wombat_88's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
djlanatron's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked the story, but I was confused about when the story was supposed to happen - I think it was modern because there was an Apple device mentioned, but it wasn't really evident.
readingthroughtheages's review against another edition
4.0
Springstubb takes on big issues and big questions in this middle grade novel. This book will start some important conversations with upper middle grade readers.
thomas_the_capricorn's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Addiction, Death, and Gun violence
yapha's review against another edition
3.0
I feel like this book tried too hard to cover too many issues -- school closing, friends growing apart, developmentally delayed brother, neighborhood changing, racism, PTSD, father with a secret, great-grandmother getting sick -- the list could have been cut in half for a stronger book. And I definitely could have done without the chapters from the statue's perspective. For grades 5 & up.
karibaumann's review against another edition
4.0
At first I thought the chapters from the statue's perspective and the storyline with the grandmother were not going to work for me, but it all came together so well. I liked the theme of redemption and the idea that moving forward matters. My one complaint would be that the accidental shooting of an innocent black man by an off-duty security guard was handled in a way that made me uncomfortable. It was almost as if the black character was killed to teach the white characters a lesson. I was not sure whether the author wanted me to draw a larger conclusion about these types of shootings, and the victim's family's response felt simplistic. Overall, I thought it was a charming and lovely book about being a friend and learning from mistakes but I do wish that one storyline had been handled differently.
rynandri's review against another edition
3.0
Stress aja. Aku suka liat cerita persahabatan Nella dan kawan-kawan di Little Italy (lengkap beeserta seluruh background keluarga dan masyarakat di sekitarnya) dari POV Nella kecil. Aku ngerasa meski cerita ini ditutur dari POV Nella tapi mainly membahas keluarga Angela dan Anthony, lengkap dengan *ehem* papanya *ehem* yang,... yaudah gitulah.
Closurenya mblaur. Tipe buku yang setelah kita nyelesein bikin ngebatin, "Lho? lhaterus? udah gini doang? Lah,...?"
Closurenya mblaur. Tipe buku yang setelah kita nyelesein bikin ngebatin, "Lho? lhaterus? udah gini doang? Lah,...?"
nerfherder86's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this story, set in Cleveland's Little Italy neighborhood, for its warm, real characters, the theme of friendships starting and changing, and the realistic depiction of families from different cultural backgrounds and experiences and the hardships they often endure. It also deals with race relations and issues from today's world, in an age-appropriate way for a middle grade/middle school book. Being set in a somewhat familiar area for me certainly added to the appeal, but you don't have to be from the Cleveland area to enjoy reading about this closeknit neighborhood of Catholic Italian families and their Old World charm. Interspersed between the chapters narrated by the main character are magical-realistic chapters where a statue in a cemetery tells his story, as a longtime observer of the neighborhood, and that was kind of weird at first but once you get used to it, it's really quite sweet the way "he" ties in with the main character. Loved it! My one quibble is that the cartoony little drawings and map of the neighborhood made the book seem like a much younger story than it really was. I thought that the content would be great for 6th graders and even 7th and 8th, but with those little-kid drawings it made it seem like a book for much younger kids. Admittedly, the main character tells her story in flashbacks from first grade and other childhood memories (she is a 12 year old 7th grader for most of the story), which might also make it seem like a younger story. But, when you get into the issues and themes of the book, they're really important for older kids as well as younger kids. So I would have liked to see an edition of this book that was made to look a little "older" to appeal to 6th and 7th graders, not just 3rd or 4th graders. (Although it's a really long book for a 4th grader to tackle, I think) But that's just my opinion, and it doesn't really matter if you are able to get the book into any young reader's hands.
kimjunmyeon's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75