Tag: Victoria-Jamieson • BookLikes

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review 2019-12-15 03:34

All's Faire in Middle School

Reading is my ESCAPE from Reality!

Audience: Middle School

Format: Hardcover/Library

Imogene! Come down from that tree!

- first sentence

Imogene (Impy) works at a Renaissance Faire and has been homeschooled her entire life. She decides that her quest to become a knight will be attending middle school. The story realistically portrays the difficulties and challenges girls face at this time in their lives. Impy makes some questionable choices, but she eventually realizes that everyone makes mistakes and she finds ways to atone. She has difficulty understanding the cliques and double language kids use and wonders why girls say mean things when they are supposed to be your friend.

This is a great book for middle schoolers and anyone who enjoyed Roller Girl by the same author. I've noticed some reviewers question the content. At one point the girls are reading a romance novel that they hide in Impy's backpack. At home, Impy is looking at the book and writes the word "sex" in her notebook. Impy's mother starts to have "the talk" with her, but Impy changes the subject quickly and it never comes up again. This kind of stuff happens in real life and there is nothing inappropriate, but parents should decide for themselves.

In my opinion, the positive messages and relatable real-life story make this book a must-read.

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review 2019-01-01 06:25

All's Faire in Middle School

An Un-Calibrated Centrifuge

I find that MG comics don't give me the same feelings that really good MG fiction does even when the elements are often the same. This is a typical friendship, school, family story tied in with the ren faire which was a really fun addition. Very similar to other contemporary MG comics particularly Telgemeier.

2018

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review 2018-08-27 19:49

All's Faire in Middle School

My Never Ending List

Imogene wants to become a squire but she needs to prepare for this important position. She has waited forever to turn 11 so she could begin her training. To show the queen that she is ready for this position, Imogene decides that she will attend a public middle school to show the queen that she has these attributes and that she’s ready to help the kingdom.

Imogene’s family has played a major role in the Florida Renaissance Faire forever and finally, Imogene will get her chance to be a cast member. With the opportunity to attend public school, Imogene feels that middle school will be fun until the big day approaches and then Imogene begins to get nervous. Her brother’s girlfriend tries to ease Imogene’s mind with her own personal stories but, if anything they raise Imogene’s fear level and give her more things to worry about. As she makes her way through school those first few days, it’s as though she is dreaming. When a girl calls her over at lunch, she feels she has made a friend and finally has a group of individuals to hang with.

I enjoyed the rest of the novel immensely as it hit on a ton of subjects’ kids are subjected to daily. Her new friends are cruel to others and sometimes even to Imogene. Imogene ignores their behavior for she has finally been accepted and she doesn’t want to jeopardize her new status.

On the weekends, Imogene and her family perform at the Renaissance Faire. Imogene begins to train and ends up really enjoys it. A classmate shows up and it’s Anita. They have a good time yet back at school Anita tells Imogene not to associate with her, so she doesn’t. Later, its discovered, Imogene’s new friends make fun of Anita. So now Imogene is in the middle, she likes Anita but she likes being popular with her new friends. What to do?

It’s crazy to see how these girls act. Anita is not there to prove herself to anyone. She just wants an education, Mika wants to prove to everyone how much better she is (and for what? I kept thinking) and Imogene, I think she was confused on what she wanted.

The story gets intense the more that I read. Imogene’s behavior goes off the track. She’s trying anything to fit in except being who she is, yet I kept wondering if she even knew who she was.

My favorite part of this story was the incident with the shoes and the pants. She was trying, I just don’t think she knew how to handle the situation. Highly recommend this graphic novel.

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review 2018-08-02 13:41

FatherCraneMadeMeDoIt

For more reviews, check out my blog: Craft-Cycle

This graphic novel was amazing! I absolutely loved it. It is so easy to get lost in the story.

This book tackles so many important issues such as honesty, friends drifting apart, growing up, new friendships starting, and understanding that other people have their own interests. All that, plus there is tons of derby action, which is amazing. This is a great book for anyone interested in roller derby because it goes through most of the main rules while still telling an entertaining story. I really enjoyed it. You can tell Jamieson is passionate about roller derby. It shows on every page.

Also, the artwork is great. I loved all of the dramatic scenes that happened in Astrid's head (the shopping one was by far my favorite).

A wonderful story that is easy to relate to. This book is phenomenal.

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review 2017-11-28 00:41

All's Faire in Middle School by Victoria Jamieson

A Man With An Agenda

Preteen angst visits the ren-faire and it was enjoyable.

Imogene has grown up working and playing at the Renaissance Faire where her parents work. This year she's old enough to start training as a squire and she's proud of the responsibility. Too prove her worth she decides to brave public school after a lifetime of homeschooling. She soon runs afoul of cliquey preteen girls who criticize her clothes and she becomes aware that her family and her home are not like everyone else's.

Middle school is just awful. There's no pretending its anything else. Jamieson writes a all-too-typical story with an unusual flair.

young adult arc graphic-novels sequential-art stub-rev