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thenextgenlibrarian's review
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
2.5
A journal from the perspective of a bully.
📝
Meet Tod. Tod’s a bully. When Tod and his friends get busted for vandalism, he’s assigned after school detention with Mrs. Woodrow, a no-nonsense guidance counselor who makes Rod start writing in a journal as part of his punishment. What happens next changes everything. The reader goes from hating Tod to empathizing with him as a boy in a tough situation, who is incredibly bright, funny and could have a bright future if he chooses the right path.
📝
My 8th grade RLA teachers are thinking of reading this as a whole-class novel so I had to check it out for myself too so that I can best support them. The story is one of atonement and reflection so fans of Restart by Gordon Korman and Rhyme Schemer by KA Holt will love the redemption arc set here. I found the premise, writing and journal style format to be unique and striking, but the sorry itself didn’t move me like others in this genre have. This is YA but honestly on the lower side of the spectrum.
CW: bullying, poverty, weight issues, physical violence
Nothing too memorable about it. 2.5
📝
Meet Tod. Tod’s a bully. When Tod and his friends get busted for vandalism, he’s assigned after school detention with Mrs. Woodrow, a no-nonsense guidance counselor who makes Rod start writing in a journal as part of his punishment. What happens next changes everything. The reader goes from hating Tod to empathizing with him as a boy in a tough situation, who is incredibly bright, funny and could have a bright future if he chooses the right path.
📝
My 8th grade RLA teachers are thinking of reading this as a whole-class novel so I had to check it out for myself too so that I can best support them. The story is one of atonement and reflection so fans of Restart by Gordon Korman and Rhyme Schemer by KA Holt will love the redemption arc set here. I found the premise, writing and journal style format to be unique and striking, but the sorry itself didn’t move me like others in this genre have. This is YA but honestly on the lower side of the spectrum.
CW: bullying, poverty, weight issues, physical violence
Nothing too memorable about it. 2.5
lanica's review against another edition
5.0
I loved everything about this book. It had a unique perspective, an unusual protagonist, an interesting format and it was not the same 'message' that kids get beat over the head with in so many YA books.
I would love to have a book club read this and hear how students react to the characters and the situations. I'd especially be interested to see how boys react to it. I am sure to order this book for any library I work in in the future.
I listened to this on audio book and there were a few moments when I really wished I had the paper copy in my hands. I want to see how the pages look...I recommend reading this in paper form if at all possible; however, the narrator was very good and if it weren't for the odd sequencing of a few of the pages I'd not mention it at all. If audio book is your only option - it's still an excellent choice.
I would love to have a book club read this and hear how students react to the characters and the situations. I'd especially be interested to see how boys react to it. I am sure to order this book for any library I work in in the future.
I listened to this on audio book and there were a few moments when I really wished I had the paper copy in my hands. I want to see how the pages look...I recommend reading this in paper form if at all possible; however, the narrator was very good and if it weren't for the odd sequencing of a few of the pages I'd not mention it at all. If audio book is your only option - it's still an excellent choice.
lannthacker's review
2.0
This was a perfectly fine book. I was invested in the main character's story, but it wasn't groundbreaking or earth shattering. The cover promises a new perspective on bullies, but I didn't find any surprises here.
i_am_a_library_mouse's review
4.75
A handful of very minor swears are used, but not enough to bother most people. Very entertaining read. Would recommend.
barbarianlibarian's review
3.0
Boy book! I liked the character and that I couldn't figure out the whole story til the end. Everything was great, except for the fact that it didn't really suck me in, and the fact that the teaser says they do something REALLY BAD - which is totally not the case.
bbrad86's review
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
anne_eventually's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
star63's review
4.0
Tod is a kid that you really don't want to like. He's a bully, extorts lunch money from weaker kids, and is a challenge to teachers in class. But you do like him.
As I got to know Tod, where he lived, the struggles his family had to put food on the table or give him a warm place to sleep I began to feel compassion for him. He really lives in an eat or be eaten community where strength and street smarts are valued much more highly than academic smarts. Here is why I like him, given all of that, Tod is a great student, heck he's never even missed a day of school in his life (is that because he gets breakfast and lunch?). I loved that his guidance counselor came to his house to show he and his mom that she cared about Tod and what happened to him. I love that Mark Shulman didn't sugar coat Tod's life, there is no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. But that's okay, I'm still going to root for Tod.
As I got to know Tod, where he lived, the struggles his family had to put food on the table or give him a warm place to sleep I began to feel compassion for him. He really lives in an eat or be eaten community where strength and street smarts are valued much more highly than academic smarts. Here is why I like him, given all of that, Tod is a great student, heck he's never even missed a day of school in his life (is that because he gets breakfast and lunch?). I loved that his guidance counselor came to his house to show he and his mom that she cared about Tod and what happened to him. I love that Mark Shulman didn't sugar coat Tod's life, there is no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. But that's okay, I'm still going to root for Tod.