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carolynlovesbooks's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
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
4.0
lavenderbtcpodcast's review
challenging
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
5.0
☮ I saw myself in a lot of the characters at their age and even now. I remember as a child when I became aware of the injustices surrounding black people. During Trayvon Martin's murder trial and when the verdict was wrong how I felt sick and cried. I grew up having mainly black Caribbean African friends but watching Hannah Montana and listening to Justin Bieber. I never considered myself not black or an oreo but many people made assumptions about me because of my interests and hobbies like reading. The trial changed how I felt and saw others. I was never the same again. I still have diverse interests and friends but I'm more aware now of things.
🖤 I too saw myself as unattractive compared to my peers. Always crushing on people who were not interested in me. I was just being myself and that never seemed to be enough. To this day that stands to be true. I've come a long way with my confidence and emotions. I am shayla, hana, Isabella, julia, Angie, Tyler, etc. All the characters in the book showed me something forgotten.
🖤 I too saw myself as unattractive compared to my peers. Always crushing on people who were not interested in me. I was just being myself and that never seemed to be enough. To this day that stands to be true. I've come a long way with my confidence and emotions. I am shayla, hana, Isabella, julia, Angie, Tyler, etc. All the characters in the book showed me something forgotten.
allison_sirovy's review against another edition
5.0
This book is a wonderful middle grades book! I highly recommend it. Shay, the main character . . . Kids will definitely relate to her. Social issues, teen issues, life issues . . . You won’t be disappointed.
librarydancer's review against another edition
4.0
When this book started *slowly*, I couldn't figure out the buzz and almost put it down.
I'm glad I gave it more of a chance -- this is a thoughtful book (probably best for middle schoolers) about the choices to be made about the issues one feels strongly about.
I have some minor issues with some details of the book -- a 7th grade class would not be reading To Kill a Mockingbird, for instance -- but this book is an excellent one to suggest for book discussions's, and certainly worth reading.
I'm glad I gave it more of a chance -- this is a thoughtful book (probably best for middle schoolers) about the choices to be made about the issues one feels strongly about.
I have some minor issues with some details of the book -- a 7th grade class would not be reading To Kill a Mockingbird, for instance -- but this book is an excellent one to suggest for book discussions's, and certainly worth reading.
bookgirl1209's review against another edition
3.0
Shayla is a twelve year old who does not like to be involved in trouble. In her first year of junior
high all she wants is to hang with her two childhood friends and fly under the radar.
But junior high has all kinds of pitfalls that are unavoidable and Shay is pretty sure trouble is
coming her way and this makes her afraid - afraid of losing her friends, afraid of not being true
to herself, afraid of standing out and afraid of fading into the background.
After she attends a powerful silent Black LIves Matter protest Shayla starts to think that
sometimes doing the right thing is more scary than doing the wrong thing. But it needs to be
done anyway.
Lisa Moore Ramee has done a good job portraying the unsureness of twelve year olds without
being condescending and while BLM is certainly featured it is not the focus of the novel. A good
one to open communications about racism, individuality and friendship.
high all she wants is to hang with her two childhood friends and fly under the radar.
But junior high has all kinds of pitfalls that are unavoidable and Shay is pretty sure trouble is
coming her way and this makes her afraid - afraid of losing her friends, afraid of not being true
to herself, afraid of standing out and afraid of fading into the background.
After she attends a powerful silent Black LIves Matter protest Shayla starts to think that
sometimes doing the right thing is more scary than doing the wrong thing. But it needs to be
done anyway.
Lisa Moore Ramee has done a good job portraying the unsureness of twelve year olds without
being condescending and while BLM is certainly featured it is not the focus of the novel. A good
one to open communications about racism, individuality and friendship.
megpancoast's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
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
4.0
brylkayyy's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
grecia_r's review against another edition
5.0
A cute read. I often like examining today's issues through the lense of explaining it to children in a much more relatable, almost simpler ways. It all ends up seeming bittersweet. There's none of that self-enhanced prose that adults can get into when they're examining problems with none-too-simple answers. I like the journey that all of the characters underwent.
kathleenes's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
A great junior fiction book about BLM and standing up for one’s self. Loved it.
