A review by peterpokeypanda
The Whole Story of Half a Girl by Veera Hiranandani
3.0
Pros: I felt that this book was well-written. Not extraordinarily so, but enough that it was noticeably better than a lot of middle grades/YA literature that I read. In addition, I felt that there were some topics it dealt with really clearly, accurately, and well (authentically is the word I'm looking for): the difficulty of adjusting to traditional public school when one's life experience of school has been totally different; what the adult experience of clinical depression looks like (or one way it can look) through a child's eyes; the difficulties of living in any family, even a strong, loving one. I felt that all the major characters were believable, dynamic, and interesting.
Cons: I didn't feel like the book had a very satisfying conclusion, which isn't necessarily a mark of bad writing - just something I don't like so much. I also thought that the issues of race that were indicated as the central struggle of the plot in most synopses that I read were sort of plot satellites more than they were central, and that kind of bothered me. If the book was going to be about those issues, I wanted it to be really about them, not to just sort of half-have them there - but maybe that's an accurate portrayal of a certain experience; I don't know because I am not, myself, multiracial or belonging to a racial minority.
I gave it three stars because it was well written and interesting enough to read, but not a book that I think will be influential or even very memorable to me.
Cons: I didn't feel like the book had a very satisfying conclusion, which isn't necessarily a mark of bad writing - just something I don't like so much. I also thought that the issues of race that were indicated as the central struggle of the plot in most synopses that I read were sort of plot satellites more than they were central, and that kind of bothered me. If the book was going to be about those issues, I wanted it to be really about them, not to just sort of half-have them there - but maybe that's an accurate portrayal of a certain experience; I don't know because I am not, myself, multiracial or belonging to a racial minority.
I gave it three stars because it was well written and interesting enough to read, but not a book that I think will be influential or even very memorable to me.