Scan barcode
leafblade's review against another edition
2.0
I recieved an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book (and its sequels) are being published with foster-care children as their target readers. Which I think is an awesome thing to do, but the execution wasn't my favorite.
First, this book was too short, and its length wasn't used well. It's just an exchange of emails between two brothers who have been separated and gone to different foster care homes. All we see of these characters are really small, dull snippets of their lives. One of them had a fight with a classmate and made a new friend and lives with a family that cares for him, the other thinks one of his neighbors is a werewolf and goes out at night with a friend to prove this. But that's it, there are no feelings to the memories they tell each other, it's just narrated anecdotically and I didn't really feel anything while reading it. The ending was too abrupt and it didn't feel like an ending.
There was a multimedia thing going on, since all contact these boys have are through emails. They often send "photos" and "links". The photos are just Microsoft Paint stick drawings, but that's NEVER addressed and it's kinda weird bc they're being treated like photos (of the boys and their friends, of places they went to when they were little and things they bought) but there's NO WAY these kids with a daily one hour access to a laptop are getting pictures with ANY device, or kept older photos, since the laptops aren't theirs. The links lead to nowhere. I felt betrayed. I hope they're up by the time this book comes out, I wish I could read about werewolves and PB cookies. It would've made it more immersive.
I think there were some wicked mechanics between the brothers, and I don't think if they're suitable for children or not. IDK if this is a thing, but here we talk about a dominant twin and a submissive twin -socially, that is. It was never addressed whether these boys are twins or not (I think they aren't) but Victor said some things to Isaac that just... weren't nice. Isaac (Isaak? Now I'm in doubt) would tell V he had cried in front of his foster mother bc he missed his biological mother, and Victor would just send three pages of an email that just said "You can't cry in front of her. She has no right to know what you're feeling. If you cry in front of her, you'll come to love her. You can't love her. She's not your mother, and you will forget momma if you think this other woman is". This was repeated several times throughout the book (and it's short, so these things were like 1/4 of the book), and it just feels manipulative and abusive to me. I get Victor was scared, but he had no right to tell Isaac these things. And, by the way Isaac answered, this had been going on for a while.
Also, the book had no subplots whatsoever, and the main plot was "I miss mom" "don't miss mom" "shut up you miss mom too" "yes I doo but we mustn't" "okay but I miss mom". Which I get so much bc I was a kid who missed mom while I was in kindergarten, and even know when I'm away for uni I miss her a lot, but if your book has less than 90 pages and "I miss mom" is all your characters are saying, please stop. There are two sisters we know nothing about. There's Stephanie, and Lucky, and Jake we know nothing about. There are three foster parents and a foster family we know nothing about. You created this whole world for two kids to be lost in and you shrink it to the maximum by having the emails be so repetitive. It's almost boycotting your own story.
TL;DR it meant well, but it was badly executed.
This book (and its sequels) are being published with foster-care children as their target readers. Which I think is an awesome thing to do, but the execution wasn't my favorite.
First, this book was too short, and its length wasn't used well. It's just an exchange of emails between two brothers who have been separated and gone to different foster care homes. All we see of these characters are really small, dull snippets of their lives. One of them had a fight with a classmate and made a new friend and lives with a family that cares for him, the other thinks one of his neighbors is a werewolf and goes out at night with a friend to prove this. But that's it, there are no feelings to the memories they tell each other, it's just narrated anecdotically and I didn't really feel anything while reading it. The ending was too abrupt and it didn't feel like an ending.
There was a multimedia thing going on, since all contact these boys have are through emails. They often send "photos" and "links". The photos are just Microsoft Paint stick drawings, but that's NEVER addressed and it's kinda weird bc they're being treated like photos (of the boys and their friends, of places they went to when they were little and things they bought) but there's NO WAY these kids with a daily one hour access to a laptop are getting pictures with ANY device, or kept older photos, since the laptops aren't theirs. The links lead to nowhere. I felt betrayed. I hope they're up by the time this book comes out, I wish I could read about werewolves and PB cookies. It would've made it more immersive.
I think there were some wicked mechanics between the brothers, and I don't think if they're suitable for children or not. IDK if this is a thing, but here we talk about a dominant twin and a submissive twin -socially, that is. It was never addressed whether these boys are twins or not (I think they aren't) but Victor said some things to Isaac that just... weren't nice. Isaac (Isaak? Now I'm in doubt) would tell V he had cried in front of his foster mother bc he missed his biological mother, and Victor would just send three pages of an email that just said "You can't cry in front of her. She has no right to know what you're feeling. If you cry in front of her, you'll come to love her. You can't love her. She's not your mother, and you will forget momma if you think this other woman is". This was repeated several times throughout the book (and it's short, so these things were like 1/4 of the book), and it just feels manipulative and abusive to me. I get Victor was scared, but he had no right to tell Isaac these things. And, by the way Isaac answered, this had been going on for a while.
Also, the book had no subplots whatsoever, and the main plot was "I miss mom" "don't miss mom" "shut up you miss mom too" "yes I doo but we mustn't" "okay but I miss mom". Which I get so much bc I was a kid who missed mom while I was in kindergarten, and even know when I'm away for uni I miss her a lot, but if your book has less than 90 pages and "I miss mom" is all your characters are saying, please stop. There are two sisters we know nothing about. There's Stephanie, and Lucky, and Jake we know nothing about. There are three foster parents and a foster family we know nothing about. You created this whole world for two kids to be lost in and you shrink it to the maximum by having the emails be so repetitive. It's almost boycotting your own story.
TL;DR it meant well, but it was badly executed.
readingwithgee_'s review against another edition
2.0
2.5*
At first I was confused as to if it was just my version of this book that was playing up maybe or had corrupted and was missing some of the book, but it appears that isn't the case
This book is about a family who is seperated after their mother is taken to prison for stealing from the people who hire her in order to pay her bills etc. And two of the children (two brothers) are basically just emailing back and forth about their lives at their new Foster homes. I'll start by saying I wasn't a huge fan of the emailing concept, I found it too easy and not gripping enough, now I know this is a middle grade book, however I still don't think it had enough of a gripping story to it.
I did spend the entirety of the book (all 80 pages that is) feeling extremely sorry for the boys. Clearly missing their homes and their mother. And the youngest boy not knowing exactly what was going on or what he was allowed to feel, I just wish there was more to this book, maybe if it was longer and had more of a story line to it, I don't know. I just know I'm not exactly jumping to read the next edition to the books.
At first I was confused as to if it was just my version of this book that was playing up maybe or had corrupted and was missing some of the book, but it appears that isn't the case
This book is about a family who is seperated after their mother is taken to prison for stealing from the people who hire her in order to pay her bills etc. And two of the children (two brothers) are basically just emailing back and forth about their lives at their new Foster homes. I'll start by saying I wasn't a huge fan of the emailing concept, I found it too easy and not gripping enough, now I know this is a middle grade book, however I still don't think it had enough of a gripping story to it.
I did spend the entirety of the book (all 80 pages that is) feeling extremely sorry for the boys. Clearly missing their homes and their mother. And the youngest boy not knowing exactly what was going on or what he was allowed to feel, I just wish there was more to this book, maybe if it was longer and had more of a story line to it, I don't know. I just know I'm not exactly jumping to read the next edition to the books.
ljrinaldi's review against another edition
2.0
It is important for all children to be able to find themselves in the books they read, because if they don't they feel that their life is not important enough or "normal " enough to have been written about. This is why it is so important to tell all the stories.
That being said, what 44 Books publishers is doing is making easy to read middle grade books for at-risk youth. This means, children who have been put into foster care. Children who have had to move in with relatives because their parents can't care for them any more, children who are living in poverty. The point is, letting them see that their life can be reflected in books.
However, this particular book is JUST about being put into foster care. So far, there is no other part to the plot. The story, told in a series of emails back and forth, between two brothers, reflects their every day lives, and worries about their mother and their other siblings. That is the entire story.
It is a shame there isn't more there, there. That there isn't something else, besides missing their mothers. That there isn't a sub plot even. Perhaps it is because this is going to be a series of four books, and each one will follow the four siblings. But the first one never got past the "I hate foster care" and "I miss my mother". If this is meant for that particular audience, they have already lived that, and are living it.
For a good story about how foster care can go wrong, there is My name is Leon or for a foster care story that has a subplot to it, there is The Disappearance.
I commend the publisher from reaching out to at-risk youth, but hope that this series either gets stronger, or more interesting, or both.
#TakenAway #NetGalley
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
That being said, what 44 Books publishers is doing is making easy to read middle grade books for at-risk youth. This means, children who have been put into foster care. Children who have had to move in with relatives because their parents can't care for them any more, children who are living in poverty. The point is, letting them see that their life can be reflected in books.
However, this particular book is JUST about being put into foster care. So far, there is no other part to the plot. The story, told in a series of emails back and forth, between two brothers, reflects their every day lives, and worries about their mother and their other siblings. That is the entire story.
