an interesting look into mental health. Really enjoyed the overall story despite how hard it was emotionally to read at times.
mhall's review against another edition
4.0
Fat teen girl runaway escapes her problems - gang rape, mental institution, the fact that she attacked a classmate with an axe - and finds herself by joining the circus.
talluuulah's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
didn’t like thebeginning, felt like too much tbh but omg it grew on me sm
amihan_drt's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
birdee's review against another edition
5.0
This book has reminded one of my favorites. I recently re-read it and enjoyed it just as much.
nectarine_waffle's review against another edition
4.0
Fat teen girl runaway escapes her problems - gang rape, mental institution, the fact that she attacked a classmate with an axe - and finds herself by joining the circus.
libraryfiend's review against another edition
5.0
For over 10 years this has been one of my very favorite books. I’ve bought probably 6 or 7 copies of it because I keep giving them out to people to read! I even have the eBook version of it so I am never without it. I’m not sure why this book has stuck with me all these years, but it has. Amanda Davis’s writing is beautiful and lyrical while still being straightforward and clear. Faith/Annabelle is a powerful, strong, if somewhat unreliable narrator and her story, riddled with body image struggles and mental illness, is heartbreaking and filled with hope at the same time. I continue to go back to this book year after year a reread it with the same passion and interest. Amanda Davis was taken from this world too soon. If Wonder When You’ll Miss Me is any indication, she would have brought so many other amazing stories to life. Give this book a chance and take it for what it is - sad, hopeful, open-ended, and beautiful.