bookishrealm's review against another edition
4.0
I think I make the mistake of reading reviews after I've read a book to compare my thoughts to others. I'm going to stop doing that because some of the reviews for this book irritate me. This book doesn't need to be compared to The Hate U Give. Every book for youth about the Black experience does not need to be compared to that or Dear Martin. Yes, this book utilizes the BLM movement as the back drop for the story; however, it definitely focuses on identity and dispelling the myth that Black people are a monolith
A Good Kind of Trouble focuses on Shay who, at the start of the novel, is quickly learning the difference between elementary school and junior high. Shay is the type of student who attempts to remain out of trouble at all cost and doesn't want to involve herself in the Black Lives Matter Movement like her sister. While this novel does focus on activism, there is also an important conversation about identity and changing relationships. Most of the Black community knows what it means to be an "oreo." It's a racial slur that is used to describe Black people who are supposedly Black on the outside, but White on the inside. While this is never stated explicitly on page, it is implicated in Shay's experience of trying to navigate her friendships. She's often questioned about why she doesn't hang out with Black people or why she doesn't support Black endeavors. There are conversations related to cultural appropriation. There is an Asian-American character that uses AAVE and Shay is clearly uncomfortable by her use of AAVE and spends time confronting her about it. While I wish that Ramee would have delved more into why this was so problematic, I'm glad that she even thought to include it in the book. It touches on key issues that occur amongst Black people and other POC. As an adult reader, the manner in which some of the topics weren't analyzed or illustrated in a detailed manner including the challenging of some things related to the BLM Movement; however, as I always say about middle grade: I am not the target audience. This book is appropriate for the grades that Ramee was attempting to reach. In fact, there is a part of me that wishes that I had a book like this growing up. Black people are not a monolith and the way in which we choose to navigate the world in terms of our own personal development and social activism varies from person to person. So while this book doesn't delve into the Black Lives Matter movement as much as some other books, it handles it in a way that is accessible for a younger audience. The lack of regard for the Black body and Black lives is an important aspect of the book, but it is not the sole discussion of the book. Ramee even challenges stereotypes that are placed on Black bodies especially Black boys and how these stereotypes even condition the way that Black people think about each other. It's a book that is more complex in nature than people are giving it credit for.
A Good Kind of Trouble is also the perfect insight to a Black girl just experiencing things that are normal for any middle school experience. As stated before, there are conversations related to friendship dynamics, dating, and family structure. Shay struggled quite a bit in the friendship department and it was nice to see a sense of transparency where the characters weren't always afraid to challenge it other. It is also a clear indication that friendships change as we grow older. Some of us are blessed to maintain the same relationships that we had in grade school; however, it's not the reality of most people. It's not realistic for us to want to follow the same paths and Ramee makes this clear when Shay finally makes the decision to become a part of the BLM movement and challenges school guidelines. It's a growth process for her and her attempt to figure out how she wants to become a part of social activism.
Overall, I thought this was a great book especially in terms of writing. The pacing could have been a little better but it definitely is great break for middle grade readers. I'm excited to try more from this author.
A Good Kind of Trouble focuses on Shay who, at the start of the novel, is quickly learning the difference between elementary school and junior high. Shay is the type of student who attempts to remain out of trouble at all cost and doesn't want to involve herself in the Black Lives Matter Movement like her sister. While this novel does focus on activism, there is also an important conversation about identity and changing relationships. Most of the Black community knows what it means to be an "oreo." It's a racial slur that is used to describe Black people who are supposedly Black on the outside, but White on the inside. While this is never stated explicitly on page, it is implicated in Shay's experience of trying to navigate her friendships. She's often questioned about why she doesn't hang out with Black people or why she doesn't support Black endeavors. There are conversations related to cultural appropriation. There is an Asian-American character that uses AAVE and Shay is clearly uncomfortable by her use of AAVE and spends time confronting her about it. While I wish that Ramee would have delved more into why this was so problematic, I'm glad that she even thought to include it in the book. It touches on key issues that occur amongst Black people and other POC. As an adult reader, the manner in which some of the topics weren't analyzed or illustrated in a detailed manner including the challenging of some things related to the BLM Movement; however, as I always say about middle grade: I am not the target audience. This book is appropriate for the grades that Ramee was attempting to reach. In fact, there is a part of me that wishes that I had a book like this growing up. Black people are not a monolith and the way in which we choose to navigate the world in terms of our own personal development and social activism varies from person to person. So while this book doesn't delve into the Black Lives Matter movement as much as some other books, it handles it in a way that is accessible for a younger audience. The lack of regard for the Black body and Black lives is an important aspect of the book, but it is not the sole discussion of the book. Ramee even challenges stereotypes that are placed on Black bodies especially Black boys and how these stereotypes even condition the way that Black people think about each other. It's a book that is more complex in nature than people are giving it credit for.
A Good Kind of Trouble is also the perfect insight to a Black girl just experiencing things that are normal for any middle school experience. As stated before, there are conversations related to friendship dynamics, dating, and family structure. Shay struggled quite a bit in the friendship department and it was nice to see a sense of transparency where the characters weren't always afraid to challenge it other. It is also a clear indication that friendships change as we grow older. Some of us are blessed to maintain the same relationships that we had in grade school; however, it's not the reality of most people. It's not realistic for us to want to follow the same paths and Ramee makes this clear when Shay finally makes the decision to become a part of the BLM movement and challenges school guidelines. It's a growth process for her and her attempt to figure out how she wants to become a part of social activism.
Overall, I thought this was a great book especially in terms of writing. The pacing could have been a little better but it definitely is great break for middle grade readers. I'm excited to try more from this author.