spiffysarahruby's review
4.0
This is a very good read. It's set in the late 1970s and that focuses on the friendship between a kid from "the rez," and his very first best friend, a military kid. It deals with the all the complications that can come between young friends: race, class, culture, girls, impermanence, etc. The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is because, honestly, it's just too damn long. Other than that, I don't have any complaints!
Now, I have to go listen to some Beatles...
Now, I have to go listen to some Beatles...
crystal_reading's review
5.0
Review copy from Netgalley
I had really been looking forward to reading this book after reading the review from Debbie Reese at American Indians in Children's Literature. Whenever she raves about a book, I know I will love it or at the very least find something that makes me think. I was not disappointed. It was everything I had hoped it would be and more. If I Ever Get Out of Here is a look into the life of a boy as he's coming of age. Like many young people, Lewis is searching for his identity. He thought he knew who he was, but as he comes into more contact and closer relationships with people outside his reservation, he questions himself. He straddles that line of embracing his home culture and feeling the need to distance himself from it so he can fit in with the mainstream culture of his classmates.
Gansworth has crafted an intriguing story that will appeal to a wide variety of young people with music, humor, fights, friendship, and romance. He wove the music of the Beatles and Paul McCartney throughout using songs as chapter titles and within the storyline too. Music is something that can connect people across age, gender, and even culture lines. We don't have to share the same background to share an enjoyment of music.
I loved the subtle and not so subtle moments of humor in the story. Lewis and his friends and relatives hassle each other as part of their way of bonding with rather rude nicknames like Stinkpot. Often though, the humor is just his matter of fact rather deadpan style like the exchange with his mother after he had someone cut off his braid.
"You look like a Welfare Indian."
"I am a Welfare Indian," I said.
"You don't need to look the part," she said.
Another example is way back in the acknowledgments. Even there Gansworth is still cracking jokes. He begins, "If you're reading this book for class, you can skip this page. There will surely not be a quiz on any of this information."
Along with humor, Gansworth has included quite a few heavy topics. Bullying and how to fight or not fight takes up a good deal of the book. More importantly, friendship is examined. Friendship across cultural lines can be an amazing thing, but it can also be difficult and Gansworth reveals this over and over again.
Another aspect of this book mentioned within the first five pages is the history of the Indian boarding schools and the long-term damage that they caused. The effect of the Indian boarding schools is far reaching and is being brought to light in more and more works of children's literature (there are a few titles for older readers in this list also).
The boys start navigating the waters of dating before too long. This brings up the complications of dating and marrying non-Indians. If a man married a non-Indian, their children wouldn't have legal status as an Indian. That is some heavy stuff to think about as a middle-schooler and being the kid that he is, Lewis is thinking about it.
I would highly recommend this book to any young adult. Lewis and George come alive in the book and there are so many fabulous personalities. Lewis's Uncle Albert and George's father add great voices to the story. I am going to be sharing this title with many people because these characters should not be missed.
This review was originally posted at http://readingtl.blogspot.com/2013/11/review-if-i-ever-get-out-of-here.html
I had really been looking forward to reading this book after reading the review from Debbie Reese at American Indians in Children's Literature. Whenever she raves about a book, I know I will love it or at the very least find something that makes me think. I was not disappointed. It was everything I had hoped it would be and more. If I Ever Get Out of Here is a look into the life of a boy as he's coming of age. Like many young people, Lewis is searching for his identity. He thought he knew who he was, but as he comes into more contact and closer relationships with people outside his reservation, he questions himself. He straddles that line of embracing his home culture and feeling the need to distance himself from it so he can fit in with the mainstream culture of his classmates.
Gansworth has crafted an intriguing story that will appeal to a wide variety of young people with music, humor, fights, friendship, and romance. He wove the music of the Beatles and Paul McCartney throughout using songs as chapter titles and within the storyline too. Music is something that can connect people across age, gender, and even culture lines. We don't have to share the same background to share an enjoyment of music.
I loved the subtle and not so subtle moments of humor in the story. Lewis and his friends and relatives hassle each other as part of their way of bonding with rather rude nicknames like Stinkpot. Often though, the humor is just his matter of fact rather deadpan style like the exchange with his mother after he had someone cut off his braid.
"You look like a Welfare Indian."
"I am a Welfare Indian," I said.
"You don't need to look the part," she said.
Another example is way back in the acknowledgments. Even there Gansworth is still cracking jokes. He begins, "If you're reading this book for class, you can skip this page. There will surely not be a quiz on any of this information."
Along with humor, Gansworth has included quite a few heavy topics. Bullying and how to fight or not fight takes up a good deal of the book. More importantly, friendship is examined. Friendship across cultural lines can be an amazing thing, but it can also be difficult and Gansworth reveals this over and over again.
