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alisonhori's review
3.0
I thought this was OK....it is a fictional story of a girl living in Los Alamos while the bomb is being developed. Some was good...some was filler. It is a middle school level book (I read following my 6th grader reading the book).
destiny_trombone's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
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? It's complicated
3.75
meliagelinas's review against another edition
4.0
From list of choices, I read this book as one of my "school books" and I was not disappointed with my choice.
lattelibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
What an incredible, amazing book. I immediately fell in love once I come across the lines, paraphrased, "How come you're reading The Boy Mechanic?" / "There wasn't one for girls." Already, so many things are addressed. Not to mention, of course, the fact that Dewey has a disability--one of her legs is shorter than the other. And not to mention that her eventual best friend is a fat girl who loves art. And not to mention that her other two friends are twins who love comics and having a good time. Or the fact that the twins' older brother is having difficulty getting into college because of how top secret this operation is--his high school's address is a PO Box.
So many things are addressed in this fantastic book, even besides what I've already mentioned. Morals, ethics, death, grieving, bullying, growing up, found family. Klages has done a fantastic job weaving information about the Manhattan Project into such a captivating novel.
And that ending? Can we talk about that? Because holy crap, I knew it was coming because, well, it's history, but the way in which it's framed...absolutely chilling and heartwrenching and shocking. This book is so many things, and wonderful is certainly one of them.
Review cross-listed here!
So many things are addressed in this fantastic book, even besides what I've already mentioned. Morals, ethics, death, grieving, bullying, growing up, found family. Klages has done a fantastic job weaving information about the Manhattan Project into such a captivating novel.
And that ending? Can we talk about that? Because holy crap, I knew it was coming because, well, it's history, but the way in which it's framed...absolutely chilling and heartwrenching and shocking. This book is so many things, and wonderful is certainly one of them.
Review cross-listed here!
19paws's review against another edition
4.0
Great story and beautiful writing, but really the best part was learning about what it might have been like for families living in Los Alamos at this time. I never thought about the fact that there were kids living there. Fascinating!
misajane79's review against another edition
4.0
Not sure what to add, except. . .
I loved the presence of smart women and that they talked about how it was hard to be smart. I loved the subtle unfolding of all the layers. And I loved that Klages didn't tell us what to think about the Bomb. Have already requested sequel from the library--hope it gets to me before Christmas!
I loved the presence of smart women and that they talked about how it was hard to be smart. I loved the subtle unfolding of all the layers. And I loved that Klages didn't tell us what to think about the Bomb. Have already requested sequel from the library--hope it gets to me before Christmas!
mrk_eastbay's review against another edition
3.0
Haunting, sad, and gentle. Actually, a beautifully-paced book (perhaps a bit slow in places) about a girl whose life has never offered the possibility of fitting-in. It explores the nature of friendship against the backdrop of the Manhattan Project in the waning days of WWII. The end ties things up a little neatly, but I don't want to judge with my no-longer young-adult eyes.