romcm's review against another edition
5.0
Gets straight to the heart of female friendships - both the cruelty and kindness. Perfect for young women who are navigating bullies of all kinds.
droar's review against another edition
4.0
Shannon Hale pulls no punches in this less heavy handed story of bullying & growing up. What I liked best here is that Shannon (the character) messes up & is kind of a brat sometimes, but she doesn't shy away from showing the reader that. She makes the issues elementary school kids experience feel real and important without being condescending. LeUyen Pham's illustrations are exceptional as always. This would be a good one for younger readers interested in the Smile and ElDeafo books. Sweet, unflinching, and funny.
lobo1tomia's review
5.0
Shannon Hale mindenféle díjakkal kitüntetett író, aki gyermek és ifjúsági irodalmat ír elsősorban, innen is vannak főleg az elismerései. Magyarul nagyon kevés és szelektív a bibliográfiája. Jómagam annak idején véletlenül találtam rá a Suttogó című regényére ami teljesen elvarázsolt. Aztán hiába vártam a folytatásokat, de a szerző nevére odafigyeltem. Az Ever After High-t ajándékozgattam jobbra-balra, Austenlandjában kétszer is jártam (másodszorra sokkal jobban szerettem) és mindig is élvezettel lapozgattam bele, ha szembejött virtuálisan vagy fizikailag is a Princess in Black sorozatába. Úgyhogy amikor megláttam nevét egy grafikus regényen, rögtön jelentkeztem, hogy ez engem érdekel. S nem is gondoltam, hogy mennyivel másabb dolgot kapok, mint megszoktam tőle. Hiszen ez nem mese, fikció, hanem igazából rajzos memoár ahol Shannon történetét igazán pontosan és szerethetően illusztrálja LeUyen Pham.
Annyira úgy éreztem, hogy nagy vonalakban az én gyerekkoromról is szólhatna ez a történet. Úgyhogy biztos azért is imádtam lapozgatni és olvasgatni. Mert még én is emlékszem arra, hogy milyen napi harcok voltak barátságokért általános iskolában, főleg az alsó tagozatban, amikor mindenki egy konkrét ember baráti köréhez akart tartozni és kemény harcok folytak a legjobb helyekért és titkokért, összesúgásokért, közös programokért. Élénken emlékszem egy verekedésre ami azért tört ki, hogy ki uralja a legjobb jeges csúszkát az iskola udvarán és én akadályoztam mindenkit dühből, úgyhogy persze a kicsi rakás aljára kerültem
Annyira úgy éreztem, hogy nagy vonalakban az én gyerekkoromról is szólhatna ez a történet. Úgyhogy biztos azért is imádtam lapozgatni és olvasgatni. Mert még én is emlékszem arra, hogy milyen napi harcok voltak barátságokért általános iskolában, főleg az alsó tagozatban, amikor mindenki egy konkrét ember baráti köréhez akart tartozni és kemény harcok folytak a legjobb helyekért és titkokért, összesúgásokért, közös programokért. Élénken emlékszem egy verekedésre ami azért tört ki, hogy ki uralja a legjobb jeges csúszkát az iskola udvarán és én akadályoztam mindenkit dühből, úgyhogy persze a kicsi rakás aljára kerültem
sarahtonin_bby's review against another edition
5.0
every time i read this book it makes me cry. while these aren’t my experiences, they are my emotions and i hurt so deeply for little shannon and for little me
margeryb's review against another edition
4.0
Shannon Hale's graphic novel/memoir about friendship and family dynamics harbors so much emotional truth. A lot of stories look into the clique dynamics of high school, but the friendship politics of friend groups in elementary school can be just as vicious, although in different ways. For your realistic graphic novel readers, this in vein with Raina Telegemeir and Victoria Jamison.
While our situations differed, I definitely related my elementary school experiences with those of our main character's Shannon, and I think many readers, especially young girls, would find something relateable and devastatingly real. This is the cliche form of 'taking your milk money' bullying and peer pressure that often makes its way into children's media, but the insidious form that it often takes: ranking friends, spreading lies, social exclusion, and so forth.
My only issue was that I would have liked a more filled out resolution with the sister at the end. It was a looming issue throughout most of the story that she was really struggling herself, but we don't get a lot of answers in the text (although it is addressed some in the back matter). I'd also would have liked a little more in terms of Shannon's clear anxiety disorder. It is touched on in the text, and while as an adult I understood what was going on with just the hints, I think a younger reader could have benefited from more context.
While our situations differed, I definitely related my elementary school experiences with those of our main character's Shannon, and I think many readers, especially young girls, would find something relateable and devastatingly real. This is the cliche form of 'taking your milk money' bullying and peer pressure that often makes its way into children's media, but the insidious form that it often takes: ranking friends, spreading lies, social exclusion, and so forth.
My only issue was that I would have liked a more filled out resolution with the sister at the end. It was a looming issue throughout most of the story that she was really struggling herself, but we don't get a lot of answers in the text (although it is addressed some in the back matter). I'd also would have liked a little more in terms of Shannon's clear anxiety disorder. It is touched on in the text, and while as an adult I understood what was going on with just the hints, I think a younger reader could have benefited from more context.
mindfullibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent middle grade graphic memoir for fans of Raina Telgemeier, Cece Bell and Victoria Jamieson. As a child of the 80s myself, I really appreciated all of the 80s references, but the intended audience probably won't catch those. They will simply focus on this being an incredibly realistic and heartfelt account of family and friendship (and lack thereof) in the late elementary years. All of Hale's experiences resonated with me, and I know that every 3rd-6th grader I hand this to will absolutely love it. I really appreciated that Hale included her experiences with anxiety and mild-OCD, and also that she made mention of her family's religion since it was such a large part of her upbringing. I found out in the very back of the acknowledgements that Hale grew up Mormon - it pays to read the back-matter! Required purchase for elementary and middle school libraries.
I received a digital ARC of this book for review - all opinions are my own.
I received a digital ARC of this book for review - all opinions are my own.
spillminttea's review against another edition
4.0
Good move plot! About loneliness, groupies, and setting the boundaries for the bully in school grades. It based on Shannon (the author) life.
caszriel's review against another edition
3.0
This is a great short graphic novel memoir about making friends and how the journey can be rocky, but it'll be okay in the end. Join Shannon as she progresses through school and learns the rules of friendship.