Another aspect of this book mentioned within the first five pages is the history of the Indian boarding schools and the long-term damage that they caused. The effect of the Indian boarding schools is far reaching and is being brought to light in more and more works of children's literature (there are a few titles for older readers in this list also).
The boys start navigating the waters of dating before too long. This brings up the complications of dating and marrying non-Indians. If a man married a non-Indian, their children wouldn't have legal status as an Indian. That is some heavy stuff to think about as a middle-schooler and being the kid that he is, Lewis is thinking about it.
I would highly recommend this book to any young adult. Lewis and George come alive in the book and there are so many fabulous personalities. Lewis's Uncle Albert and George's father add great voices to the story. I am going to be sharing this title with many people because these characters should not be missed.
This review was originally posted at http://readingtl.blogspot.com/2013/11/review-if-i-ever-get-out-of-here.html
that_grassfield's review
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
mandler_'s review
3.0
A bit of a slow start, but otherwise this was an enjoyable story of two friends on seemingly planets--one being the reservation and the other being the white world/army base. I liked the insights into life in the 1970's and the depiction of life on the rez, being poor, and what it means to be friends with someone.
“Friends are always worth the moments of joy you share, even if they don’t last.”
“Friends are always worth the moments of joy you share, even if they don’t last.”
literatehedgehog's review
4.0
Junior high is difficult enough to navigate, let alone as a skinny, poor American Indian in the mid 1970s.
But don't let that introduction fool you - just because it's a novel with a pre-teen Indian doesn't mean we have to compare it to Alexie's Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian. They are both excellent books in their own right.
Like many teen/pre-teen novels, this one hits all the YA notes: discovering a best friend, prejudiced teachers, blossoming relationships with girls (and how that messes with friendships), music as balm and bonding, pushy entitled adults and bullying kids, not having the right clothes, or indoor plumbing at your house so you don't want to invite friends over...et cetera, et cetera. But, wondrously, you never feel purposely manipulated on your heart strings. The problems and pains, reactions and relationships are all real and true and on point.
Bonus love for some of relationships between adults and kids - Lewis and his uncle Albert, and Lewis, George, and George's dad. There are all kinds of ways adults and kids interact, and while there are a lot of negative and downright cruel scenarios depicted here, there is also a lot of love and respect.
An unexpected, surprising teen gem. Probably more enjoyable for adults who like YA than teens who read YA, though.
But don't let that introduction fool you - just because it's a novel with a pre-teen Indian doesn't mean we have to compare it to Alexie's Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian. They are both excellent books in their own right.
Like many teen/pre-teen novels, this one hits all the YA notes: discovering a best friend, prejudiced teachers, blossoming relationships with girls (and how that messes with friendships), music as balm and bonding, pushy entitled adults and bullying kids, not having the right clothes, or indoor plumbing at your house so you don't want to invite friends over...et cetera, et cetera. But, wondrously, you never feel purposely manipulated on your heart strings. The problems and pains, reactions and relationships are all real and true and on point.
Bonus love for some of relationships between adults and kids - Lewis and his uncle Albert, and Lewis, George, and George's dad. There are all kinds of ways adults and kids interact, and while there are a lot of negative and downright cruel scenarios depicted here, there is also a lot of love and respect.
An unexpected, surprising teen gem. Probably more enjoyable for adults who like YA than teens who read YA, though.
erine's review
4.0
Takes place in recent history, but is not contemporary. Lewis lives on a reservation and he and his neighbors all go to school with the local white kids, but they are subdivided into sections based on ability (to a degree). Lewis has been placed with the gifted group, and is one of the only Native kids. So there's some typical friendlessness issues of the out-group character, which lead into some pretty typical bullying issues.
The bullying is bad, but I ultimately liked how the book approached it. There's no pretending that there's an easy solution or that the grownups are willing or able to help. Lewis largely relies on flying under the radar, and when that is no longer possible, when adults and friends and his own abilities fail him, he stays home. Lewis stands up for himself by refusing to go to school, by clearly articulating what's happening, and by persisting. Even that might have come to nothing had his friend not put his own body on the line and a guidance counselor not been willing to work with Lewis' protest instead of punishing him.
The friendships in this book are nicely painted as well. Lewis and George are both outsiders -- to a degree. Watching them both extend to each other a little bit of trust at a time is a realistic way of seeing their friendship grow. Not all at once, but in fits and starts.
The bullying is bad, but I ultimately liked how the book approached it. There's no pretending that there's an easy solution or that the grownups are willing or able to help. Lewis largely relies on flying under the radar, and when that is no longer possible, when adults and friends and his own abilities fail him, he stays home. Lewis stands up for himself by refusing to go to school, by clearly articulating what's happening, and by persisting. Even that might have come to nothing had his friend not put his own body on the line and a guidance counselor not been willing to work with Lewis' protest instead of punishing him.
