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jenmangler's review against another edition
3.0
For so much of the book I ached for Garvey, so it was a nice surprise to see things turn around for him at the end.
embelt's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
bmccabe088's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
sumayyaha's review against another edition
3.0
I did like this book, however, it seems like it's trying to tell kids that it's ok to be overweight. Even if you accept it, you shouldn't want to not change yourself. Strive for better, don't leave it as is.
mariahistryingtoread's review against another edition
3.0
I read Garvey in the Dark late last year and was not particularly impressed. Garvey's Choice was a similar experience.
In the review I wrote for Garvey in the Dark, I mentioned books in verse are a hit or miss for me. I have since come around significantly to books in verse. Now having read quite a few, I feel more equipped to assess quality.
I find Garvey’s Choice to be rather middling compared to some of the very moving, introspective books in verse I’ve read (Starfish, Eb & Flow, Good Different to name a few.) Being written in verse does not have to equal underdeveloped. Unfortunately, Garvey’s Choice happens to be one that falls into that category.
I was only passively interested most of the time because Garvey joining the choir is the first and last major event. And I'm all for meandering slice of life stories (I really enjoyed Grimes’ other book Planet Middle School which is in a similar vein) but there needs to be more ‘life' happening. Too much of this story was the same day over and over again or Garvey reiterating the same themes over and over again.
I didn't like Garvey in the Dark all that much either, but I'd recommend it over this one purely because there is at least a kind of narrative progression to follow in that book. Garvey's Choice feels aimless.
In the review I wrote for Garvey in the Dark, I mentioned books in verse are a hit or miss for me. I have since come around significantly to books in verse. Now having read quite a few, I feel more equipped to assess quality.
I find Garvey’s Choice to be rather middling compared to some of the very moving, introspective books in verse I’ve read (Starfish, Eb & Flow, Good Different to name a few.) Being written in verse does not have to equal underdeveloped. Unfortunately, Garvey’s Choice happens to be one that falls into that category.
I was only passively interested most of the time because Garvey joining the choir is the first and last major event. And I'm all for meandering slice of life stories (I really enjoyed Grimes’ other book Planet Middle School which is in a similar vein) but there needs to be more ‘life' happening. Too much of this story was the same day over and over again or Garvey reiterating the same themes over and over again.
I didn't like Garvey in the Dark all that much either, but I'd recommend it over this one purely because there is at least a kind of narrative progression to follow in that book. Garvey's Choice feels aimless.
alexbirdreads's review against another edition
5.0
I really loved the central premise/story, the characters, and the writing style of this book. One thing I love most is that a lot of middle grade novels, especially ones written in verse, only trust their readers with (or have time for) one central internal conflict, and Garvey has several; his relationship with his dad, his weight, and making new friends at school after a best friend moves to a different class. None of these conflicts got under-explored, but the story didn't get bogged down, either. Really excellent writing and pacing.
I appreciated the raw and honest look at the mental blocks and struggles that surround weight stigma, especially from a male character instead of a female one, which is more often presented in media. One of the things that often gets misrepresented is stress-eating. It's often showed as binge-eating; while that representation is important and has its place, it's nice to see a more common/relatable type of unhealthy relationship with food (Garvey has a candy stash that starts lasting him longer when he feels happier.) Garvey also has perfectly normal eating habits - like getting an extra helping if he's still hungry or occasionally having a dessert after dinner - that get him criticized, which is very much something that most overweight people have to deal with but no one thinks twice about when skinny people do the same thing. Loved the detail work and the realism around the topic all around.
My favorite depiction in this book was Garvey's relationship with his older sister. Oftentimes, people don't realize it's not the intentionally-mean bullies that hurt the most, but the well-meaning comments coming from loved ones. The way that Garvey's sister passively nags him to work out with saying things like "I know I could use the exercise" using a friendly tone when telling him to 'take it easy' on a second helping at dinner, and using 'affectionate' but ultimately hurtful nicknames that refer to his weight, like 'chocolate chunk' is SO REALISTIC of family dynamics where family and friends who are skinny try to be nice but really hurt their heavier loved ones.
