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jenmangler's review against another edition
3.0
Reedy makes you care about Michael right away. I just wanted things to work out for him, because he's such a hard worker and a good person.
the_dire_raven's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
nicolemhewitt's review against another edition
4.0
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
I wasn’t sure at first if this book was going to be for me. The beginning of the book seemed like it might focus a bit too much on football with snippets of military life. Since I’m not much of a football fan (and military stories are hit or miss for me as well), I wasn’t sure this would work for me—but the story ended up being much more nuanced than I expected and was a really enjoyable read!
Mike’s dad dies in Afghanistan and no one will talk to him about what happened. They just want to tell him that his dad was a “hero” and leave it at that, which leaves Mike feeling no sense of closure. When he suddenly starts getting letters from his dad, he realizes that this is his chance to understand him—and to understand his family dynamics (including his mom’s intense overprotectiveness). Mike’s dad’s messages are poignant, and it’s easy to see how Mike is so affected by them. I especially loved that there were some connections to Words in the Dust that are eventually revealed (though you definitely wouldn’t need to read WitD first). And I loved the blooming romance between Mike and Isma and the complicated friendships and rivalries (some that are redeemed, and some which aren’t).
(I did this one half on audiobook and half via the hardcover that I bought. Enjoyed the narration, but I just wanted to finish it more quickly.)
I wasn’t sure at first if this book was going to be for me. The beginning of the book seemed like it might focus a bit too much on football with snippets of military life. Since I’m not much of a football fan (and military stories are hit or miss for me as well), I wasn’t sure this would work for me—but the story ended up being much more nuanced than I expected and was a really enjoyable read!
Mike’s dad dies in Afghanistan and no one will talk to him about what happened. They just want to tell him that his dad was a “hero” and leave it at that, which leaves Mike feeling no sense of closure. When he suddenly starts getting letters from his dad, he realizes that this is his chance to understand him—and to understand his family dynamics (including his mom’s intense overprotectiveness). Mike’s dad’s messages are poignant, and it’s easy to see how Mike is so affected by them. I especially loved that there were some connections to Words in the Dust that are eventually revealed (though you definitely wouldn’t need to read WitD first). And I loved the blooming romance between Mike and Isma and the complicated friendships and rivalries (some that are redeemed, and some which aren’t).
(I did this one half on audiobook and half via the hardcover that I bought. Enjoyed the narration, but I just wanted to finish it more quickly.)
julie_ann_harper_1633's review against another edition
3.0
This book will be great to use for children who have recently lost a loved one specifically a parent. It shows how important it is to talk about what you are feeling and to share stories with others who loved the lost loved one.
aoosterwyk's review against another edition
3.0
This book describes a 16 yr old boy growing up without his dad because he was killed in Afghanistan. His mother is overprotective and works two jobs to support him and his sister and Mike works too, at a neighboring farm.
The great things about this book: Mike is a good kid. He studies hard and doesn't get into trouble. He saves his money for things he wants and helps with repairs around the house. He doesn't crave popularity or cave to peer pressure.
The problem with his family is their lack of open and honest discussion. The father's death is not an acceptable topic and the mother doesn't include her children in decision making.
When Mike turns 16, he starts to get letters in the mail from his father, written for him during the last year of his life in Afghanistan. These are the lessons he's been missing with a message for him to open his life to new experiences instead of closing off to stay safe as his mother would wish.
Enter conflict. Do the wishes of a dead parent weigh equally to those of the parent who remains?
I really think kids would like this book, especially those whose family doesn't have open dialogue or a democratic decision making process. I'd recommend it as appropriate for both middle and high school.
The great things about this book: Mike is a good kid. He studies hard and doesn't get into trouble. He saves his money for things he wants and helps with repairs around the house. He doesn't crave popularity or cave to peer pressure.
The problem with his family is their lack of open and honest discussion. The father's death is not an acceptable topic and the mother doesn't include her children in decision making.
When Mike turns 16, he starts to get letters in the mail from his father, written for him during the last year of his life in Afghanistan. These are the lessons he's been missing with a message for him to open his life to new experiences instead of closing off to stay safe as his mother would wish.
