Reviews with content warning for Vomit - Parachutes

Gossip Girl style read made authentic by the author’s own experiences. Easy read about difficult topics. I was invested despite the difficulty of defining the different characters’ voices. A worthwhile read for age 14+

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anniereads221's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

4.5

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traceyanderson's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring tense fast-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

5.0

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claudiaswords's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-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

5.0

This is such an important story, and it is told and wirtten in such a vulnerable and incredible way. It is a story that doens't only need to be told, it needs to be read, heard and understood. Tahnk you, Kelly Yang for not only writing it but also for choosing to share your personal story.

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genny's review against another edition

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challenging emotional inspiring 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

3.25

The POV switching in the beginning made the story feel a bit disjointed - I would be just starting to get into Dani's or Claire's story when the chapter ends abruptly and we change to the other girl's POV. It smooths out in the second half as the girls become more connected.

Being Filipino myself, I was wary of the representation this offered me, but I think it succeeded in not tokenizing Dani. Her financial situation was presented almost matter-of-factly, without overwrought pity. The cast is mostly Asian, and their voices & personal issues were distinct enough to dispel the idea of a unified Asian-American experience. While the things that Dani and Claire went through made me feel sick, the book ends on a hopeful note.

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juliecathryn's review against another edition

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challenging emotional 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

4.25

I knew from reading <I>Front Desk</I> that Kelly Yang was a deft writer, but this took my breath away at times. Loved the gradual bonds that grew between the characters and how the world felt so real. (Yes, I know: It's a contemporary YA, but there are times when the worlds depicted in them feel divorced from reality.)

Dani and Claire were compelling protagonists with a memorable cast of supporting characters.

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jojo_'s review against another edition

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dark emotional inspiring reflective sad 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

3.5

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betweentheshelves's review against another edition

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dark emotional inspiring tense slow-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This isn't exactly what I was expecting, but in a good way! This book is heavily about sexual assault, harassment, rape, and the ways that teenage girls aren't believed. Especially teenage girls of color, when there are power imbalances involved. Yang does such a good job with these topics, and there are parts of this book that made me so angry because I know this happens in real life.

I wish we got to see more interaction between Dani and Claire. They live together, but they're kind of just orbiting each other's lives. Also I wanted more of Dani's mom! She played a pretty big part at the beginning of the book, and then kinda just disappeared until the end. I wanted to see more of her and Dani's relationship, since we got to see Claire and her mom's.

The pacing also felt a bit off at times. The resolution felt rather abrupt, and there were sections that it was difficult to tell how much time was really passing. While I'm okay with open endings, I just wanted a little more at the end of this book. I wanted to see a little more growth from both Dani and Claire.

That being said, the discussions about racism and sexual harassment in here are just so powerful. I absolutely recommend it for that reason!

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