A review by linesiunderline
Dear Sweet Pea, by Julie Murphy
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Julie Murphy gets so much right in this delightful, heartwarming, true-to-life middle grade novel. With grace, humour and homespun wisdom, she presents readers with complex exploration and portrayal of challenging topics: divorce, coming out, friendship struggles, body positivity. And it never feels preachy or like the author has a checklist of issues she wants to “work in.” All of these topics are given the space and care they deserve.
The humour and voice in this book really shine too. Adults don’t seem too good to be true or one dimensional. There are enough little subplots happening at once to keep things complex and moving along.
I would put this into the hands of any middle grader and feel chuffed about it.
Here are a few favourite quotes:
“...maybe part of growing up means letting people and places change so you can find new ways to love them.”
“None of us should waste any time waiting for happiness.”
“Sometimes it’s easy to forget that quiet moments mean just as much as the loud ones.”
Don’t miss this one. Oh, and the audio narration is perfect.
The humour and voice in this book really shine too. Adults don’t seem too good to be true or one dimensional. There are enough little subplots happening at once to keep things complex and moving along.
I would put this into the hands of any middle grader and feel chuffed about it.
Here are a few favourite quotes:
“...maybe part of growing up means letting people and places change so you can find new ways to love them.”
“None of us should waste any time waiting for happiness.”
“Sometimes it’s easy to forget that quiet moments mean just as much as the loud ones.”
Don’t miss this one. Oh, and the audio narration is perfect.
Content Warnings
Minor: Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Homophobia