Scan barcode
river_mae's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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
3.5
phyrre's review against another edition
5.0
You can find my full review at my blog, The Writerly Way, here.
Many thanks to Edelweiss and Floris Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
I saw that the protagonist of this had ADHD, and I clicked to read this so fast. It's not often you see characters with ADHD, let alone represented well, let alone being presented in an honest, yet positive light. As someone with ADHD myself, I just had to read this, and you know what? I'm glad I did. The rep is so refreshing to see, and I couldn't help just fall in love with Jamie and his whole story.
- This is a really raw coming-of-age, found-family story that is sure to tug at the heartstrings. Both the main characters, Jamie and Elin, aren’t haven’t a great time in life at this point. Elin struggles with a need to be perfect, in the hopes that her father will come back. Jamie struggles with ADHD and the repercussions of not thinking about his actions. He causes trouble for those around him without meaning to. They’re both just precious little cinnamon rolls that deserve all the love and hugs and support.
- As someone with ADHD, I feel SEEN and gosh how refreshing that is. I felt the treatment of ADHD in this book was fabulous, and I was excited to see, especially, Jamie’s father embrace him for who he is, even as Jamie struggles with finding himself.
- This book does a really good job of detailing the struggle to get medicine and treatment for ADHD and the side effects. It’s not as easy as throw a pill at someone and, wham, bam, they’re fine again. If only. It can take years to find the right medicine, and some people never do. There are so many “what if” scenarios, and ADHD can look so different in various people, but I appreciated Jamie’s journey for what it was.
- The character arcs in this are just so freaking poignant and heart-wrenching and so much more than I expected from a middle grade book. This book just broke my heart over and over and over again, from the things Jamie and Elin had to go through, to how broken they felt, to how desperately they just wanted to be themselves. I actually started out completely hating Elin, because gosh, she was just so rude and mean and intolerable. But thankfully, the story is also from her point of view, so there was room for an actually quite beautiful arc that, little by little, had her actions making sense.
- Underneath all the ugliness and struggle between the characters, there’s a beautiful story of found family and learning to accept things as they are. Sometimes people can change, but you can’t force it upon them, and you can’t change how you’re born. That’s the fundamental lesson of the book, and it was so reaffirming and lovely. I went through such a range of emotions here, from empathy to outrage to just wanting to hug everyone and smoosh them back together.
- This is a character-driven book, so there’s little in the way of actual actiony action. Say that one three times fast, I dare you. Whether that’s a problem or not depends on whether you connect to the characters, most likely.
Many thanks to Edelweiss and Floris Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
I saw that the protagonist of this had ADHD, and I clicked to read this so fast. It's not often you see characters with ADHD, let alone represented well, let alone being presented in an honest, yet positive light. As someone with ADHD myself, I just had to read this, and you know what? I'm glad I did. The rep is so refreshing to see, and I couldn't help just fall in love with Jamie and his whole story.
- This is a really raw coming-of-age, found-family story that is sure to tug at the heartstrings. Both the main characters, Jamie and Elin, aren’t haven’t a great time in life at this point. Elin struggles with a need to be perfect, in the hopes that her father will come back. Jamie struggles with ADHD and the repercussions of not thinking about his actions. He causes trouble for those around him without meaning to. They’re both just precious little cinnamon rolls that deserve all the love and hugs and support.
- As someone with ADHD, I feel SEEN and gosh how refreshing that is. I felt the treatment of ADHD in this book was fabulous, and I was excited to see, especially, Jamie’s father embrace him for who he is, even as Jamie struggles with finding himself.
- This book does a really good job of detailing the struggle to get medicine and treatment for ADHD and the side effects. It’s not as easy as throw a pill at someone and, wham, bam, they’re fine again. If only. It can take years to find the right medicine, and some people never do. There are so many “what if” scenarios, and ADHD can look so different in various people, but I appreciated Jamie’s journey for what it was.
- The character arcs in this are just so freaking poignant and heart-wrenching and so much more than I expected from a middle grade book. This book just broke my heart over and over and over again, from the things Jamie and Elin had to go through, to how broken they felt, to how desperately they just wanted to be themselves. I actually started out completely hating Elin, because gosh, she was just so rude and mean and intolerable. But thankfully, the story is also from her point of view, so there was room for an actually quite beautiful arc that, little by little, had her actions making sense.
- Underneath all the ugliness and struggle between the characters, there’s a beautiful story of found family and learning to accept things as they are. Sometimes people can change, but you can’t force it upon them, and you can’t change how you’re born. That’s the fundamental lesson of the book, and it was so reaffirming and lovely. I went through such a range of emotions here, from empathy to outrage to just wanting to hug everyone and smoosh them back together.
- This is a character-driven book, so there’s little in the way of actual actiony action. Say that one three times fast, I dare you. Whether that’s a problem or not depends on whether you connect to the characters, most likely.
cheryl1213's review against another edition
4.0
I got this from a Goodreads giveaway and must admit I probably wouldn't have entered if I knew it was a middle grades book. But I truly enjoyed it and am pondering which friend may have a kid who'd enjoy
A story of two kids tossed together...one perfectionist and one struggling with adhd. The book gives a beautiful insight into the latter's mind...his struggle to exercise more control and his sense that he never will.
Great for a kid who needs to feel less alone in managing adhd or a sibling trying to understand. Characters and content seem appropriate for 4th through 6th graders...but I'm not a parent so that is just my opinion
A story of two kids tossed together...one perfectionist and one struggling with adhd. The book gives a beautiful insight into the latter's mind...his struggle to exercise more control and his sense that he never will.
Great for a kid who needs to feel less alone in managing adhd or a sibling trying to understand. Characters and content seem appropriate for 4th through 6th graders...but I'm not a parent so that is just my opinion
cdw238's review against another edition
3.0
This book was very well written and certainly portrayed a young boy with ADHD with a lot of clarity and compassion from the child's point of view. I really did not like this book because of the character Elin. While she clearly had her own internal struggle going on, she acted in a way that I could not condone. I was reading this book to my daughter and we had several discussions about where Elin went wrong. I know the purpose of the book is to bring experiences to your realm that you may not otherwise encounter and this resonated negatively with me on so many levels. I am looking forward to getting this book out of my house.
javamama38's review against another edition
5.0
Wonderfully written. Extremely accurate portrayal of life with ADHD from all points of view.
willsjackson1's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
sarah_faichney's review against another edition
5.0
Words cannot express how special this book is to me. It was recommended by my son's P7 teacher. He's something of a reluctant reader and has been struggling a bit this year. He's staying with his Dad this week so we have read the book together via video call. We started it three nights ago. Last night, my son couldn't put it down so read ahead on his own till goodness knows what time and today he finished it. I've just played catch up and it's safe to say we both thoroughly enjoyed it. He would like to give it ten stars and I'm inclined to agree! Victoria Williamson writes beautifully for a young market. Themes include blended families, bullying, ADHD, acceptance and letting go of anger. There are some truly invaluable lessons wrapped up in a really accessible and enjoyable story. We highly recommend this book!
open__book's review against another edition
3.0
This book did an EXCELLENT job at representing life with ADHD (both treated and untreated), but SO many things about this story made me bonkers they were overly distracting.
trusselltales's review against another edition
3.0
A fascinating book, quick and with characters and situations that both make you cringe and smile wryly.
I read it on the recommendation of a 9 year old boy who uses the library, and he told me it was great. He was right!
I read it on the recommendation of a 9 year old boy who uses the library, and he told me it was great. He was right!