by Holly Goldberg Sloan
I feel like a jerk for not liking this book as I am "supposed" to. It was really badly written. It read awkwardly. The way mental illness was portrayed was just offensive. Maybe I am turning cynical, but this book did not tug at my heart strings. I'm sure my ten year old self would have loved it...
I didn't connect to this book like I really wanted to. I think the one thing that really made me distance myself was that the author used full names for the characters. Like "Bobby Ellis", "Tim Bell", "Debbie Bell" How can you connect with characters when I feel like I'm reading a report. Tim Bell l...
Read this review and much more on my blog, YA Fanatic.I knew I didn't made a mistake when I bought this book. It has this beautiful cover (one of my favorites), the blurb screams pain and devotion and it got an advance praise from Gayle Forman, Sara Zarr and A.S. King. This is a story about brothers...
I liked aspects of it quite well. Riddle and Sam especially. Products of their strange and horrible upbringing and yet still something else altogether. I could have done without the romance entirely or the creepy douchebag boyfriend. *shudders* But I wished that we had a chance to delve deeper into ...
They weren’t supposed to meet. Emily was doing her duty by singing in the church and staring off into the back row to keep her concentration and her eyes fell upon Sam. Sam was drawn to the church’s music and he wanted to remain transparent but Emily’s eyes locked on him and the rest is history. Sa...
The story begins with Sam … we find out all the things we need to know to understand him and his passion/outlet for music and therefore the reasons why church plays an important part in his existence. Whilst Emily is sharing her feelings about singing in church the reader gets to know Emily and her...
I have been reading books for many, many years and it is very seldom that I feel as strongly about a book as I do "I'll Be There". I LOVE this book. I love the characters, the story and the writing. It has been about 3 weeks since I finished reading it and I am considering reading it again. My i...
4.5 stars (Brace yourself for the gushing - apparently my brain was having a fire sale on similes and adjectives.)Books like this make me feel so grateful that I am a reader. Imagining that I was born without a propensity for reading and/or taught to love it tends to put me in a panicky tailspin, ...
totally beautiful, loved the writing. full review to come4.5/5
I can see a middle-school/young teen enjoying this book. There's mystery, suspense, emotion, and a strong story. Myself, I was not moved too much. Too simplistic for my tastes. The pros: good job of showing the effects of karma, of valuing family and human connection, of staying true.The cons: to...