It is a shame there isn't more there, there. That there isn't something else, besides missing their mothers. That there isn't a sub plot even. Perhaps it is because this is going to be a series of four books, and each one will follow the four siblings. But the first one never got past the "I hate foster care" and "I miss my mother". If this is meant for that particular audience, they have already lived that, and are living it.
For a good story about how foster care can go wrong, there is My name is Leon or for a foster care story that has a subplot to it, there is The Disappearance.
I commend the publisher from reaching out to at-risk youth, but hope that this series either gets stronger, or more interesting, or both.
#TakenAway #NetGalley
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
maggior'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
3.0
penguininabluebox's review against another edition
3.0
I received a free copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was a lot shorter than I had anticipated, but it was interestingly done. I liked how the brothers' story was told through e-mails, even though I wasn't 100% behind the writing style. Overall I'm definitely intrigued to read the rest though.
This was a lot shorter than I had anticipated, but it was interestingly done. I liked how the brothers' story was told through e-mails, even though I wasn't 100% behind the writing style. Overall I'm definitely intrigued to read the rest though.
enchantedtoreadyou's review
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was a great book representing kids in foster care. Two brothers are separated from each other and their two sisters. The book consists of their emails between each other showing support. It goes through dealing with missing their family but one brother falling in love with this foster parents. Great MG book.
novelbloglover's review against another edition
5.0
Book Review
Title: Taken Away
Author: Cyn Bermudez
Genre: Middle Grade/Family
Rating: *****
Review: So all I can gather from the synopsis is that this novel is about Victor, Isaac, Vanessa, and Sara who have been taken away from their mother. They've been forced to leave behind their home, school, friends, and worst of all, each other. Vanessa and Sara have been placed in the same foster home, but Victor and Isaac have been separated from their younger siblings and each other. However, I had some doubts as the hardcover of this book is only 88 pages long.
So, this story is told entirely through emails between the siblings and how they are adjusting to their new lives apart. We know their mother was arrested and put in jail, but we don’t know why exactly. Isaac is the softer of the two brothers, but Victor keeps him in check especially on the subject of foster parents or foster keepers as Victor calls them.
We see the boys have gone to two different homes, Isaac is with a nice couple who try to treat him like a son, but he refuses to get close to them thinking it will make him forget his own family despite them telling him otherwise. He also struggles to make friends since many know about his mother and they often make fun of him causing him to get into fights. We learn that after their dad died, they struggled for money, so their mother stole money and expensive items from the homes she was cleaning and got caught.
Victor, on the other hand, lives with an elderly woman who treats her foster kids like paychecks and the second Victor gets into trouble she gets him moved. Both brothers are called into a meeting although separately and they miss the chance to see each other although Isaac’s foster parents are open to a visit, Victor gets moved to a new home where the couple now has 6 foster children, but they seem a lot nicer than his previous caretaker.
Overall, I really loved the relationship between the brothers and the journey they take. I would have like to have heard from the two sisters as well and I can’t wait to read the next book in order to see whether the brothers actually get to meet each other again.
Title: Taken Away
Author: Cyn Bermudez
Genre: Middle Grade/Family
Rating: *****
Review: So all I can gather from the synopsis is that this novel is about Victor, Isaac, Vanessa, and Sara who have been taken away from their mother. They've been forced to leave behind their home, school, friends, and worst of all, each other. Vanessa and Sara have been placed in the same foster home, but Victor and Isaac have been separated from their younger siblings and each other. However, I had some doubts as the hardcover of this book is only 88 pages long.
So, this story is told entirely through emails between the siblings and how they are adjusting to their new lives apart. We know their mother was arrested and put in jail, but we don’t know why exactly. Isaac is the softer of the two brothers, but Victor keeps him in check especially on the subject of foster parents or foster keepers as Victor calls them.
We see the boys have gone to two different homes, Isaac is with a nice couple who try to treat him like a son, but he refuses to get close to them thinking it will make him forget his own family despite them telling him otherwise. He also struggles to make friends since many know about his mother and they often make fun of him causing him to get into fights. We learn that after their dad died, they struggled for money, so their mother stole money and expensive items from the homes she was cleaning and got caught.
Victor, on the other hand, lives with an elderly woman who treats her foster kids like paychecks and the second Victor gets into trouble she gets him moved. Both brothers are called into a meeting although separately and they miss the chance to see each other although Isaac’s foster parents are open to a visit, Victor gets moved to a new home where the couple now has 6 foster children, but they seem a lot nicer than his previous caretaker.
