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mollysticks's review
5.0
Wow, what a ride and an emotional read. So many important concepts shown here, and so many good conversations that are had. I liked the recognition of the failures of those that are meant to protect, and then the reconciliation too. Girls are not boys toys or games.
spicierleaf's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Lower level book than I'm used to, but still touched on important issues
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual harassment
reba639's review
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
jwinchell's review
4.0
For so long I didn’t know how this book was going to resolve because the problems Mika was having with a group of 4 boys were so frequent and snide and her attempts to share were thwarted so many times. I think the book does a good job of showing how insidious and shameful sexual harassment can be, and how much courage it takes to call it out and take back your power. I think middle school boys and girls should read and know about this #metoo book for their age. Very accessible and well written.
trudyjeanne7's review
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
heartsandthumbs's review against another edition
challenging
tense
4.0
I wish society would spend more time educating its children as to what is and is not acceptable when it comes to the things they say to each other, or the way they touch each other, how to change your behavior when someone says you are making them feel uncomfortable or unsafe, and about all kinds of consent. How to asset yourself and tell the other person that what they’re doing is not okay and that you’re not wrong for reporting them. It’s important. No more “boys will be boys” or “you’re being too sensitive”. That’s no longer acceptable.
That said, I found the conclusion of this book rather unrealistic, because here in the real world you’re rarely heard even when you MAKE them listen… but I still thought it was a good book that got a lot of really good points across in a way that’s understandable to the age group it’s about.
That said, I found the conclusion of this book rather unrealistic, because here in the real world you’re rarely heard even when you MAKE them listen… but I still thought it was a good book that got a lot of really good points across in a way that’s understandable to the age group it’s about.
carabee's review
5.0
I desperately wish I had been given this book in middle school. It was hard for me to read at times because I could remember feeling this way, fighting these incidents of harassment, and not having a word for it. Lucky for me, I had a mom who did have the words and who made the school speak them too. Being a kid in your heart and a young woman on the outside is a lonely and sometimes scary space to live in, especially when you’re ahead of your peers and not many have faced sexual harassment yet. This is an incredible book, and I hope it gets all the publicity and promotion it deserves. My only quibble is that Max’s experience is framed as a bit less serious than it is, as his experience doesn’t really qualify as just “regular” bullying either. But that aside, MAYBE HE JUST LIKES YOU is an excellent novel that should to be read by parents, school staff, and all middle graders regardless of gender.
reading_rachel's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. This book makes me want to design a whole course around literature for girls about specific issues they deal with. What a fantastic way to show how sexual harassment is often treated as a “joke” or “immaturity” with teenage/middle school boys. I couldn’t put this down. I want every girl to read this book.
lizbooher's review
5.0
This book is a must read for middle schoolers and middle school teachers. The topic of sexual harassment and bullying is something that needs to be talked about so much more than it is. The “boys will be boys” excuse is insulting to not only the girls, but to boys as well.
rkiladitis's review
5.0
It all starts with an unwanted hug that takes seventh-grader Mila by surprise, on the school playground, when the basketball boys decide to join in on a friend's birthday celebration. It keeps going: unwanted hugs, comments, even touches; barely disguised chuckles and cheers among the basketball boys. Mila knows it's wrong. She feels uncomfortable, she feels it in her skin, but her friends think she's being dramatic. The teacher she tries to talk to brushes it off. And it keeps going, because she doesn't want to mention it to her mom: she's got enough problems, raising two kids on her own and having a lousy time at work. When Mila steps into a karate class, though, and makes an unexpected friend, she starts to recover her confidence and realizes that she owns her own power, and if no one will help her, she's going to take matters into her own hands.
Maybe He Just Likes You. Who hasn't heard this phrase, growing up? It's been the excuse, as old as time, for behaviors from hair-pulling to unwanted brushes across parts of our bodies; smirks and hapless shrugs with half-chuckled, half-muttered, "Sorrrrrry" responses. It's been the excuse, putting it on young girls and women to endure the snickers and comments as we walk down the halls of school, play outside, walk into the workplace. Barbara Dee's book introduces us to Mila, a seventh grader who finds herself the object of a group's attention; their power play. She asks for help, and gets brushed off. Her friend, Zara, seems almost jealous of the attention she's getting, not understanding that attention like this is unwanted, unasked for. She's gaslighted by her tormentors, who tell her to "lighten up"; that she blows things out of proportion; that she can't take a joke. Just as Mila begins to withdraw into herself, she starts taking a free karate class, and discovers a classmate who notices that something's been going on, and encourages Mila to stand up for herself. Karate practice, plus this new, unexpected friendship, gives Mila clarity and the ability to bring attention to the behavior, and discovers that she is not the only one the boys have targeted.
Mila is a strong, smart character in whom readers may see themselves. Barbara Dee creates a painfully real story with Maybe He Just Likes You; a story that has taken decades to come to light, but isn't backing down anymore. Mila's first person narration makes it much easier to envision ourselves in Mila's shoes, and Barbara Dee's strong, clear voice makes Mila's creeping discomfort and anger palpable, causing us to curl our fingers and grit our teeth. I wanted to cheer for her, I wanted to scream for her, I wanted to yell and demand that her educators take notice of what was going on - and wanted to sink into my seat with relief when someone finally does.
Sexual harassment has spent too long feeding on our silence. With the #MeToo movement, and now, a #MeTooK12 movement, kids are learning about respect, consent, and boundaries. Let's support them. I hope that Maybe He Just Likes You will come with an educator guide with sexual harassment resources and lesson plans for K-12 educators.
Maybe He Just Likes You. Who hasn't heard this phrase, growing up? It's been the excuse, as old as time, for behaviors from hair-pulling to unwanted brushes across parts of our bodies; smirks and hapless shrugs with half-chuckled, half-muttered, "Sorrrrrry" responses. It's been the excuse, putting it on young girls and women to endure the snickers and comments as we walk down the halls of school, play outside, walk into the workplace. Barbara Dee's book introduces us to Mila, a seventh grader who finds herself the object of a group's attention; their power play. She asks for help, and gets brushed off. Her friend, Zara, seems almost jealous of the attention she's getting, not understanding that attention like this is unwanted, unasked for. She's gaslighted by her tormentors, who tell her to "lighten up"; that she blows things out of proportion; that she can't take a joke. Just as Mila begins to withdraw into herself, she starts taking a free karate class, and discovers a classmate who notices that something's been going on, and encourages Mila to stand up for herself. Karate practice, plus this new, unexpected friendship, gives Mila clarity and the ability to bring attention to the behavior, and discovers that she is not the only one the boys have targeted.
Mila is a strong, smart character in whom readers may see themselves. Barbara Dee creates a painfully real story with Maybe He Just Likes You; a story that has taken decades to come to light, but isn't backing down anymore. Mila's first person narration makes it much easier to envision ourselves in Mila's shoes, and Barbara Dee's strong, clear voice makes Mila's creeping discomfort and anger palpable, causing us to curl our fingers and grit our teeth. I wanted to cheer for her, I wanted to scream for her, I wanted to yell and demand that her educators take notice of what was going on - and wanted to sink into my seat with relief when someone finally does.
Sexual harassment has spent too long feeding on our silence. With the #MeToo movement, and now, a #MeTooK12 movement, kids are learning about respect, consent, and boundaries. Let's support them. I hope that Maybe He Just Likes You will come with an educator guide with sexual harassment resources and lesson plans for K-12 educators.