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libraryalissa
Skillful, incisive, captivating. Both world-building and character-driven analysis of systems of oppression are beautifully done. This theme is thread throughout, but somehow doesn’t feel allegorical, just *true* in a universal way that transcends setting. Heavy on exposition in the beginning but it more than pays off in the end. Definitely leaves you eager for the second installment.
2.5 Cute but super corny and the audio recording really amped that aspect. Tony felt like the most sincere and likable character and I wanted more of him.
Thanks to the @kidlitexchange network for a review copy of this book - all opinions are my own.
Drum Roll Please is such a cute gem of a story! My main reaction, from the very first chapter, was that it just felt so true. The language, characters, relationships, writing- all felt natural and effortless, which made the reading of it as comfortable and relaxed as the summer camp setting.
Second: I loved the way the story addressed Melly’s sexuality, in that it kind of didn’t. Melly is simply coming to terms with her first big crush, and having that crush be on a girl. Everyone in Melly’s life gave her room for it to be just about that for now, which felt very appropriate for a middle grade book and character.
While far from an expert, I can’t help but think how important books like this must be for kids who are having and reading about those first big crushes, but don’t quite see their experiences, or those of their peers, reflected in the stories they read. Bigelow did a *great* job of making such a story accessible and delightful to all audiences. We need more books like this for middle grade readers!
Drum Roll Please is such a cute gem of a story! My main reaction, from the very first chapter, was that it just felt so true. The language, characters, relationships, writing- all felt natural and effortless, which made the reading of it as comfortable and relaxed as the summer camp setting.
Second: I loved the way the story addressed Melly’s sexuality, in that it kind of didn’t. Melly is simply coming to terms with her first big crush, and having that crush be on a girl. Everyone in Melly’s life gave her room for it to be just about that for now, which felt very appropriate for a middle grade book and character.
While far from an expert, I can’t help but think how important books like this must be for kids who are having and reading about those first big crushes, but don’t quite see their experiences, or those of their peers, reflected in the stories they read. Bigelow did a *great* job of making such a story accessible and delightful to all audiences. We need more books like this for middle grade readers!
3.5 A really sweet, quiet, satisfying read despite a slightly underwhelming ending.
I will officially read anything Celeste Ng writes. The main word that comes to mind when I think of her writing is INSIGHTFUL. She has a way of casually weaving universal truths about complex family and social relationships into her stories, putting words to feeling you didn’t even know you had. I find her characters, as well as the ways they interact with each other, utterly believable. The way they dance around each other, speaking in half-truths and holding secrets close, the way their stories weave in and out of each other, is just so real and breathtaking. This is true for both her novels, but I do personally prefer Everything I Never Told You just a bit more. I’m also curious if the word “every” will be a theme in her titles or just a coincidence. Either way, eagerly anticipating her next work.
Such a fun little book! Perfect to start off the reading year. My want to read list grew by several titles. I listened to the audio version, which was great but I may have to take a second go with the print version.
I can not get enough of this series, or Jemisin as a writer. More more more. More.
What I liked:
- Reading about Tulsa’s race history. In the author’s note, the author mentions that Tulsans are just beginning to really talk about the history of race relations in Tulsa and what went down in 1921. I spent 8 years of my childhood there and only heard of all of it after I left, so I think this is an important conversation starter and the author clearly put a lot of research in.
- The plot kept me interested and I was sucked into the storyline, especially watching the truth slowly emerge at the end.
What I didn’t like:
- At times it felt like there was tokenism at play when it came to race and sexuality. Both of the main characters were privileged to some extent but biracial, and I felt that the author, especially as a white woman, missed the opportunity to really have a character grapple with the full extent of their whiteness within Tulsa’s history. Instead she chose to insert a lot of surface-level diversity which never felt integral to the story or fully explored. This is why #ownvoices are so important, because we can never use one story to represent all people in a group, but at least we can know that one story is an authentic reflection of one person’s lived experience.
- It felt like there was a simplified understanding of racism at play as well. One could argue that this is a young adult novel, but I think that makes this point even more important. The racist characters were shown as racist primarily through their use of the n word, or joining the kkk. The non-racist characters were shown primarily through their willingness to befriend and help black people. Again I feel like the book and it’s young adult readers could have benefited from a more nuanced understanding of racism and privilege.
Overall, the author took on a very difficult subject matter that benefited from being addressed and serves as a good conversation starter. This book could be followed up with books by Angie Thomas, Nic Stone, or Jason Reynolds. We could also probably use young adult novels where white characters are addressing their own understandings of race and racism in a more nuanced way.
- Reading about Tulsa’s race history. In the author’s note, the author mentions that Tulsans are just beginning to really talk about the history of race relations in Tulsa and what went down in 1921. I spent 8 years of my childhood there and only heard of all of it after I left, so I think this is an important conversation starter and the author clearly put a lot of research in.
- The plot kept me interested and I was sucked into the storyline, especially watching the truth slowly emerge at the end.
What I didn’t like:
- At times it felt like there was tokenism at play when it came to race and sexuality. Both of the main characters were privileged to some extent but biracial, and I felt that the author, especially as a white woman, missed the opportunity to really have a character grapple with the full extent of their whiteness within Tulsa’s history. Instead she chose to insert a lot of surface-level diversity which never felt integral to the story or fully explored. This is why #ownvoices are so important, because we can never use one story to represent all people in a group, but at least we can know that one story is an authentic reflection of one person’s lived experience.
- It felt like there was a simplified understanding of racism at play as well. One could argue that this is a young adult novel, but I think that makes this point even more important. The racist characters were shown as racist primarily through their use of the n word, or joining the kkk. The non-racist characters were shown primarily through their willingness to befriend and help black people. Again I feel like the book and it’s young adult readers could have benefited from a more nuanced understanding of racism and privilege.
Overall, the author took on a very difficult subject matter that benefited from being addressed and serves as a good conversation starter. This book could be followed up with books by Angie Thomas, Nic Stone, or Jason Reynolds. We could also probably use young adult novels where white characters are addressing their own understandings of race and racism in a more nuanced way.
I naively thought I wouldn’t be shocked by this book after reading The New Jim Crow but I was so wrong. It was so much more than I expected. Really glad I went for it. The narration by the author was perfect. This one will stay with me.
