Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

Finally Seen by Kelly Yang

11 reviews

scarlett_f's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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bibliomich's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This is not the first Kelly Yang book that I've ever read. (I listened to Top Story shortly after it was released last September.) However, Finally Seen is the book that makes me truly understand why Kelly Yang is considered a master of her craft and one of the best contemporary middle grade authors today.

There are some middle grade books that I read and immediately know my students will love, but they don't necessarily appeal to me. On the other hand, there are others that I absolutely love, but for whatever reason the stories don't resonate with my students. While this book very much kept its young adolescent audience in mind, it was also a story that I found myself truly engrossed in and wanting to know what happened next.

What I loved:
- *Sigh* All of it.
- The representation of an Asian student who has immigrated to America, including her challenges and triumphs.
- Lina's relationships--with her parents, her sister, her friends, her grandmother--and the way these relationships evolve over the course of the book.
- The portrayal of teachers as important role models who can truly make a difference in a student's life.
- The pace of the book. It moves quickly while also spending enough time on the aspects of the story that feel like they matter the most.

I'm currently reading the sequel, Finally Heard, and I am loving seeing what happens next with Lina, her friends, and her family.
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ems_rxlibrary's review

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emotional hopeful informative lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book is incredible! 

I loved how Lina was able to see herself in books and learn to express herself through her art. The friends she made totally warmed my heart and I loved the school board meeting when people got up to defend the sweet book that her classmate’s mom found divisive. 

I also loved how the author used her own experience coming to the US as the story for a side character (who was one of my favorite characters). So many important lessons in this book ❤️
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kimmarieb's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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tinytrashqueen's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced
  • 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

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ofpagesandparagraphs's review

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hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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lettuce_read's review against another edition

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  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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imstephtacular's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.75

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purplepenning's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

A+ Realistic middle grade fiction with a timely message about the importance of diverse books, the misguided intents of book banning (based on a true event), and the power of graphic novels. Lina is a middle schooler trying to find her feet in a new life as an immigrant, daughter, big sister, long-distance granddaughter, friend, English learner, artist, bath bomb designer, graphic novel enthusiast, and voice against selfishly ill-informed xenophobic censorship. It's … a lot. But she handles it with courage, some excellent help, and humor in a story that's relatable, revelatory, and entertaining. 
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btwnprintedpgs's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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