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vaughtgn's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
karrama's review
3.0
I'm having trouble with the combination of sweet romance and ignoring the "challenging" aspects of the civil war as Amos Abernathy is a Civil War battlefield guide. I know that the end is that we are searching out the real story, hearing the words of people who were not heard in this history before, but you have to get there.
ritteh's review
4.0
The Lincoln subplot is probably not as accurate as the author would like you to believe.
aclopez6's review
5.0
Definitely middle-grade level emotions and character development, but a FANTASTIC story and journey with a lot of self-reflection.
megpancoast's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
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
4.5
rainbowbookworm's review
4.0
Adorable middle grade novel about how representation matters, about who is erased from history, and about who determines what history we learn. It is also a novel about intersectionality and ally ship.
librarydosebykristy's review
4.0
I loved this adorable, pitch perfect for middle school story about Amos, a history lover and Civil War reenactor in his small Illinois town. An openly gay 13-year old, Amos has a crush on a new reenactor volunteer, Ben, who *seems* like he might like him back but who is a homeschooled son of religious, openly homophonic parents.
Amos has also recently become interested in finding evidence of LGBTQ + people from the past. Surely they existed, he reasons, but where are their stories?
Such a great topic, such a gentle, cute story. Loved this. Perfect for grades 5 and up.
Amos has also recently become interested in finding evidence of LGBTQ + people from the past. Surely they existed, he reasons, but where are their stories?
Such a great topic, such a gentle, cute story. Loved this. Perfect for grades 5 and up.
mslater116's review
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-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
speculativeshelves's review
4.0
This is a fantastic middle grade looking at the erasure of marginalized communities in American History. The topics introduced are handled with a lot of care a nuance which I really appreciated and I can tell that this book has potential to make a big impact on young readers (especially considering the current issues facing LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities/topics in schools throughout the United States). While it doesn't shy away from addressing homophobia, transphobia, racism, sexism, etc. it's a very hopeful and positive story at its core. It's empowering and an excellent introduction to intersectional activism.
One thing that particularly stood out to me was the brief exploration different Christian churches and the LGBTQ+ community. The small town has two churches - one that is progressive and LGBTQ+ affirming and one that is clearly a conservative evangelical church. I don't think enough contemporary books (or films or tv) explore this difference often enough as most Christian storylines/characters are of the Conservative Evangelical variety and more progressive, LGBTQ+ affirming churches are rare to see.
The historical reenactment setting was fascinating and unique, the friendships explored were excellent, and I loved the relationship between Amos and his mom throughout.
The dual-timeline aspect didn't completely work for me in the beginning, It occasionally killed the momentum of each of the timeline's plots and I sometimes got confused about which each chapter was happening. I do think that plot structure worked better in the second half when I had finally adjusted to it, but I can see this being something young readers may struggle with. The good thing is that the chapters are short so it's easy to push through.
One thing that particularly stood out to me was the brief exploration different Christian churches and the LGBTQ+ community. The small town has two churches - one that is progressive and LGBTQ+ affirming and one that is clearly a conservative evangelical church. I don't think enough contemporary books (or films or tv) explore this difference often enough as most Christian storylines/characters are of the Conservative Evangelical variety and more progressive, LGBTQ+ affirming churches are rare to see.
The historical reenactment setting was fascinating and unique, the friendships explored were excellent, and I loved the relationship between Amos and his mom throughout.
The dual-timeline aspect didn't completely work for me in the beginning, It occasionally killed the momentum of each of the timeline's plots and I sometimes got confused about which each chapter was happening. I do think that plot structure worked better in the second half when I had finally adjusted to it, but I can see this being something young readers may struggle with. The good thing is that the chapters are short so it's easy to push through.