Reviews

Air by Monica Roe

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lawbooks600's review against another edition

emotional 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

4.0

Representation: Character with a physical disability, side Latina and Black characters
Score: Six and a half out of ten.

I enjoyed Air by Monica Roe, but it could've been so much better. I'm not saying it missed the mark, I'm saying if the author made some improvements to Air, I would've given it more than six and a half out of ten. I wanted to read it, but I put it off for a few months, and when I closed the final page, it was okay.

It starts with Emelyn 'Emmie' Ethrige recounting her life by telling me about mundane events like going to school, all while using a wheelchair, because of her spina bifida. Everything appears typical until Emmie had an accident on the school ramp, forcing the school to develop a special plan for her, much to her dismay. A person without a disability tried to help Emmie by grabbing her wheels, but she didn't feel like it helped. They put Emmie in a program for people with 'exceptional needs,' whatever that means, but I'm assuming it means it's a program for neurodiverse people or people with physical disabilities like Emmie.

I liked some parts of Air, like the likable characters, but not others, like the absence of intersectionality. How come no one talked about how Emmie is white but also has a disability and goes to a public school, giving her less privilege over people without disabilities? Putting a POC with a disability would help explore that subject. The one Latina character, Ale, and other Black characters mentioned were in the background most of the time. Really?

There wasn't a support network for Emmie as her school didn't help, her mother passed before the narrative began and her father dismantled her ramp, making her life harder. Adding a support network would improve the reading experience. I liked the plot point where lots of people without disabilities raised money for Emmie's new wheelchair, but they all ignored the problem of the underfunded public school not being accessible for people with disabilities. Emmie donates the money back to improve the school's accessibility, contributing to a satisfying climax.

Content Warnings

shksprsis's review

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adventurous emotional 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? No

3.75

nmfolkman's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful informative

4.0

Bluestem 24

2906mp's review

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medium-paced

5.0

Going to use this as a class novel for sixth graders next year.

fairytaleknitter's review against another edition

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funny inspiring fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

sienna_canread's review

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3.0

I can see why people would like this book. It was a good book but I’m not into contemporary stories anymore. I would recommend if someone needed like a short story to read.