deservingporcupine's review against another edition
3.0
I appreciated this book as an adult — different stories about different kids that have shared threads. It was poetic and sweet and sad, but not much happened and it wasn’t exactly enjoyable. Some stories I liked better than others. I also wonder if middle schoolers would like this — I know my in-house seventh grader didn’t.
anniereads221's review against another edition
3.0
My faves of the short stories were:
The low cuts strike again
Ookabooka land
The Broom dog
The low cuts strike again
Ookabooka land
The Broom dog
101jazzy's review against another edition
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
bridge_to_bookland's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars as an audiobook specifically—listening to the narrators was half the fun! I have to say though, I kept waiting for a school bus to fall out of the sky. What was up with that?
marmoset737's review against another edition
5.0
A beautiful book - great choice for so-called "reluctant" teen readers (and every other teen too) particularly at developing empathy. But honestly it should be required reading for anyone who interacts with middle school students on a regular basis as well.
heathersbike's review against another edition
Jason Reynolds. Reminding white kids like me that not only are our stories not the only ones to be told, but ours are not even half as interesting.
collkay10's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 This was another great book by Jason Reynolds. Even though it's a middle level book, I feel that high school readers (even strong readers) would benefit from reading this book. It's a great book to remind you what strong, clear writing looks like that includes creative comparisons and frequent imagery and show, don't tell. These individual short stories wrap together nicely and each have their own sweet ending. The first one took me off guard and made me tear up because I wasn't expecting that story to end the way that it did. No matter how old you are, I suggest picking this up for a very fast read. It's energizing, fulfilling, and sweet.
merithefish's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
It was pretty funny
andrearbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds is an upcoming short story collection that y'all are going to need to read. This is my second Jason Reynolds book (the first being Long Way Down), and I"m absolutely amazed how he crafts words to tell stories. This is ten stories (one per block) of students as they walk home from school. What impressed me most about the stories was how he was able to change the tone with one sentence. You could think you knew the characters and direction of a story, and then in a moment of magnificence, words changed it all. It was absolute brilliance. Sometimes I struggle with short stories because there's not enough there for me to feel connected. Y'all, this is not that. There are ones that days later I can still recall because they were so wonderfully told. Some of these are stories of the everyday - variances of the realities of middle school we all know, while others peel back layers to reveal challenges these kids are navigating. With those challenges, there's a wonderful heart to these stories. It's this depth that makes these stories that form a connection. I also really liked how there were threads that tied these stories together. They were very subtle moments, but that also made this a cohesive collection. Overall, this is another wonderfully written piece by this author. This author is masterful with how he uses words in such a unique way, and I will continue to devour anything he puts out into the universe. Thanks to NetGalley for the early look at this October release!