tyrelle's review
4.0
This book really stuck to me during the prepubescent years of my life. Really drives deep into growing up.
urmomslibrary's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
lazygal's review against another edition
1.0
I know that this is supposed to be a wonderful exploration of someone with OCD and other issues but for me, it just was confusing. DNF.
ARC provided by publisher.
ARC provided by publisher.
yapha's review against another edition
4.0
This was a very hard book to read because of the realistic and stream of consciousness style of presenting Maggie's thoughts. I found my heart beating faster as I read through all of Maggie's checks and re-checks.
Maggie worries. A lot. About everything. And these worries are much more than the usual starting middle school worries. She worries that horrible things are going to happen to her family. She needs to keep everyone safe by performing certain rituals such as repeating everything twice, making sure she only has an even number of items, and holding her breath for a specific amount of seconds. If she makes any mistakes she must start over. She has a nightly routine of checking every door and window in the house, plus under and behind furniture. Maggie doesn't like being scared all of the time and she doesn't like feeling out of control. As she re-examines her fears, she begins to make a plan to save at least one thing that is important to her. For introspective readers, grades 4 & up.
ARC provided by publisher.
Maggie worries. A lot. About everything. And these worries are much more than the usual starting middle school worries. She worries that horrible things are going to happen to her family. She needs to keep everyone safe by performing certain rituals such as repeating everything twice, making sure she only has an even number of items, and holding her breath for a specific amount of seconds. If she makes any mistakes she must start over. She has a nightly routine of checking every door and window in the house, plus under and behind furniture. Maggie doesn't like being scared all of the time and she doesn't like feeling out of control. As she re-examines her fears, she begins to make a plan to save at least one thing that is important to her. For introspective readers, grades 4 & up.
ARC provided by publisher.
stenaros's review against another edition
4.0
It's too bad that the adult audience who would really enjoy this book probably won't find it. Maggie is a worrier in a way that I think will be off-putting to a lot of tweens/teens. But Maggie's nervous energy is something that adult readers would want to read about. It's a beautifully written story.
flames's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
tessa_grayreading's review against another edition
2.0
I just expected something very different from this book. When the synopsis said "injustices" I thought this was going to be about racism and feminism and the likes, something meaningful, instead this book is just about a very anxious 10-year old. And I hate kids.
I could relate to her anxiety, losing friends and being afraid of what people will think of you, but I found it absolutely exhausting and off-putting to be in the mind of a child who doesn't know anything. It makes sense, it makes sense that she is so scared about stupid stuff, that she doesn't know anything, doesn't see how bad this one kid has it, how her mom is making her older sister hate her body, so really the book did nothing wrong, but I really didn't like it. Like I said, I hate kids, so this may have been my own fault, but then again I think the synopsis is very misleading.
I think it's very sad that no one is helping her even though she obviously has some serious anxiety and maybe even OCD issues (which everyone is ignoring because she's just "odd"), it's very sad that no one cares about how their mom's constant dieting is affecting the oldest daughter and how everyone assumes it's because of her being a hormonal teenager, it's very sad how the mom is blamed for the father's absence, it's very sad how the anxiety of the youngest daughter is ignored and only her coping mechanisms reprimanded, it's very sad how apparently no one cares that this one kid is being, at best, neglected, it's very sad that the MC's reaction to being told about Martin Luther King Jr. is "at least I'm not black so no one is looking at me while we talk about this". None of this is addressed, however. It's just for me to read and understand while the MC doesn't, but at least she seems to magically heal at the end of the story even though only one of the issues that she was worried about (and that the rest of us are worrying about) is solved.
I'm sure this has some merit to a lot of people out there, the rating isn't that bad after all, but for me this wasn't what I wanted and expected from the synopsis and I didn't really get anything out of this.
I could relate to her anxiety, losing friends and being afraid of what people will think of you, but I found it absolutely exhausting and off-putting to be in the mind of a child who doesn't know anything. It makes sense, it makes sense that she is so scared about stupid stuff, that she doesn't know anything, doesn't see how bad this one kid has it, how her mom is making her older sister hate her body, so really the book did nothing wrong, but I really didn't like it. Like I said, I hate kids, so this may have been my own fault, but then again I think the synopsis is very misleading.
I think it's very sad that no one is helping her even though she obviously has some serious anxiety and maybe even OCD issues (which everyone is ignoring because she's just "odd"), it's very sad that no one cares about how their mom's constant dieting is affecting the oldest daughter and how everyone assumes it's because of her being a hormonal teenager, it's very sad how the mom is blamed for the father's absence, it's very sad how the anxiety of the youngest daughter is ignored and only her coping mechanisms reprimanded, it's very sad how apparently no one cares that this one kid is being, at best, neglected, it's very sad that the MC's reaction to being told about Martin Luther King Jr. is "at least I'm not black so no one is looking at me while we talk about this". None of this is addressed, however. It's just for me to read and understand while the MC doesn't, but at least she seems to magically heal at the end of the story even though only one of the issues that she was worried about (and that the rest of us are worrying about) is solved.
I'm sure this has some merit to a lot of people out there, the rating isn't that bad after all, but for me this wasn't what I wanted and expected from the synopsis and I didn't really get anything out of this.
czlim's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
live_love_dogs_read's review against another edition
3.0
Enjoyable overall but I feel there were some lose ends in the book that weren’t addressed- hints at divorce, child with anxiety and OCD tenancies that were never picked up by parents or teachers, etc.
I did like the friendship that developed with Cynthia and Gordon.
I did like the friendship that developed with Cynthia and Gordon.
grumpwizard's review against another edition
3.0
The opening line of this Juvenile Fiction is “It’s the night we’re going to get murdered so we’re sleeping on the living room floor.” When I read this, I knew that I was going to have to finish the book. I was delighted by Lane’s story. It drops you right back into the fears and anxieties of childhood in a truly honest and engaging manner. I very much enjoyed the tone and the cadence of the prose and I will seek out more work by Kathleen Lane.