Reviews

Ellie Engle Saves Herself by Leah Johnson

bcat0124's review

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challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious medium-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

5.0

cakt1991's review

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adventurous lighthearted medium-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? Yes

4.0

 I’ve loved Leah Johnson’s prior YA works, so I was curious to see what she would bring to the table with her Middle Grade debut. Ellie Engle Saves Herself is a nice surprise, dealing with typical tween coming-of-age issues with a  superhero twist. 
Ellie is an immediately sympathetic heroine, being nerdy and a bit of an outsider. She’s reckoning with the changes to her friendship with her best friend (and crush) Abby, as they make the transition to a new school and start growing apart. I really liked how the inciting incident of the story is set up by her love of comic books and superheroes, making it interesting as she applies this knowledge as she navigates learning about her powers. 
And I really liked learning about her powers along with  her. While the story is whimsical overall, I liked how there was an edge there, with the cost of what is essentially necromancy being laid out on-page without getting too gritty. 
While the story is more or less solid, there are some aspects that made this feel a little less polished, such as some subplots not really going anywhere. And the pacing was a bit odd, with time being a bit weird in the book, and slowing down an otherwise short book. 
This was a fun read, and I’m excited for what’s to come next. If you’re looking for a fun, original superhero story with a Black queer female lead, I recommend checking it out! 

 

bookishlass's review

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5.0

Content warnings: bullying, ableism, death, animal death, grief, toxic friendship, homophobia, abandonment 

trad_carbaes's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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eshall's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-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? Yes

4.5

evamadera1's review against another edition

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4.0

Reading this book makes me want to read her debut novel as well. I loved Ellie, her normal pre-teen troubles and her new superpower troubles. I wish I remembered more details so I could write a better review. Just know, that I really adored this book and the voice that Johnson gave Ellie.

jehansen127's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted medium-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? Yes

4.0

sierranichole's review

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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? Yes

5.0

lkstrohecker's review

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funny hopeful mysterious medium-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? Yes

4.5

tripp_2mylou's review

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4.0

This book was a lot of fun - I enjoyed the narrative voice and the story. The ending did feel tied up a little too quickly and perfectly but overall, I think it was well worth the read.

Mild spoilers:
Representation: brainy POC who is also LGBTQ at the center of the story; other characters of varying diversity (one character has two moms). There is a metaphor of gaining superpowers and having the world find out as akin to coming out.