My only complaint is that it would've been a much better takeaway if Garvey's weight wasn't ALL attributed to choice. Weight is very much a combination of genetic and environmental factors. It would've been so much more rewarding if at least one of Garvey's family members shared his experience with him, and, more importantly, if this was more further acknowledged by other characters. To be fair, it's really hard to achieve that level of nuance in a shorter story and in verse, and it's also important to acknowledge that one of the last lines is how Garvey says that the perfect size is happy. After going over the things he's done to be healthy, he says 'round still, but that's okay. Maybe I'm not thin, but skinny isn't perfect. The perfect size is happy' which is a great way to start the conversation that exercising and eating well are about health and feeling good, not appearance. Of course, now that I'm reading this, maybe Grimes helped convey that perfectly without beating the reader over the head, and I'm just rambling!
On a last note, I just want to talk about how loveable Garvey is as a character. He's the kind of guy who doesn't talk too much about a new friend because he doesn't want an old one to feel replaced, and all of his hobbies and interests are so great. I also like that he isn't perfect; like how he loses his temper at a bully and calls him names back, or how his first encounter with a new friend was pretty rude because he couldn't stop staring due to the kid's albinism. It really humanizes him, and, even better, Garvey always acknowledges his mistakes and puts in clear work and effort into being better in response to every challenge he faces. I really appreciate him.
Overall, I think this book is a treasure and should be a classroom and library staple. It serves an important purpose and, honestly, even if it didn't, it's just a really compelling read all around.
I appreciated the raw and honest look at the mental blocks and struggles that surround weight stigma, especially from a male character instead of a female one, which is more often presented in media. One of the things that often gets misrepresented is stress-eating. It's often showed as binge-eating; while that representation is important and has its place, it's nice to see a more common/relatable type of unhealthy relationship with food (Garvey has a candy stash that starts lasting him longer when he feels happier.) Garvey also has perfectly normal eating habits - like getting an extra helping if he's still hungry or occasionally having a dessert after dinner - that get him criticized, which is very much something that most overweight people have to deal with but no one thinks twice about when skinny people do the same thing. Loved the detail work and the realism around the topic all around.
My favorite depiction in this book was Garvey's relationship with his older sister. Oftentimes, people don't realize it's not the intentionally-mean bullies that hurt the most, but the well-meaning comments coming from loved ones. The way that Garvey's sister passively nags him to work out with saying things like "I know I could use the exercise" using a friendly tone when telling him to 'take it easy' on a second helping at dinner, and using 'affectionate' but ultimately hurtful nicknames that refer to his weight, like 'chocolate chunk' is SO REALISTIC of family dynamics where family and friends who are skinny try to be nice but really hurt their heavier loved ones.
My only complaint is that it would've been a much better takeaway if Garvey's weight wasn't ALL attributed to choice. Weight is very much a combination of genetic and environmental factors. It would've been so much more rewarding if at least one of Garvey's family members shared his experience with him, and, more importantly, if this was more further acknowledged by other characters. To be fair, it's really hard to achieve that level of nuance in a shorter story and in verse, and it's also important to acknowledge that one of the last lines is how Garvey says that the perfect size is happy. After going over the things he's done to be healthy, he says 'round still, but that's okay. Maybe I'm not thin, but skinny isn't perfect. The perfect size is happy' which is a great way to start the conversation that exercising and eating well are about health and feeling good, not appearance. Of course, now that I'm reading this, maybe Grimes helped convey that perfectly without beating the reader over the head, and I'm just rambling!
