oh GOSH, this is a lovely, powerful book that made me feel some feelings.

I think it will be especially powerful for girls of color to read, especially maybe ones who aren't the best in school. It's definitely inspiring to think that a girl who grew up feeling less smart than her older sister could write beautiful books like this one.

A lot of kids are captivated by the struggles of the civil rights movements and Wilson's experiences are a valuable perspective--not as shocking as marchers being attacked by dogs, etc, but beautifully captures the more subtle indignities. Some of which will unfortunately still ring true for kids of color today, like being followed around stores to make sure they don't steal things.

A good readalike for [b:One Crazy Summer|6609764|One Crazy Summer (Gaither Sisters, #1)|Rita Williams-Garcia|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388201603s/6609764.jpg|6803731]. I also think this has appeal for a wide age range and I think I'm going to order a copy for our teen area. I think a lot of adults would dig it too.

I think it had been too long since I read The Magicians? I had the sense that it was frequently alluding to things that I didn't really remember, but also I'm pretty sure some of it was stuff that didn't actually happen in the first book? So that was a little confusing. Still, this kept me turning the pages. It had a lot of depth to it.

***

I re-read this shortly after re-reading The Magicians (but after reading the Magician's Land) and I think it's reallly enhanced by reading them all closely together.

Also in reading everyone else's GoodReads reviews it's clear to me that I like these books more than just about anyone I know. Hmm! Specifically a lot of people seem really down on Quentin, which I think is kind of the point of Quentin. (I mean, I get it, it's a fine line to walk with "unlikeable" characters and sometimes they can certainly turn me out of a narrative.)

This was lovely and has some insights that I think will really resonate with readers who encounter those insights here, first--like just thoughts about the nature of decisions and their consequences and how those play out--"I realized that sometimes people did what they could, not what they should, and I didn't think that was reason enough to be mad."

I think it is a kind of idealized version of modern-day small town life, but it works nicely for this story about family and grief and forgiveness. It's very sweet.

This one I think maybe is a good readalike for [b:Bridge to Terabithia|2839|Bridge to Terabithia|Katherine Paterson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327880087s/2839.jpg|2237401]--it's a dead mom, not a dead friend, but I think the realistic exploration of a grieving kid through their art is similar. Also the small town feel gives it the same kind of retro vibe that Bridge to Terabithia has.

IT'S GREAT

Spoiler

I would have docked this 1 star if Lying Cat had actually died though.

I feel likeeeee I'm personally a little bit done with neurotypical authors writing from the perspective of people on the spectrum?? For me, Rose's behavior was often a little too convenient for the narrative.

IDK, I thought it was pretty telling that in the afterword, AMM mentions visiting a school for students on the ASD spectrum and thanking the director for talking with her and reading over her narrative. OK but did you... talk to the kids? Did you have the kids read it? Like, it felt like she understood how Rose's tics would present themselves but maybe not why Rose would find those behaviors comforting??

Probably a lot of neurotypical kids who haven't read anything ELSE from the POV of a neurodivergent character might find this book interesting, especially if they're also interested in dogs?

A fun, quick read. Really enjoyable--I was really impressed by the research into 1930s circuses. Which are awesome.

I think this book was really well done. I didn't necessarily enjoy reading it, but I think that's a credit to how well Kadohata portrays really unpleasant topics. Jaden was adopted from Romania when he was 8 and has struggled with attachment disorder and other psychological issues--setting fires, hoarding food, stealing, etc etc etc. I've heard/read about families affected by these kinds of issues and it's so heartbreaking. Reading about Jaden's emotional struggles--and imagining how his parents must feel--honestly made me feel nauseous at times.

The ending was supposed to be optimistic but also left me filled with anxiety.

Spoiler

Given how shady and unreliable the orphanage in Kazakhstan is shown to be, how can they be sure that Dimash will be there when they return?? What happens to Jaden if he's NOT?

Oh also, one thing I thought was weird was how at the beginning Jaden is shown to be obsessed with electricity and how thinking about it kind of soothes him, and then that's dropped. I kind of thought the power would go out when they were in Kazakhstan and that would impact him somehow.

It might be a good one to read for kids and families who have similar issues? Or for kids who like reading about emotional struggles?

Just based on titles I kept getting this confused with [b:Half a World Away|18510235|Half a World Away|Cynthia Kadohata|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1409522034s/18510235.jpg|26204131]. They're different though.

Anyway, I liked this a lot. It's a dramatic and touching, kid-friendly (I mean: there are still deaths in here, but it steers clear of the worst of the worst--a family friend intervenes before the kids try to get shelter at the Superdome, insisting that they cannot spend the night there, and they get transported to a less grim shelter) look at what it was like to go through Hurricane Katrina. Ten-year-old Armani is a great narrator--aware of her responsibility for her younger siblings and doing her best, but ultimately still just a kid who does need adult help.

This would be a good one for kids who like survival stories and/or sad stories.

My book club picked this in the midst of Serial-induced true crime fever. It's not a genre that I'm widely read in, or that I have much interest in? Nor am I terribly interested in mysteries, generally. I liked the obvious research that Mann did into this unsolved Hollywood murder, and I liked all the background detail about Hollywood in the 20s. It was a bit of a slog to get through... there's a LOT of detail about Hollywood in the 20s here. Also a lot of people to keep track of.

I would say I recommend it if you are particularly interested in true crime, or Hollywood in the 20s, or some other aspect of this. It might be a bit much for a general reader like me.