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itaby's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
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
4.75
ivyinthepages's review against another edition
3.0
Rating: 3.4 leaves out of 5
Characters: 3/5
Cover: 4.5/5
Story: 3/5
Writing: 3/5
Genre: Children/Historical Fiction
Type: Book
Worth?: Sure
I have read many stories about the titanic, but nothing like this. The father. I guess he redeemed some of himself with how he acted towards Pauline during the sinking of the ship.
This is the second book I have read in the Girls Survive book that has had me feeling some kind of depressed.
Characters: 3/5
Cover: 4.5/5
Story: 3/5
Writing: 3/5
Genre: Children/Historical Fiction
Type: Book
Worth?: Sure
I have read many stories about the titanic, but nothing like this. The father.
Spoiler
I don't like how he held that their daughter was Haitian above his wife. It felt like a stupid move. If anything both of them wouldn't understand Noelle's struggles. Something like that would have had me heated.This is the second book I have read in the Girls Survive book that has had me feeling some kind of depressed.
boffybeau's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
stophie12's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
thedizzyreader's review against another edition
3.0
Another fast-paced survival story in the Girls Survive series. This one is more somber than others in the series, but just as riveting. I like my early chapter books with just a bit more hope, though!
panda_incognito's review against another edition
3.0
This is the second book I have read this year that imagines the experiences of marginalized people on the Titanic. The YA novel [b:Luck of the Titanic|54711210|Luck of the Titanic|Stacey Lee|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1604558427l/54711210._SY75_.jpg|85359536] approached this historical disaster from a Chinese angle, and this book for elementary-aged readers features a main character who is part-Black. She has a Haitian father and a white French mother, and the author based this family on historical records of people who were on the Titantic.
I found this premise fascinating, and the book is much better than Luck of the Titanic, which suffered from distracting, irrelevant subplots and poorly justified character motivations. However, this book is so short that there isn't a lot of space for character development in addition to the survival story, and Noelle's bond with a passenger from steerage seems like platonic insta-love, without the girls having enough time together to develop a relationship that would carry the story in a deeper way. Noelle's behavior and dialogue also seemed overly modern at times, especially when she was disobeying and lying to her parents to spend time with her new friend.
Even though these elements weaken the story, it works well as a survival tale and shares information about the Titanic in an engaging and memorable way. The historical note at the end is great, and I appreciated the details that the author includes in the story about the Carpathia, the ship that rescued Titanic survivors from the ocean. The story continues long enough to give the rescuers' their due, and ends on a bittersweet but satisfying note.
I found this premise fascinating, and the book is much better than Luck of the Titanic, which suffered from distracting, irrelevant subplots and poorly justified character motivations. However, this book is so short that there isn't a lot of space for character development in addition to the survival story, and Noelle's bond with a passenger from steerage seems like platonic insta-love, without the girls having enough time together to develop a relationship that would carry the story in a deeper way. Noelle's behavior and dialogue also seemed overly modern at times, especially when she was disobeying and lying to her parents to spend time with her new friend.
Even though these elements weaken the story, it works well as a survival tale and shares information about the Titanic in an engaging and memorable way. The historical note at the end is great, and I appreciated the details that the author includes in the story about the Carpathia, the ship that rescued Titanic survivors from the ocean. The story continues long enough to give the rescuers' their due, and ends on a bittersweet but satisfying note.
chaotically_katie's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
jennybeastie's review against another edition
4.0
Ok, the things I liked about this:
- mixed race main character, with a black scientist father, based off a real family on the Titanic
-compassion, discussion of race and class -- there's a lot to get into discussion wise
Thing I didn't love:
-missing some of the depth of previous books in the series
-the illustrations are extremely cartoonish, and offputting
-the friendship between Noelle and Pauline seems unrealistic -- it's like one of those soul mate romance novels -- not that one can't immediately find a best friend, but this friendship just lacked something.
I really love this series -- in particular, I love what Nikki Shannon Smith is doing with it -- her stories keep centering Black children in history in a way that most other writers have failed to do. She's bringing visibility to the fact that not only have Black people been in this country since its founding, but they've also been active participants in most, if not all of the significant events. She backs up her fiction with really great spotlight nonfiction in the back matter, and she consistently involves lesser known historical figures in the narrative.
- mixed race main character, with a black scientist father, based off a real family on the Titanic
-compassion, discussion of race and class -- there's a lot to get into discussion wise
Thing I didn't love:
-missing some of the depth of previous books in the series
-the illustrations are extremely cartoonish, and offputting
-the friendship between Noelle and Pauline seems unrealistic -- it's like one of those soul mate romance novels -- not that one can't immediately find a best friend, but this friendship just lacked something.
I really love this series -- in particular, I love what Nikki Shannon Smith is doing with it -- her stories keep centering Black children in history in a way that most other writers have failed to do. She's bringing visibility to the fact that not only have Black people been in this country since its founding, but they've also been active participants in most, if not all of the significant events. She backs up her fiction with really great spotlight nonfiction in the back matter, and she consistently involves lesser known historical figures in the narrative.