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rennegade's review against another edition
4.0
This book has a really interesting main character (a young, female POC) with a heartbreaking story. Her brother committed suicide and her mother has become an alcoholic in the aftermath. She is trying to deal with her brother's death, her mother's alcoholism, and her friends' distance when a mysterious boy shows up in her class and she befriends him. There were some really sad and really sweet moments in the book, and I appreciate the ending.
I do have a bit of an issue with the cataloguing choices my library made regarding this book. It is listed as YA, but I would definitely classify this as juvenile. While the topic of suicide is heavy, the book is pretty clearly geared towards younger children and preteens rather than teenagers. I see other library systems did put it in the juvenile section, so I am not sure why the library where I got my copy decided to put it in young adult.
It was depressing story with a sweet ending - just up my alley. I would recommend it (especially to younger kids who may be dealing with something like this at home).
I do have a bit of an issue with the cataloguing choices my library made regarding this book. It is listed as YA, but I would definitely classify this as juvenile. While the topic of suicide is heavy, the book is pretty clearly geared towards younger children and preteens rather than teenagers. I see other library systems did put it in the juvenile section, so I am not sure why the library where I got my copy decided to put it in young adult.
It was depressing story with a sweet ending - just up my alley. I would recommend it (especially to younger kids who may be dealing with something like this at home).
ld277's review against another edition
3.0
read my review here -----------> http://pagesoverpages.blogspot.co.at/2016/03/review-my-brothers-shadow.html
imandanial's review against another edition
5.0
Kematian tidak pernah mudah untuk sesiapa.
Untuk dewasa. Untuk kanak-kanak.
Kehilangan bagi setiap orang, maksudnya boleh berbeza-beza.
Dan seiring masa, kita belajar untuk menerima.
"Nama saya Kaia. Saya ada abang paling best di dunia. Satu hari, abang saya mati."
:')
Kita dibawa untuk ikut naratif kanak² 11 tahun. Bahagia & sangat bangga dengan abang kesayangannya
Sekelip mata, kebahagiaan Kaia diragut.
Bagaimana seorang kanak² belajar berdamai dengan luka: realiti pahit— abang kesayangannya sudah tiada.
Benar kanak² masih kurang kosa kata.
Ada kesedihan maha berat tergumpal di dada, tetapi Kaia tidak tahu cara mengungkapkannya.
Lalu dia terperangkap. Membeku dalam momen yang berulang.
Kaia tidak tahu, atau lebih tepat: dia tak mahu melepaskan.
Saya gemar membaca cerita sebegini.
Tentang kematian, kehilangan, dan cara berdamai dengannya.
Kenangan bukanlah sesuatu yang linear. Ia tidak akan hilang seiring waktu.
Sifatnya berombak. Ada masa kita dihambat kepedihan yang terlalu. Ada waktu, kita baik² sahaja.
Tetapi, jika ada yang mengingatkan kita pada kepedihan itu, we are back to square to one.
Maka seperti di awal² tulisan ini.
Untuk dewasa. Untuk kanak-kanak.
Kehilangan bagi setiap orang, maksudnya boleh berbeza-beza.
Dan seiring masa, kita hanya mampu belajar— untuk menerima.
Dan sebagai abang sulung, saya termenung sendiri.
Waktu saya tiada nanti, semoga mereka yang saya tinggalkan akan baik² sahaja.
Biarlah saya sentiasa dikenang & selalu di dalam doa mereka.
Untuk dewasa. Untuk kanak-kanak.
Kehilangan bagi setiap orang, maksudnya boleh berbeza-beza.
Dan seiring masa, kita belajar untuk menerima.
"Nama saya Kaia. Saya ada abang paling best di dunia. Satu hari, abang saya mati."
:')
Kita dibawa untuk ikut naratif kanak² 11 tahun. Bahagia & sangat bangga dengan abang kesayangannya
Sekelip mata, kebahagiaan Kaia diragut.
Bagaimana seorang kanak² belajar berdamai dengan luka: realiti pahit— abang kesayangannya sudah tiada.
Benar kanak² masih kurang kosa kata.
Ada kesedihan maha berat tergumpal di dada, tetapi Kaia tidak tahu cara mengungkapkannya.
Lalu dia terperangkap. Membeku dalam momen yang berulang.
Kaia tidak tahu, atau lebih tepat: dia tak mahu melepaskan.
Saya gemar membaca cerita sebegini.
Tentang kematian, kehilangan, dan cara berdamai dengannya.
Kenangan bukanlah sesuatu yang linear. Ia tidak akan hilang seiring waktu.
Sifatnya berombak. Ada masa kita dihambat kepedihan yang terlalu. Ada waktu, kita baik² sahaja.
Tetapi, jika ada yang mengingatkan kita pada kepedihan itu, we are back to square to one.
Maka seperti di awal² tulisan ini.
Untuk dewasa. Untuk kanak-kanak.
Kehilangan bagi setiap orang, maksudnya boleh berbeza-beza.
Dan seiring masa, kita hanya mampu belajar— untuk menerima.
Dan sebagai abang sulung, saya termenung sendiri.
Waktu saya tiada nanti, semoga mereka yang saya tinggalkan akan baik² sahaja.
Biarlah saya sentiasa dikenang & selalu di dalam doa mereka.
tiffani_reads's review against another edition
5.0
Why are more people not talking about this book!
So I don’t read much middle grade, but this book seems like it needs more recognition. It deals with such difficult topics and does it in such a way that even as an adult I appreciated this book. I have never seen a middle grade book that talked about death, suicide, grief and loss with such care and so brilliantly before. More people need to read this book, and most importantly, more people need to know about this book!
So I don’t read much middle grade, but this book seems like it needs more recognition. It deals with such difficult topics and does it in such a way that even as an adult I appreciated this book. I have never seen a middle grade book that talked about death, suicide, grief and loss with such care and so brilliantly before. More people need to read this book, and most importantly, more people need to know about this book!
elhim's review against another edition
3.0
I really love this cover. I mean it. But can't say I like the book as well. But it's not that bad.
luzbella's review against another edition
3.0
124/265
To put it simply, this book just didn’t quite work for me. I can see how others will see beauty in it, but it left me not necessarily confused, but curious.
To put it simply, this book just didn’t quite work for me. I can see how others will see beauty in it, but it left me not necessarily confused, but curious.
piperbunny's review against another edition
4.0
I completely judged this book by it's cover and I'm glad I did, a dark book for children full of confusion and grief. But also a beautifully written book. The illustrator did an amazing job.
jhen_squared's review against another edition
4.0
I really really liked this book. It was short but I loved it. Kaia made me tear up.
idontkaren's review against another edition
4.0
I read this entirely in one sitting (at the DMV! where I could have easily finished Anna Karenina as well). It is a sad, quiet book about a girl grieving in the aftermath of her brother's death. It's simple and spare in writing style (almost felt Scandanavian, but the author is English). No dad and her mother is basically checked out, so a lot of her interactions with people are at school. The author is a teacher, so he nails day-to-day life in the class and on the playground. The kids (not just the girl, but her peers) and their confused emotions and behavior felt genuine.
The girl is biracial, but it's subtly worked into the story, you'd almost miss it if you're not a close reader, but I kind of liked that. There are other subtleties - namely the wild boy - that some very young kids might not get, but it's a mysterious kind of nice. Reminded me of So Much to Tell You (Marsden) and the Ice Palace (Vesaas) but for a younger audience. I didn't make the connection to A Monster Calls til I read the description/reviews here, but now I definitely see that similarity, too.
The girl is biracial, but it's subtly worked into the story, you'd almost miss it if you're not a close reader, but I kind of liked that. There are other subtleties - namely the wild boy - that some very young kids might not get, but it's a mysterious kind of nice. Reminded me of So Much to Tell You (Marsden) and the Ice Palace (Vesaas) but for a younger audience. I didn't make the connection to A Monster Calls til I read the description/reviews here, but now I definitely see that similarity, too.
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