Enter conflict. Do the wishes of a dead parent weigh equally to those of the parent who remains?
I really think kids would like this book, especially those whose family doesn't have open dialogue or a democratic decision making process. I'd recommend it as appropriate for both middle and high school.
perilous1's review against another edition
3.0
Originally reviewed for YA Books Central: http://www.yabookscentral.com/yafiction/17190-if-you-re-reading-this
This YA contemporary centers around an almost 16-year-old boy named Michael Wilson, and his coming-of-age struggles as he shoulders the burdens of a strained family life—9 years after his father died in the war in Afghanistan. In addition to working a heavy labor job and handling his own family’s unending household repairs, Mike has to cope with his narcissistic younger sister and a controlling, neurotic mother who won’t allow him to play football. When he begins receiving letters from his long dead father, he seizes the motivation they offer him—though it puts him at odds with his family.
Reedy’s prose is simple and unhurried, exuding an almost upper middle grade feel that may act well as a crossover from MG to YA.
What I liked:
The premise itself is both fascinating and timely. As a parent who is regularly concerned with recording things I’d like my kids to know in case they grow up without me, this struck a poignant and relevant chord. And the loss of a military parent is a subject this reader doesn’t often see meaningfully tackled in YA lit.
On a related note, the military life aspects were represented in a thorough and rounded way—the good, the bad, and the day-to-day tedious. There was a clear effort to humanize soldiers and offer up conversation points about the why’s of the war in Afghanistan. It made for a strong symmetry when Mike’s father used his letters to send him on “missions” in the hopes of giving him a better hold on adulthood.
I also liked that Mike’s love interest was a first generation Iranian-American girl. It presented inherent “different worlds” conflict, and a lot of valid opportunity for cultural and religious comparison.
What Didn’t Work For Me:
The female side-characters felt disappointingly one-dimensional. Mike’s dysfunctional absentee mother and self-absorbed sister came off as flat and overwhelmingly unlikeable—as did Isma, the love interest—though they all featured somewhat prominently. Isma’s disdain for the sports activity Mike loves (and seeming inability to reconcile his intelligence with her prejudices regarding football players) is palpable to the point of obnoxious. And I say this as someone who cares not one iota for football.
While Isma acknowledges having an argumentative nature, her flippantly judgmental tendencies became increasingly tedious—to the point where the lack of chemistry between her and Mike made the entire idea of a relationship difficult to root for.
The dark-moment conflict seemed overly contrived. The solution is glaringly simple: Mike needs to grow a spine and use the compelling information leverage he has collected to confront his mother and force her to talk about the things she is intent on avoiding. I would have loved to see the psychological aspect better fleshed out and justified—rather than neatly wrapping up after unnecessary delays.
Unfortunately, there was a lot of telling but not a lot of showing. Physical descriptions were sparse, and the emotional depth didn’t quite allow for the connectivity this reader prefers. The story frequently suffered from a lack of visceral reactions and emotional intensity conveyance. As a result, readers are given little insight into how Mike actually feels about anything.
This book will likely hold stronger appeal to male readers, military kids, and those interested in some of the inner-workings of high school football.
This YA contemporary centers around an almost 16-year-old boy named Michael Wilson, and his coming-of-age struggles as he shoulders the burdens of a strained family life—9 years after his father died in the war in Afghanistan. In addition to working a heavy labor job and handling his own family’s unending household repairs, Mike has to cope with his narcissistic younger sister and a controlling, neurotic mother who won’t allow him to play football. When he begins receiving letters from his long dead father, he seizes the motivation they offer him—though it puts him at odds with his family.
Reedy’s prose is simple and unhurried, exuding an almost upper middle grade feel that may act well as a crossover from MG to YA.
What I liked:
The premise itself is both fascinating and timely. As a parent who is regularly concerned with recording things I’d like my kids to know in case they grow up without me, this struck a poignant and relevant chord. And the loss of a military parent is a subject this reader doesn’t often see meaningfully tackled in YA lit.
On a related note, the military life aspects were represented in a thorough and rounded way—the good, the bad, and the day-to-day tedious. There was a clear effort to humanize soldiers and offer up conversation points about the why’s of the war in Afghanistan. It made for a strong symmetry when Mike’s father used his letters to send him on “missions” in the hopes of giving him a better hold on adulthood.
