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cassroberts89's reviews
470 reviews
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Towers Falling by Jewell Parker Rhodes
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
3.25
Kudos to Jewell Parker Rhodes for tackling such a heavy, difficult subject!! I tried to avoid rating this highly just because of that, but as far as I know this is one of the only middle grade fiction books on the Twin Towers. There’s definitely some merit in that. It did open up conversations with my kids, and for that I appreciate this book.
There is room for improvement, however. It feels as if Rhodes was attempting to write a book specifically for teachers to teach in school. There’s nothing exactly wrong with that, but it is just obvious that’s what this is which can be a little distracting. She also seems to have attempted a few too many themes. For example, the issue of prejudice against Muslims was briefly touched on with Deja’s friend Sabeen, but then it just kind of dropped out of the story. I’m also not entirely sure where Deja’s unhoused status was supposed to come in, except perhaps as a reflection of just how much her father was struggling with PTSD? I don’t know, it just seemed like too many threads that didn’t weave together well.
Still, great POV on the towers and a great jumping off point for discussion.
There is room for improvement, however. It feels as if Rhodes was attempting to write a book specifically for teachers to teach in school. There’s nothing exactly wrong with that, but it is just obvious that’s what this is which can be a little distracting. She also seems to have attempted a few too many themes. For example, the issue of prejudice against Muslims was briefly touched on with Deja’s friend Sabeen, but then it just kind of dropped out of the story. I’m also not entirely sure where Deja’s unhoused status was supposed to come in, except perhaps as a reflection of just how much her father was struggling with PTSD? I don’t know, it just seemed like too many threads that didn’t weave together well.
Still, great POV on the towers and a great jumping off point for discussion.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Grief
Minor: Mental illness and Suicide
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-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? Yes
5.0
This is fantastic! I can’t believe I never read this (or remember reading it). I grabbed it on a whim and stuck it on my shelf at home. My 13yo grabbed it and devoured it in one day, convincing me to do the same. After a little initial confusion over Darry and Dally being two distinct people, I fell in love with these characters. I got the sense that Hinton had a lot of insight, to be able to write about “greasers” and “socs” with so much authenticity. She does an amazing job capturing that teenage sense of adults-don’t-really-know-anything-that’s-going-on. On the surface it seems like just silly classist squabbles between two different groups of teens, but it’s so much more. They are really more alike than they seem—or than they would like to admit. Greasers unfortunately don’t have much going for them, and socs really have too much.
Instant Karma by Marissa Meyer
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
So cute! This took me FOREVER to finish on audio but probably because I listened mainly on the way to and from work, and it’s not far. I grew so attached to Pru and Quint, despite seriously disliking Pru at first. Actually… for a very large chunk of the book. She grew a LOT, however. I loved seeing how devoted to their work these kids were, and not necessarily the overly ambitious academics (Pru) but the work of caring for the animal center and taking steps to get the whole community involved. The romance was also perfect for the target age level. I think I would be just fine handing this to my kiddo in a year or so, whenever she is more interested in romance (she’s now 13).
On to the next book about Pru’s brother ☺️
On to the next book about Pru’s brother ☺️
Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
I’m sorry, I could not get into this. It just wasn’t very well written. “Charm” started out as an interesting magical element, but it very quickly turned into something that just made everything come way too easily to the MC. She was able to do pretty much anything she needed/wanted to do while using it. Her problems just didn’t feel like actual problems as a result, so I found I didn’t care all that much how her story turned out. I also found I was confused on some parts, like when the two friends (Sujin and Hureal?) were with Min, then betrayed her, then they were with her again, but then they… forgave Min? I don’t know. AND it made no sense at all how the mother reacted to seeing the ghost of her son return home! Like she had basically no reaction at all. It just read strangely to me. This was our pick for my library’s tween book club. They seemed to like it a bit more than I did, but no one seemed crazy about it.
Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
5.0
I enjoyed this book SO much. This really hit a little close to home as well, what with me working in a library (in the south). The MANY different viewpoints were wonderful and read almost like a series of connected short stories. They did, however, make it a little hard to keep track of the many characters. Still, loved it!
Dating You / Hating You by Christina Lauren
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I pretty much saw how this was going to play out right away, but I was more than happy to tag along for the ride! I was smitten with both MCs, seriously. It was a lot of fun to get a glimpse into a lifestyle I have absolutely no knowledge of as well. My only big criticism is how bland some of the supporting characters were. Oddly enough, it was especially the women that felt so flat they could have all been basically the same person. Evie had a few close girlfriends that came into play often, but I never got a great image of them as individuals. Still a fan though!
Half Brother by Kenneth Oppel
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I was so engrossed in this book! When leaving for a trip, I borrowed it on Libby so I could continue reading. Imagine my dismay when it was not compatible with my kindle 😭 Finally finished though, and I loved it.
Watching the relationships between Zan and his humans was fascinating. Most of the main characters had plenty of growth as well.
Parents: There are a few parts that touch on 15yo (I think?) Ben’s budding love life. He has a crush on a girl, mentions feeling “desire” for her, there are a few make out sessions, and one mention of him feeling arousal. I can’t recall the exact wording on that. It was all fairly innocent and age-appropriate in my opinion.
Watching the relationships between Zan and his humans was fascinating. Most of the main characters had plenty of growth as well.
Parents: There are a few parts that touch on 15yo (I think?) Ben’s budding love life. He has a crush on a girl, mentions feeling “desire” for her, there are a few make out sessions, and one mention of him feeling arousal. I can’t recall the exact wording on that. It was all fairly innocent and age-appropriate in my opinion.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
Loved it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail