susannelucyluisa's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
5.0
pmhennen's review against another edition
3.0
what a comprehensive coming-of-age novel! i loved the characterization and the role of strong adults in stevie’s life.
luckybybritneyspears's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
4.25
angelreadsthings's review
3.0
3 3/4 Stars. While there is nothing particularly striking about the plot of this novel, the compelling nature of the protagonist turns it from a mediocre read to an enjoyable even thought-provoking one at times. The one major drawback of this novel was the ending which felt like a hasty attempt to tackle some of the questions about attraction and sexuality that had come up in the last section of the novel without trying to tie them into the related questions that had been weaving through the novel for awhile.
remigves's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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
3.0
jamietherebelliousreader's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars. This felt like I was sitting at the table being told stories from elder people in my family. My mom grew up in the same era this is set in (the late 60s) and a lot of what she has told me that she experienced happens in this which was so intriguing to me. Especially how Stevie and her family reacted whenever there was a Black person on television. My mom told me that that used to be a huge deal and the family would call each other to tell them.
I digress, this was a fantastic coming of age journey. I really liked the writing style. It’s witty and sharp. The pace is great and the story had me engaged from beginning to end. Stevie is a very likable character. She felt real and yes she had her frustrating moments but she’s also a teenager so I get it. It was interesting seeing the world around her from her eyes especially as she got older and the Civil Rights Movement began. This was a really enjoyable read and I will definitely be checking out more of Sinclair’s work.
I digress, this was a fantastic coming of age journey. I really liked the writing style. It’s witty and sharp. The pace is great and the story had me engaged from beginning to end. Stevie is a very likable character. She felt real and yes she had her frustrating moments but she’s also a teenager so I get it. It was interesting seeing the world around her from her eyes especially as she got older and the Civil Rights Movement began. This was a really enjoyable read and I will definitely be checking out more of Sinclair’s work.
bogdads's review
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
3.0
tullyndmom's review against another edition
4.0
As a middle aged white woman, I’m not quite the target audience, but I think it was well done and I hope young girls today will still see themselves in Stevie - especially in her confusion and mixed up wants and feelings, as well as her convictions.
I’m sure some people will be disappointed not to find out Stevie’s orientation, but I really love Nurse Horn’s message about the confusion being more normal than not, and about taking one’s time to learn about oneself.
I’m sure some people will be disappointed not to find out Stevie’s orientation, but I really love Nurse Horn’s message about the confusion being more normal than not, and about taking one’s time to learn about oneself.