Reviews

Dear Sweet Pea by Julie Murphy

thefantasticalworldofsara's review against another edition

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4.0

I was looking for something lighthearted and warm and this was perfect!! Plus I was pleasantly surprised and happy with the diversity in this book! Would be a great recommendation for 9-10 year olds (and for anyone older looking for something fun and light).

ps. The views expressed in this review are my own and do not reflect the views of Indigo Books & Music Inc. or any of its subsidiaries. #IndigoEmployee

chemeducator's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

marieintheraw's review against another edition

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3.0

I enjoyed the discussions on divorce and how they were handled in this, but felt the advice column portions could have been stronger.

I got an ARC of this book at Bookcon via the publisher; all opinions are my own.

chris10b's review against another edition

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5.0

I love Julie Murphy's writing. This is such an adorable book.

madmollyann's review against another edition

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funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

mlwilson1021's review against another edition

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4.0

Sweet Pea is a perfect book for middle grade students. There were times in the book that I rolled my eyes a bit because it was a little too perfect, but I’m sure many of 6th graders will love Sweet Pea and the happy ending she gets.

alittleoverdue's review against another edition

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4.0

I've thoroughly enjoyed many of Julie Murphy's young adult novels, so I was very excited to dive into her first foray into middle grade fiction. This one did not disappoint! I'm particularly drawn to realistic fiction and protagonists with an interest in writing, so this one ticked both those boxes for me (and middle grade me would've appreciated this one too). Murphy also delivers some of the most frank and refreshing insight on the reality of being in a larger body in society in ANY fiction book, adult or children's book, that I've encountered. I loved how this was just part of the narrative and character and not the focal point nor point of the story. Never having lived in the South, I also appreciate getting a taste of this experience through her stories.

migimon2002's review against another edition

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5.0

LOVE! LOVE! LOVE!

jesstele's review against another edition

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hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-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

4.25

ameserole's review against another edition

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3.0

Dear Sweet Pea sort of lies in between Dumplin' and Puddin' for me rating wise. I'm not going to lie, I was really hesitant to dive into this novella because of how I rated the first two books in this series. Now this doesn't mean I completely hated them or this one, but I am trying to find something redeemable or likable in each book. It's a bit of a struggle but I'm hoping that one day it will happen. So maybe Pumpkin can redeem this whole series for me? Who knows!

So in this book, you will meet Patricia (a.k.a. Sweet Pea). She is going through a lot of change for being a 7th grader. One, her parents are getting a divorced. Two, her dad came out to her. Three, she is dealing with some her demons from the past (sort of).

Coming from a household of divorced parents, I didn't see the big deal. I was actually applauding her dad and mom for telling her the truth. The only thing that weirded me out was the whole mirror housing thing. Also living on the same street. Yeah, those two things kind of freaked me out. Mostly because my parents got divorce when I was in 4th grade and they moved into houses that were about 5ish minutes apart. They live in the same city but different districts. So, for me, that seemed normal. I also have friends who have divorced parents and they live in different states. Which seems normal to me as well.

The whole two houses on the same street - not normal to me.

Besides that, she is still dealing with the fact that her ex-best friend ditched her forever ago for skinnier and prettier girls. The whole drama around that situation seemed a bit pointless to me but then again all middle school drama does. People change and grow all the time.

Other than that, it did have some cute moments and dove into interesting topics for being a middle grade book.