debzemanlms's review
5.0
I loved this story. A novel in verse about adoption, self-discovery, family and longing. Rynn just wants to find her birth family, has a terrible relationship with adoptive mother and a close one with her adoptive father. When she finally does some research, she discovers a sister she didn’t know and a way to fill the hole in her heart and a birth mother who left bread crumbs to find her true self and her family. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
vanillabug's review
4.0
I love that this was written in verse, but I really really wanted more from these characters. I feel in love with this family and with Rynn. My heart was with her through this entire journey and for me it over way too fast. This book has a lot of heart and wonderful lesson's learned along the way. I would be very interested in a book further along in the timeline. Or even a novella about what made Rynn's mother the way she is. More of her story would be wonderful, but more of Rynn would be wonderful too
booklovewithmelanie's review
5.0
I'm learning that I really enjoy books in verse (its so lyrical) and Betty Culley is a great story teller. You feel so much for Rynn (Scheherazade) in a short period. I would absolutely love a second book on when she turns 18, learning about her father and more about her life.
coffeebooksandescape's review
4.0
“Defect and perfect are so close, only two letters apart. If you say them fast, defect perfect defect perfect, they almost sound the same.”
✮✮✮✮
Rynn is adopted and her relationship with her adoptive mother isn’t great. The relationship fractures more when her mother finds out that Rynn is looking for her family of blood. After finding out she can’t look until she is 18 due to a closed adoption, she does a search online and finds that she has a sister in a nearby town. This is the story of the challenges of family.
This book broke me. Like physically and mentally broke me. I have never read anything so devastating in my entire life. The family and friendships in this book were so well portrayed. I loved particularly how it shows that friends can be more like family than your own family can, and how they will go to the ends of the earth for you too. The ending wasn’t quite what I was anticipating but the character was happy in her own way.
I’ve never read a fiction book written in verse before so this was a new one for me, and it worked. I was kind of nervous before I started it because I didn’t know what to expect, but it made it so much easier to read, with it all broken into bite size chunks.
Highly recommend for a moving read of familial issues and reconnection!
✮✮✮✮
Rynn is adopted and her relationship with her adoptive mother isn’t great. The relationship fractures more when her mother finds out that Rynn is looking for her family of blood. After finding out she can’t look until she is 18 due to a closed adoption, she does a search online and finds that she has a sister in a nearby town. This is the story of the challenges of family.
This book broke me. Like physically and mentally broke me. I have never read anything so devastating in my entire life. The family and friendships in this book were so well portrayed. I loved particularly how it shows that friends can be more like family than your own family can, and how they will go to the ends of the earth for you too. The ending wasn’t quite what I was anticipating but the character was happy in her own way.
I’ve never read a fiction book written in verse before so this was a new one for me, and it worked. I was kind of nervous before I started it because I didn’t know what to expect, but it made it so much easier to read, with it all broken into bite size chunks.
Highly recommend for a moving read of familial issues and reconnection!
jurassicapark's review
4.0
i really like how this book portrays the adoptive mom, but also other moms. i didn't like that it was in verse at first but it was fine. i like reading the thoughts and feelings of the main character in her narrative voice
alittlebitnish's review
5.0
I love that Scheherazade and Sorella are happy and safe and surrounded by love.
libscote's review
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Rynn's birth mother gave her the name "Scheherazade," although her adoptive parents changed it. She was born with a hole in her heart, and she feels the hole in her life from not knowing her birth family. She has an okay relationship with her adoptive father, and a not great one with her adoptive mother. They live on a garlic farm in central Maine (somewhere outside of Pittsfield, if my Maine geography guess is correct), and Rynn has a few friends and gets a job babysitting during the summer. She finds a way to find her birth family, and makes decisions on what to do with that information.
Things I liked about this book: the complicated look at adoption it provides. It shows both the good sides and the bad sides, and all the complicated feelings around it.
Things I disliked: There's one twist that just felt too easy. To say more is a giant spoiler, but for me, if you don't buy that twist, there's a lot you have to take on faith afterward.
Things I liked about this book: the complicated look at adoption it provides. It shows both the good sides and the bad sides, and all the complicated feelings around it.
Things I disliked: There's one twist that just felt too easy. To say more is a giant spoiler, but for me, if you don't buy that twist, there's a lot you have to take on faith afterward.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse
maryyyyykate's review against another edition
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
4.0
isobel_shobs's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
dpearson5257's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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? No
5.0
Oh my gosh I truly enjoyed this book, I wasn’t sure what to expect with the story of adoption and finding her family but I loved so much of this story. The friendships and found family, the dynamics of her adoptive parents and the finding of her biological sister. Everything about this story was so sweet and tender and heart warming and it was truly a joy to read.