The friendships in this book are nicely painted as well. Lewis and George are both outsiders -- to a degree. Watching them both extend to each other a little bit of trust at a time is a realistic way of seeing their friendship grow. Not all at once, but in fits and starts.
pagesofpins's review
4.0
Four stars, barely, by a hair. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed the characters and the story, and Gansworth writes beautifully about reservation life, music and growing up in the 70's--but he has got to figure out his pacing a bit more.
It's slow going in the beginning, and even once we get into lonely, smart kid Lewis' friendship with military brat George, we still have paragraphs interspersed with obvious or unnecessary details, so by the time we get to the real action of Lewis getting viciously bullied by a jerk, battling a school administration that does nothing, George getting suspicious of Lewis' lies about his home life, and a historic blizzard, I feel like I've been reading this book forever. FOREVER.
Which is a shame, because there were so many things about this book I really loved. Lewis' family is the opposite of George's in so many ways: on a rez everyone is always staying and in a military family everyone is always leaving. Lewis' family is haunted by the effects of Vietnam on their funny but worse for wear uncle, George's military family is harassed for complicity in Vietnam when they weren't there. Lewis' grandparents were traumatized by Indian boarding schools. George's grandparents worked in one. George has a strict dad, Lewis an absent one. They might have come from different directions, but they understand each other and have that fierce loyalty that 12-13 year olds harbor for their friends. The love of the Beatles the boys share in the 70's, after the band has broken up and before music is easily stored and shared, rings true.
The details about the reservation, from fire ball (don't tell me a flaming soccer game doesn't sound awesome), to truancy/travel/work life/driving on reservations, to who gets to be part of the Tuscarora Nation when natives have children outside the tribe, are seamlessly woven into the story. I feel like I know a bit more about the Onondaga (located in North Carolina and Ontario as well as NY, apparently) than I did before this book.
Worth the read. But, skim a little at the beginning.
It's slow going in the beginning, and even once we get into lonely, smart kid Lewis' friendship with military brat George, we still have paragraphs interspersed with obvious or unnecessary details, so by the time we get to the real action of Lewis getting viciously bullied by a jerk, battling a school administration that does nothing, George getting suspicious of Lewis' lies about his home life, and a historic blizzard, I feel like I've been reading this book forever. FOREVER.
Which is a shame, because there were so many things about this book I really loved. Lewis' family is the opposite of George's in so many ways: on a rez everyone is always staying and in a military family everyone is always leaving. Lewis' family is haunted by the effects of Vietnam on their funny but worse for wear uncle, George's military family is harassed for complicity in Vietnam when they weren't there. Lewis' grandparents were traumatized by Indian boarding schools. George's grandparents worked in one. George has a strict dad, Lewis an absent one. They might have come from different directions, but they understand each other and have that fierce loyalty that 12-13 year olds harbor for their friends. The love of the Beatles the boys share in the 70's, after the band has broken up and before music is easily stored and shared, rings true.
The details about the reservation, from fire ball (don't tell me a flaming soccer game doesn't sound awesome), to truancy/travel/work life/driving on reservations, to who gets to be part of the Tuscarora Nation when natives have children outside the tribe, are seamlessly woven into the story. I feel like I know a bit more about the Onondaga (located in North Carolina and Ontario as well as NY, apparently) than I did before this book.
Worth the read. But, skim a little at the beginning.
lphel's review
5.0
Heartwarming story of an unlikely friendship that reminds you there are still good people out there. These characters will stay with me for awhile.
I enjoyed the look into Native American culture as well as the struggles of life on a reservation - I felt this book was more realistic in its portrayal of this way of life than Alexie's Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (though I loved that book as well). As a fan myself, I appreciated the Beatles/Paul McCartney references throughout the book and how Gansworth related them to his themes. There is some questionable language, but nothing severe. Gansworth does a wonderful job of being authentic but keeping the younger YA crowd in mind.
I enjoyed the look into Native American culture as well as the struggles of life on a reservation - I felt this book was more realistic in its portrayal of this way of life than Alexie's Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (though I loved that book as well). As a fan myself, I appreciated the Beatles/Paul McCartney references throughout the book and how Gansworth related them to his themes. There is some questionable language, but nothing severe. Gansworth does a wonderful job of being authentic but keeping the younger YA crowd in mind.
kaelilcook's review
2.0
I enjoyed it up until the ending which I felt kind of fell flat compared to the rest of the book.
menfrommarrs's review
4.0
As the second in the series, this one wasn't as much fun. Not fresh material anymore.
I do like that Lady Trent never fails to assert that her rights as a women are just as valid as a man's, despite the cultural trappings she must endure.
I will continue the series, want to meet new creatures.
I do like that Lady Trent never fails to assert that her rights as a women are just as valid as a man's, despite the cultural trappings she must endure.
I will continue the series, want to meet new creatures.