I also liked that Mike’s love interest was a first generation Iranian-American girl. It presented inherent “different worlds” conflict, and a lot of valid opportunity for cultural and religious comparison.
What Didn’t Work For Me:
The female side-characters felt disappointingly one-dimensional. Mike’s dysfunctional absentee mother and self-absorbed sister came off as flat and overwhelmingly unlikeable—as did Isma, the love interest—though they all featured somewhat prominently. Isma’s disdain for the sports activity Mike loves (and seeming inability to reconcile his intelligence with her prejudices regarding football players) is palpable to the point of obnoxious. And I say this as someone who cares not one iota for football.
While Isma acknowledges having an argumentative nature, her flippantly judgmental tendencies became increasingly tedious—to the point where the lack of chemistry between her and Mike made the entire idea of a relationship difficult to root for.
The dark-moment conflict seemed overly contrived. The solution is glaringly simple: Mike needs to grow a spine and use the compelling information leverage he has collected to confront his mother and force her to talk about the things she is intent on avoiding. I would have loved to see the psychological aspect better fleshed out and justified—rather than neatly wrapping up after unnecessary delays.
Unfortunately, there was a lot of telling but not a lot of showing. Physical descriptions were sparse, and the emotional depth didn’t quite allow for the connectivity this reader prefers. The story frequently suffered from a lack of visceral reactions and emotional intensity conveyance. As a result, readers are given little insight into how Mike actually feels about anything.
This book will likely hold stronger appeal to male readers, military kids, and those interested in some of the inner-workings of high school football.
sfujii's review against another edition
3.0
This was a sweet book, if someone cheesy about 50% of the time. The premise was really interesting - a 16-year-old receives letters from his father who was killed several years ago in the war. Each letter gives him a mission to accomplish to help him develop as a person, and as a young man. I wanted to try and read a book that had a male protagonist. The young man is smart, interested in football, and works to help his mom pay the bills. A pretty cool character, if a bit underdeveloped. The football angle got to me a bit - a little too much small town football = everything. But, overall, it was an interesting story and might speak to some of my students.
What I thought was really interesting is that the guy who wrote this served in the war himself. There was a clear angle throughout the book about the war - it came through loud and clear. When I read the acknowledgements section, it was clear why.
What I thought was really interesting is that the guy who wrote this served in the war himself. There was a clear angle throughout the book about the war - it came through loud and clear. When I read the acknowledgements section, it was clear why.
saidtheraina's review against another edition
3.0
Started this, but only got a chapter in before I decided it wasn't quite right for my needs.
To be specific, I was looking for a mirror book to promote to thousands of middle schoolers in my community, which is adjacent to a military base.
The writing style rubbed me the wrong way just a tad, and the character didn't seem to be familiar with base culture.
I may give it another try when I'm looking for a window book in a few years, but it's not right for me right now.
Reading [b: Operation Oleander|15814393|Operation Oleander|Valerie O. Patterson|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1345683862s/15814393.jpg|21540828] now, which seems to be a better fit for my needs at the moment.
To be specific, I was looking for a mirror book to promote to thousands of middle schoolers in my community, which is adjacent to a military base.
The writing style rubbed me the wrong way just a tad, and the character didn't seem to be familiar with base culture.
I may give it another try when I'm looking for a window book in a few years, but it's not right for me right now.
Reading [b: Operation Oleander|15814393|Operation Oleander|Valerie O. Patterson|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1345683862s/15814393.jpg|21540828] now, which seems to be a better fit for my needs at the moment.
kenomilligan's review against another edition
5.0
wow.
i didn't think i would like this book much because the wording felt geared towards a younger audience. the dialogue seemed fake and unrealistic most times.
as i read further, the story started to hit me harder.
i won't say much, but i'll say i'm crying right now.
it's a must-read.
i didn't think i would like this book much because the wording felt geared towards a younger audience. the dialogue seemed fake and unrealistic most times.
as i read further, the story started to hit me harder.
i won't say much, but i'll say i'm crying right now.
it's a must-read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
librarygirlreads's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5