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katykelly's review against another edition
4.0
A 'mad as a bucket of frogs' family, a fostered daughter struggling with loyalties, and a missing boy...
Annie has the maddest birth family I think I've ever read about, the sort you see on TV but pray doesn't really exist. Put through the system so many times, they KNOW the answers to the parenting tests, yet Annie was regularly removed into foster care. And now her nephew is in the same situation with her sister Sheila.
Now in a secure foster family, Annie is nearly through high school, she's part of some sports groups, a teenage book club at her local library and hoping for a scholarship to college. She keeps getting sucked back into her birth family's dramas though - you can see she has real unshakable feeling for them, despite past neglect - and it also causes friction in her new family (a part I wasn't as keen on or felt particularly realistic).
This was a short read, with a strong voice in Annie, who is pretty matter of fact about her unconventional history and relatives, and a rather shocking story about abduction in the second half. I found little Frankie rather annoying, but that might be the voice out on for his by the Audible narrator I listened to, his speech patterns are meant to sound stunted and immature, but here they sounded whiney and too like a baby.
The book works well on audiobook, with the first person narrator talking to us, and a plot with scenes at a book club of internalising teens, a crazy family and its never-ending spiralling problems, and Annie's coaching sessions she just wants her birth mother to turn up and watch.
Easy to listen to, I really enjoyed Annie's story, with a cast of eccentric/memorable characters and equally bizarre happenings.
Older teenagers might like this, aged 13+.
With thanks to Nudge Books for the sample Audible copy.
Annie has the maddest birth family I think I've ever read about, the sort you see on TV but pray doesn't really exist. Put through the system so many times, they KNOW the answers to the parenting tests, yet Annie was regularly removed into foster care. And now her nephew is in the same situation with her sister Sheila.
Now in a secure foster family, Annie is nearly through high school, she's part of some sports groups, a teenage book club at her local library and hoping for a scholarship to college. She keeps getting sucked back into her birth family's dramas though - you can see she has real unshakable feeling for them, despite past neglect - and it also causes friction in her new family (a part I wasn't as keen on or felt particularly realistic).
This was a short read, with a strong voice in Annie, who is pretty matter of fact about her unconventional history and relatives, and a rather shocking story about abduction in the second half. I found little Frankie rather annoying, but that might be the voice out on for his by the Audible narrator I listened to, his speech patterns are meant to sound stunted and immature, but here they sounded whiney and too like a baby.
The book works well on audiobook, with the first person narrator talking to us, and a plot with scenes at a book club of internalising teens, a crazy family and its never-ending spiralling problems, and Annie's coaching sessions she just wants her birth mother to turn up and watch.
Easy to listen to, I really enjoyed Annie's story, with a cast of eccentric/memorable characters and equally bizarre happenings.
Older teenagers might like this, aged 13+.
With thanks to Nudge Books for the sample Audible copy.
hayleybeale's review against another edition
2.0
Annie Boots is torn between her long term foster family and her biological family. See my full review here.
readcover2cover's review against another edition
4.0
This is another good read for the YSU English festival! Again, I didn’t expect to like it, but was pleasantly surprised. I appreciated the messiness of Annie‘s family. It felt realistic to me. I really dislike her foster father and that really didn’t get better… But the story was interesting and engaging. I can’t wait to see and talk to Chris Crutcher again! He’s a great YA writer!
littlebitofallthat's review against another edition
3.0
As much as I really enjoyed this book, the characters were interesting and I was intrigued by the family dynamic and how Annie operated with both of them, I have to say the ending seemed a bit abrupt. With Sheila taking Frankie and all of that, while I understand the author was trying to make it vague, I didn't feel like it fit. Overall, it was an enjoyable read and there were some really interesting things in there, I loved reading the parts about the book club and the characters were all very interesting.
debi_g's review against another edition
3.0
I’ll recommend this for readers who like the books Stick, Ellen Foster, or A Boy Called It.
lieperjp's review against another edition
4.0
I haven't read a book that has made me cheer on the protagonist in this way for a while. Annie is far from perfect but tries to make sure she lives up to the duty she feels towards family (even if it brings trouble.)
A good story with some meta philosophy thrown in... Do our choices matter, are we the narrator of our own story? Or do we let others call the shots?
A good story with some meta philosophy thrown in... Do our choices matter, are we the narrator of our own story? Or do we let others call the shots?
sc104906's review against another edition
3.0
I received this through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Even though Annie has a great foster mother and brother, and an okay foster father, she still keeps her connections to her birth family. However, because her foster family (father) has banned her from seeing them, Annie sees them on the sly, especially at her swim meets. Annie has a strong connection to her nephew, who is growing up in much the same way as she did. One day, her nephew is kidnapped and Annie's family connections are all put to the test as everyone searches for the young boy.
This was told in typical Crutcher fashion. It was a strong, quick, gritty realistic novel, which many readers can find themselves in.
Even though Annie has a great foster mother and brother, and an okay foster father, she still keeps her connections to her birth family. However, because her foster family (father) has banned her from seeing them, Annie sees them on the sly, especially at her swim meets. Annie has a strong connection to her nephew, who is growing up in much the same way as she did. One day, her nephew is kidnapped and Annie's family connections are all put to the test as everyone searches for the young boy.
This was told in typical Crutcher fashion. It was a strong, quick, gritty realistic novel, which many readers can find themselves in.
tbr_withmaya's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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
4.0
I have always loved Chris Crutcher's books. I like the way so many of his characters are racially ambiguous. It adds so many layers to the story and you are able to see yourself or someone you know in the characters.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction and Child abuse
bofadeez's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
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? No
3.5
Fun book, I liked the topics and it was relatable
nukie19's review against another edition
3.0
Overall, this was OK - positives for complex characters and suspense but negative for feeling like the main character wasn't the most realistic 17 year old girl and for some strange turns in the storyline. It is nice to see characters who aren't all bad or good and those who surprise you, which I thought was the best thing throughout.
I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway.
I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway.