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bookishnan's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
littleroseygirl's review against another edition
3.0
Poignant coming of age story that addresses numerous issues including racial identity, individual identity, depression, and cross cultural families.
brandypainter's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
This was a good read. Sonia is a character any middle school would identify with. They may not have the exact same struggles as her but they every kid in 6th grade feels like their family is embarrassing, their siblings annoying, their stuff not as good as other people's. Sonia's struggle for identity and to define herself is also something anyone can relate to. It did feel like there was a little too much going on at times and the present tense first person narrative (which sometimes switched to past tense) is not my favorite.
This was a good read. Sonia is a character any middle school would identify with. They may not have the exact same struggles as her but they every kid in 6th grade feels like their family is embarrassing, their siblings annoying, their stuff not as good as other people's. Sonia's struggle for identity and to define herself is also something anyone can relate to. It did feel like there was a little too much going on at times and the present tense first person narrative (which sometimes switched to past tense) is not my favorite.
shicklin's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting story with some tough themes. I wouldn't put this in my fourth grade library--but it would be appropriate for 5th or 6th. I found her family really interesting--I think some of the issues with her father were heavy, but Eli was more aware of the spin the bottle scene than the father's problems.
lsrth's review against another edition
4.0
Bittersweet. Teenage girls always doubt who they are but Sonia stands up for what she believes in.
cherylanne's review against another edition
5.0
Great book! Pretty intense and sophisticated handling of issues of family, identity, and mental illness in a middle schooler trying to better understand herself.
peterpokeypanda's review against another edition
3.0
Pros: I felt that this book was well-written. Not extraordinarily so, but enough that it was noticeably better than a lot of middle grades/YA literature that I read. In addition, I felt that there were some topics it dealt with really clearly, accurately, and well (authentically is the word I'm looking for): the difficulty of adjusting to traditional public school when one's life experience of school has been totally different; what the adult experience of clinical depression looks like (or one way it can look) through a child's eyes; the difficulties of living in any family, even a strong, loving one. I felt that all the major characters were believable, dynamic, and interesting.
Cons: I didn't feel like the book had a very satisfying conclusion, which isn't necessarily a mark of bad writing - just something I don't like so much. I also thought that the issues of race that were indicated as the central struggle of the plot in most synopses that I read were sort of plot satellites more than they were central, and that kind of bothered me. If the book was going to be about those issues, I wanted it to be really about them, not to just sort of half-have them there - but maybe that's an accurate portrayal of a certain experience; I don't know because I am not, myself, multiracial or belonging to a racial minority.
I gave it three stars because it was well written and interesting enough to read, but not a book that I think will be influential or even very memorable to me.
Cons: I didn't feel like the book had a very satisfying conclusion, which isn't necessarily a mark of bad writing - just something I don't like so much. I also thought that the issues of race that were indicated as the central struggle of the plot in most synopses that I read were sort of plot satellites more than they were central, and that kind of bothered me. If the book was going to be about those issues, I wanted it to be really about them, not to just sort of half-have them there - but maybe that's an accurate portrayal of a certain experience; I don't know because I am not, myself, multiracial or belonging to a racial minority.
I gave it three stars because it was well written and interesting enough to read, but not a book that I think will be influential or even very memorable to me.
cboddie's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
5th-7th
ladygetslit's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
4.0
This was a big-hearted, thoughtful story about a 6th grader figuring out who she is amidst life’s changes and struggles. Most of the story is about Sonia, a half-Indian Jewish girl who has to move schools when her dad loses his job. The story focuses on her developing new friendships and navigating the awkwardness of being a middle schooler, which was cute to see. What surprised me was the sub-plot surrounding Sonia’s dad as he struggles with debilitating depression; the novel does a good job of showing it through a child’s eyes. I do think the writing was what made this less enjoyable for me. Granted, it’s middle grade, which I typically read seldomly… but this just felt too much tell and not enough show. I wanted to feel Sonia’s emotions, rather than having her narrate them to us all the time. Overall, I think this would be great for 4th-7th grade kiddos, especially in a larger conversation about cultural background.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Bullying, Racism, and Abandonment
rsnow11's review
4.0
I liked the idea of this better than I liked the actual book. I found the main character kind of whiny, but it was a decent surface-level book about middle school drama.