Reviews

Apple in the Middle by Dawn Quigley

mbartman21's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful informative lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

3.0

xandrade's review

1.0

I read this because we're reading it in 7th grade ELA this year; it starts out okay for a middle grade novel but falls apart for me by the end. The death at the end doesn't really seem to serve a purpose and a lot of the character growth feels ham-fisted. Also, the constant parenthetical asides and fairly outdated references make her seem less realistic as a character.

I really wanted to love this; a local-ish author! Own voices! But I think there are better options out there.

colindac's review

4.0

One of my fav YA reads of the year, for grades 8-10. Hard to source which is unfortunate.

kellyjcm's review

An important story about a girl learning about her Native heritage and understanding her place in the world. Reads more middle grade than young adult, but that’s not a detraction, just an observation.

amarieads's review

hopeful lighthearted 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

tracyfeye's review

3.0

I was disappointed overall. The narrator’s voice didn’t resonate with me and I didn’t connect with the humor either. It resolved nicely with a good message but was a miss for me

cottonquilts's review

4.0

This is very much an insider’s story. Quigley, a Turtle Mountain Chippewa woman, relates that the book is based in stories from her growing up and from people around her. While I feel confident in reviewing this #ownvoices book that is outside my culture, I did feel the need to verify some of the facts and to be sure my names and descriptions were correct. From reading the Notes at the end of the book and checking with Cynthia Leitich Smith and Debbie Reese, I think I know a little more about Native American culture than I did before beginning this review. We have to learn to ask what we don’t know. There are elements of the book that belong in a Native American book, but not in a review written by an African American woman. Given that ‘Apple’ is in the title and is the name of the character, I had to use it and explain it. Slurs should be left alone. But, Apple Starkington wasn’t that slur. She was the apple of her mother’s eye.
full review is on my blog https://campbele.wordpress.com/2018/10/04/review-apple-in-the-middle/

yapha's review

4.0

I had a hard time getting into this at first. I didn't really like Apple very much in the beginning. Possibly because she didn't like herself very much. As she learns more about her Native family, she also learns to like herself more and that changes the whole feel of the book. Recommended for grades 6 & up.

ssloeffler's review

4.0

I can’t wait to read this to my class.

hammock_and_read's review

5.0

I really enjoyed this book as it was a lucky pick up from my local library YA section. It's YA but I also think younger ages could read this as well. I loved the humor that was Apple --how she dealt with situations that made her uncomfortable but then later the humor of her grandparents is not only insightful but LOL. It was interesting to learn more about Ojibwa/Chippewa culture from words, food, history, family and also you get some insights.

We go along with Apple's journey of what it's like to be in the "white world" but also the "Indian world" as she try's to understand both her sides.

I highly recommend this book.