Beautifully written, heart breaking, important. This book surprised me in so many ways. I really didn’t know where the story would go next from chapter to chapter. The characters were unpredictable and authentically distinct in a way that was very refreshing to read. It isn’t clear what the major theme of the novel is until far into the book, which made it feel natural and true rather than forced or preachy. Kim paints a very vivid picture that lingers.

4.5 I think. Poignant, insightful, lingering. A large portion of this book really dragged for me. I felt that the author could have been much more economical in word choice and less meandering. AND YET there were SO MANY passages that went right to the heart of family life, personal identity, complex relationships, and the religious experience with such heartbreaking accuracy that I couldn’t not love it. It is not a plot book, nor a page turner, or even one I found myself eager to pick up, but it slowly imbedded itself into my consciousness and even my dreams in a way few books do. 100% worth the read.

This book sucked me in from the first pages and proceeded to check a lot of boxes for me. I found the basic premise (what is the role of artists in a post-apocalyptic world?) fascinating, connected with many of the themes, and loved the literary take on genre fiction. I am a sucker for books that kind of click together by the end, bringing together themes, characters, etc., which this book did beautifully (I audibly gasped at one point when I realized where part of the story was going). It was a specific yet universal look at humanity that I found surprising, poignant, fresh, though-provoking, and thoroughly enjoyable.

I just adore this series. This one is a very close second to the first for me in terms of enjoyment. I would read a hundred more of these.

Nuanced, well-written, meaningful. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book about the British Muslim experience, so I really appreciated that perspective and watching her interpretation of Antigone unfold. It was almost akin to listening to classical music: educational, evocative, well-crafted.

We need more books like this! Flawed white characters, coming to terms with their own internalized racism and privilege in a real way, without becoming white saviors. We need it for all ages really, but the fact that Alex Gino was able to do this with nuance and authenticity in a middle grade format is so impressive. The afterward made me appreciate even more the work that they put into this. My only hesitation is that it became a little heavy handed towards the end, when I didn’t think it needed to be. But that is a minor flaw in a very well-done book. Alex Gino is such a trailblazer.

Sparse, haunting, electric. I adored the style of this book, the sparse writing, poignant passages, honest characters, and the inventive use of magical realism to address such a big topic. It was a 5 star book for me all the way up to the end, where I felt the writing just wasn’t as strong and it didn’t totally land for me. Admittedly, I put a lot of weight in the ending of books. I like to be punched in the gut a little and this wasn’t one of those, but I still LOVED IT.

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!