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flordemaga's review
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
A thoughtful book that almost is magical realism, but what it really is is a complex look at family, love, secrets, and mental illness.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Child death, and Classism
inkedinpages's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
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? Yes
4.0
This middle grade read by Claire Legrand follows Finley Hart as she navigates her transition to her estranged grandparents home for the summer. While staying at Hart House for the summer, Finley finds solace in The Everwood, a magical realm with knights, pirates, and of course, the Queen. Finley enlists the help of her cousins to save The Everwood and at the same time, finds new ways of saving herself.
It's not often that I find myself reading middle grade fiction, but more and more, it seems like when I do I quickly fall in love. Every character in this sweet book struck a chord and I couldn't help but cheer for them all. This seemed to be the perfect read to open 2022 with as it tackles hardship, mental health, resiliency and courage all while keeping things light and fun. I didn't know it was possible but Legrand did it beautifully.
For those who loved Bridge to Terabithia and We Were Liars, this is another story that will captivate you from the beginning.
It's not often that I find myself reading middle grade fiction, but more and more, it seems like when I do I quickly fall in love. Every character in this sweet book struck a chord and I couldn't help but cheer for them all. This seemed to be the perfect read to open 2022 with as it tackles hardship, mental health, resiliency and courage all while keeping things light and fun. I didn't know it was possible but Legrand did it beautifully.
For those who loved Bridge to Terabithia and We Were Liars, this is another story that will captivate you from the beginning.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Cancer
lalalily17's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I love this book. I wish I had had it when I was 11 and struggling with blue days and uncontrollable fear. I'm very happy that depression and anxiety are less of taboo topics then they used to be. It's so healthy to be opened about mental health because we all struggle with it sometimes. I used to feel like I was hopelessly different than everyone but that's just not true. I hope everyone, young and old, who are struggling can read this book. It's a hopeful, beautiful story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer
laprismaluna's review
dark
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
cw: divorce from the perspective of a child, references to a past house fire, withheld cancer diagnosis in a family
I didn't quite know where to be in this book. I liked it, mostly because Finley Hart is a straightforward main character who's simply misunderstood; I liked the kids *immensely* because they loved interacting with the world Finley set forth. even the bailey kids adjusted to it instantly--the adults in this scenario were terrible, as is standard when it comes to tightly rooted families during divorce. they rarely bothered to understand finley and her love for the everwood. her writing was not just a coping mechanism, but rather her way of understanding the divorce and her depression/anxiety; the fact that the adults rarely bothered to frame her fixation as that led to them mishandling her emotional state. that's why i loved the kids tbh! they Immediately adjusted to it, whether or not it was a coping mechanism, bc they wanted to know more about a cousin they'd never really met. i really appreciate claire legrand's handling of finley and her depression/anxiety/feelings about divorce, and they were carefully crafted and true to finley's heart. I just wish that the story hadn't left her father & grandmother's issues to be politely folded into oblivion bc that's how this family tucked away all those secrets in the first place. them being brittle + vulnerable + at odds with themselves is how any of them received any closure, if any, and the implication of them telling the truth is more hopeful than likely (i recognize that the fire isn't finley's story and therefore doesn't need to be tied up, but the characterization up to now--of adults tied so strongly to their matriarch--doesn't earn the book's ending. regardless of the discussion on perfection and loving someone despite their flaws. the only reason they were honest is bc finley was insistent on finding out the truth! they spent the entire summer talking about her behind her back, ofc i'm not gonna trust that they'll tell the truth and change sldkfj)
the kids literally made this book thrived. the parents were barely helpful (also, finley's relationships with all her cousins was rlly sweet, esp w/ the oldest !! it was very full of heart and i appreciated that the others were patient with finley and looked forward to hanging out with her & her words & her stories). also grateful for the acknowledgment of class re: the hart family & the baileys but i also feel like that rEALLY should have been a bigger issue to acknowledge w/ her own parents re: how the whole incident was handled. either way this book was rlly emotional for me and i really value it bc of that.
I didn't quite know where to be in this book. I liked it, mostly because Finley Hart is a straightforward main character who's simply misunderstood; I liked the kids *immensely* because they loved interacting with the world Finley set forth. even the bailey kids adjusted to it instantly--the adults in this scenario were terrible, as is standard when it comes to tightly rooted families during divorce. they rarely bothered to understand finley and her love for the everwood. her writing was not just a coping mechanism, but rather her way of understanding the divorce and her depression/anxiety; the fact that the adults rarely bothered to frame her fixation as that led to them mishandling her emotional state. that's why i loved the kids tbh! they Immediately adjusted to it, whether or not it was a coping mechanism, bc they wanted to know more about a cousin they'd never really met. i really appreciate claire legrand's handling of finley and her depression/anxiety/feelings about divorce, and they were carefully crafted and true to finley's heart. I just wish that the story hadn't left her father & grandmother's issues to be politely folded into oblivion bc that's how this family tucked away all those secrets in the first place. them being brittle + vulnerable + at odds with themselves is how any of them received any closure, if any, and the implication of them telling the truth is more hopeful than likely (i recognize that the fire isn't finley's story and therefore doesn't need to be tied up, but the characterization up to now--of adults tied so strongly to their matriarch--doesn't earn the book's ending. regardless of the discussion on perfection and loving someone despite their flaws. the only reason they were honest is bc finley was insistent on finding out the truth! they spent the entire summer talking about her behind her back, ofc i'm not gonna trust that they'll tell the truth and change sldkfj)
the kids literally made this book thrived. the parents were barely helpful (also, finley's relationships with all her cousins was rlly sweet, esp w/ the oldest !! it was very full of heart and i appreciated that the others were patient with finley and looked forward to hanging out with her & her words & her stories). also grateful for the acknowledgment of class re: the hart family & the baileys but i also feel like that rEALLY should have been a bigger issue to acknowledge w/ her own parents re: how the whole incident was handled. either way this book was rlly emotional for me and i really value it bc of that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer
Moderate: Death
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