Overall, I really loved the relationship between the brothers and the journey they take. I would have like to have heard from the two sisters as well and I can’t wait to read the next book in order to see whether the brothers actually get to meet each other again.
mfletcher's review
2.0
'Taken Away' by Cyn Bermudez is an 80 page collection of emails between two brothers who have recently been brought into the foster care system. As someone who has no experience with foster care or adoption I was interested in seeing things from this perspective however I found some major issues with this novella. Let me start with the positives.
This book has been well edited and despite my reading it as an ARC I found no grammatical errors. The plot itself was realistic, with the children being placed in different foster homes having different experiences. It also had the beginnings of an emotional read, and despite my problems with the book I did feel the sadness and anger of the characters as well as sympathise with their situation.
As for the not so great things, I found the characters unrealistically juvenile and well-spoken, the book was too short, and there was a whole lot of "remember when"...
Full review here: http://tribalpeanutbutter.blogspot.com/2018/07/taken-away-by-cyn-bermudez.html
This book has been well edited and despite my reading it as an ARC I found no grammatical errors. The plot itself was realistic, with the children being placed in different foster homes having different experiences. It also had the beginnings of an emotional read, and despite my problems with the book I did feel the sadness and anger of the characters as well as sympathise with their situation.
As for the not so great things, I found the characters unrealistically juvenile and well-spoken, the book was too short, and there was a whole lot of "remember when"...
Full review here: http://tribalpeanutbutter.blogspot.com/2018/07/taken-away-by-cyn-bermudez.html
hollowspine's review
3.0
When their mother is arrested and imprisoned siblings, Victor, Isaac, Vanessa, and Sara are separated and moved into different foster homes. This book follows the two brothers as they try to keep in touch and comfort each other through email.
It also is a look into the two brother's different situations, one in a home where he is just one of a group of foster children, under the watchful eye of a caretaker, who provides nothing beyond a roof and an adequate amount of food, the other in a home where he is the only child with two caregivers who genuinely want to help and care for him. Both brothers deal with feelings of fear, guilt, and hopelessness, which culminates in both of them ending up in trouble, will they stay in their foster homes, or be sent somewhere else? Will the family be reunited?
A lot of the fears in the novel were fears that the family wouldn't be reunited, especially for Victor, who wanted to make sure his little brother didn't forget their mom (or him) in the face of the comfort and love offered by his foster caregivers. Although some may feel that it was cruel of Victor to tell his little brother not to seek comfort from or talk to the people he calls, 'foster keepers' I think it's important to keep in mind that Victor is only a child himself, and these are thoughts that children in this situation might have, "if I forget my mom/dad/whomever, they may never come back for me" or "If I love my foster caregiver it's like betraying or being disloyal to my real family" and may think that if they start to forget their family members, bad things will happen to their family, or to them. I think that part of the book was an important inclusion so that children experiencing similar thoughts and feelings will see they are not alone.
A hi-lo book that youth in similar situations might feel some comfort from knowing they are not experiencing these feelings alone or will introduce readers unfamiliar with the lives of youth in the foster care system to what feelings, situations, problems, and hopes youth in this situation might experience.
It also is a look into the two brother's different situations, one in a home where he is just one of a group of foster children, under the watchful eye of a caretaker, who provides nothing beyond a roof and an adequate amount of food, the other in a home where he is the only child with two caregivers who genuinely want to help and care for him. Both brothers deal with feelings of fear, guilt, and hopelessness, which culminates in both of them ending up in trouble, will they stay in their foster homes, or be sent somewhere else? Will the family be reunited?
A lot of the fears in the novel were fears that the family wouldn't be reunited, especially for Victor, who wanted to make sure his little brother didn't forget their mom (or him) in the face of the comfort and love offered by his foster caregivers. Although some may feel that it was cruel of Victor to tell his little brother not to seek comfort from or talk to the people he calls, 'foster keepers' I think it's important to keep in mind that Victor is only a child himself, and these are thoughts that children in this situation might have, "if I forget my mom/dad/whomever, they may never come back for me" or "If I love my foster caregiver it's like betraying or being disloyal to my real family" and may think that if they start to forget their family members, bad things will happen to their family, or to them. I think that part of the book was an important inclusion so that children experiencing similar thoughts and feelings will see they are not alone.
A hi-lo book that youth in similar situations might feel some comfort from knowing they are not experiencing these feelings alone or will introduce readers unfamiliar with the lives of youth in the foster care system to what feelings, situations, problems, and hopes youth in this situation might experience.
More...