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catsloverain's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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? It's complicated
4.0
Really beautiful written. Read on the Isle of Skye and it was a perfect setting for this. Great discussion of mental health and mental illness. My grandma had dementia and died recently and this book did indeed make me cry. The bullying storyline wasn’t handled super well, especially given the racist element of the bullying. I don’t feel like Kin was well developed in general and didn’t appreciate that his trauma was swept away so neatly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Grief, and Death of parent
kristenreads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Fatphobia and Racism
Minor: Dementia
music_girl93's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Mental illness, and Grief
skylarkblue1's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Representations: https://trello.com/c/gWotSq8Q/110-julia-and-the-shark-by-kiran-millwood-hargrave
Absolutely outstanding. From the writing to the way the book is formatted. Absolutely top-tier.
I really can't say too much about this book as it's very simple (but that's not a negative!) and so I can't say much without spoiling. The characters felt great, the writing was absolutely top-tier and got me quickly in its hooks. The story, while simple, really stuck to it's message well and delivered it perfectly. The sensitive topics where handled with a lot of tact and grace in my opinion, and the message at the end was very positive and important.
I also have to mention how completely unique the format of this book is. That's what caught my eye in the library, the semi-transparent pages with the images incorporated with the text itself. Absolutely divine and insanely well executed!! Delightfully beautiful artwork and overall, even if you have no interest in the story itself, please read this just for this formatting alone. Please don't read the ebook though if it has one, I really don't see how that'd work! I read the hardback edition and that was perfect. Even seeing pictures of the more unique pages really doesn't do the book justice - it's just insane how fantastic it is!
Absolutely outstanding. From the writing to the way the book is formatted. Absolutely top-tier.
I really can't say too much about this book as it's very simple (but that's not a negative!) and so I can't say much without spoiling. The characters felt great, the writing was absolutely top-tier and got me quickly in its hooks. The story, while simple, really stuck to it's message well and delivered it perfectly. The sensitive topics where handled with a lot of tact and grace in my opinion, and the message at the end was very positive and important.
I also have to mention how completely unique the format of this book is. That's what caught my eye in the library, the semi-transparent pages with the images incorporated with the text itself. Absolutely divine and insanely well executed!! Delightfully beautiful artwork and overall, even if you have no interest in the story itself, please read this just for this formatting alone. Please don't read the ebook though if it has one, I really don't see how that'd work! I read the hardback edition and that was perfect. Even seeing pictures of the more unique pages really doesn't do the book justice - it's just insane how fantastic it is!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Bullying, Fatphobia, Racism, and Abandonment
diamond627's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Self harm
jazzyinthewild's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Dementia, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
damla_'s review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Racial slurs
mariebrunelm's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-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
It’s summertime, and Julia and her parents are on their way to a scattering of islands barely visible on the map, north of Scotland. Her father is to repair the lighthouse and automate it, while her mother plans to chase a shark that could hold answers to many questions. That leaves Julia with a lot of free time, and a lot of questions of her own. It will be a summer of finding, of losing, of depths and of heights.
Here is another gorgeous example of middle-grade literature done to perfection. This book is light and deep, it deals with profound topics in the most accessible ways, it incorporates poetry and blends the narrative with stunning, almost abstract illustrations. It never belittles children, while welcoming adults too and I don’t know how authors such as Kiran Millwood Hargrave manage that but I have the deepest admiration for their work and creativity. To be fair, I would have much more to say if I’d found faults in this book but I thought it was perfect and I’m always at a loss for words when talking about such accomplished books. The words are in the books. Please read them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Mental illness
Minor: Suicide attempt
mirlezen's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Mental illness
Moderate: Fatphobia, Xenophobia, and Suicide attempt
2busyreading's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Mental illness
Moderate: Racism and Suicide attempt
Minor: Dementia, Death of parent, and Abandonment