On a last note, I just want to talk about how loveable Garvey is as a character. He's the kind of guy who doesn't talk too much about a new friend because he doesn't want an old one to feel replaced, and all of his hobbies and interests are so great. I also like that he isn't perfect; like how he loses his temper at a bully and calls him names back, or how his first encounter with a new friend was pretty rude because he couldn't stop staring due to the kid's albinism. It really humanizes him, and, even better, Garvey always acknowledges his mistakes and puts in clear work and effort into being better in response to every challenge he faces. I really appreciate him.
Overall, I think this book is a treasure and should be a classroom and library staple. It serves an important purpose and, honestly, even if it didn't, it's just a really compelling read all around.
thepetitepunk's review against another edition
3.0
Shh more like 2.5 stars.
I was excited for this, as it’s incredibly difficult to find novels centering around male body image. I can probably think of two or so off the top of my head. Even though a few lines here and there were more emotional, some of the poems were a bit ridiculous with how much substance they lacked (a whole poem that was just a basic knock-knock joke? eh). However, it still tackled some issues that I very rarely see in children’s literature, so I’ll give it that. Although this is technically a middle grade novel, I would say it’s more suitable for a slightly younger audience.
Also, side note: whoever chose to change the cover to that nice blue sky with a house instead of that nightmare fuel illustration was so right
✧ ✧ ✧
≪reading 31 books for 31 days of january≫
╰┈➤ 1. funny feelings by tarah dewitt
╰┈➤ 2. winterborne home for vengeance and valor by ally carter
╰┈➤ 3. garvey’s choice by nikki grimes
I was excited for this, as it’s incredibly difficult to find novels centering around male body image. I can probably think of two or so off the top of my head. Even though a few lines here and there were more emotional, some of the poems were a bit ridiculous with how much substance they lacked (a whole poem that was just a basic knock-knock joke? eh). However, it still tackled some issues that I very rarely see in children’s literature, so I’ll give it that. Although this is technically a middle grade novel, I would say it’s more suitable for a slightly younger audience.
Also, side note: whoever chose to change the cover to that nice blue sky with a house instead of that nightmare fuel illustration was so right
✧ ✧ ✧
≪reading 31 books for 31 days of january≫
╰┈➤ 1. funny feelings by tarah dewitt
╰┈➤ 2. winterborne home for vengeance and valor by ally carter
╰┈➤ 3. garvey’s choice by nikki grimes
aj_mooney's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This is a short sweet book about finding one's voice. Nikki Grimes draws the reader into Garvey's shoes right from the beginning. Some poems made me cry, some made me laugh, and some squeezed my heart. What a wonderful example of the novel-in-verse form!
bibliomich's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
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? No
4.0
Garvey's Choice is a fast-paced novel in verse that is appropriate for elementary and middle grade students. Nikki Grimes tackles important themes such as body image, toxic messages from parents, and moderate (verbal) bullying. This book would be an excellent introduction to the genre and would be a great addition to a classroom library.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Fatphobia, and Body shaming
bickie's review against another edition
3.0
Written in Japanese "tanka" verse, though that is not obvious unless you are looking for it.
Not a challenging text; everything is laid out there in a way that makes a reader think that Garvey is awfully self-aware and open about his feelings. That said, his feelings are relatable. Garvey's dad really wants him to be athletic like his older sister, but Garvey loves science fiction books and listening to music. His mom teaches him chess, and he plays that with his best friend. Garvey is teased at school for being overweight, and he eats to soothe himself. Once Garvey joins the chorus after some initial trepidation, he finds something he is good at, makes people look at the person inside rather than his body, and gains his father's approval.
Not a challenging text; everything is laid out there in a way that makes a reader think that Garvey is awfully self-aware and open about his feelings. That said, his feelings are relatable. Garvey's dad really wants him to be athletic like his older sister, but Garvey loves science fiction books and listening to music. His mom teaches him chess, and he plays that with his best friend. Garvey is teased at school for being overweight, and he eats to soothe himself. Once Garvey joins the chorus after some initial trepidation, he finds something he is good at, makes people look at the person inside rather than his body, and gains his father's approval.