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drraytay's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Racism
Moderate: Police brutality and Abandonment
sammymilfort's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Gun violence, Police brutality, and Grief
Minor: Child death
gem114's review against another edition
emotional
slow-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? No
4.0
If You Come Softly is Jacqueline Woodson's take on Romeo and Juliet for the modern day. It follows the young love of 15-year-old Ellie Eisen and Jeremiah Roselind, who meet at their private school in New York. Although they don't come from directly feuding families, they do have to navigate the reality of being Jewish and Black in an interracial relationship in the late 1990s. Woodson does a great job developing the characters. Knowing the source material, I knew it wasn't going to end well, and I think Woodson did a great job leading to the climax without making it feel like it was meant to be a twist. The predictability made it even more tragic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Gun violence, Police brutality, and Grief
candycain's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Police brutality
empathephant's review against another edition
sad
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
2.0
I can imagine that if I had read this book in high school it would have sparked a reading journey to help me better understand race and racism in the US, and I wish that I had so I could have been exposed to more of those ideas earlier. It had lovely writing and characters, but having recently read The Hate You Give, it didn't feel as eye-opening and life changing for me. Still, I am so, so grateful there are stories like these and I'd 100% recommend it as a good first introduction of these topics to young audiences.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality
Moderate: Child death
taliabasma's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
If I could give this book a 10, I would. It absolutely destroyed me in the best of ways and I couldn’t recommend it enough l.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Police brutality
kelsireads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Police brutality