shidoburrito's Reviews (1.54k)

The version I read is the recent re-release from 2013 with an updated (and better looking) cover. Even though it takes place in Dublin in 1992, it still has emotions and messages that are relevant today. It deals with a 16 year old dealing with trying to come out to his friends and parents, always feeling like an outsider as he hides his true feelings.

This is one of those books where you yell at the characters. "Talk! Tell people before it gets worse!" and then you wince and grimace, tap your feet anxiously as the character proceeds to not listen to your shouted advice (because you are not Bastian and this is not The Neverending Story) and things proceed to go from bad to worse. Then, before you know it, you've finished the book and you can put it down with a contented sigh because the characters finally grew and matured and listened to you after all. :)

A fun read, nothing too deep. At least, not that I could see, but as usual I read this in fits and spurts during lunch breaks. I still had a lot of fun and really enjoyed the characters though. Great demon-hunting/ghost-hunting type of book!

I was told this book was just a Victorian novel with dragons. And a friend said it was boring. I was warned and didn't listen. Couldn't finish because it was a boring novel of Victorian drabble with dragons.

Catching up on the unread BL manga on my shelf. I love Yamane's artwork!

Great art buuuuuut... A very unhealthy relationship. Some scenes of dubious to no consent that shouldn't be translated as a loving or consensual. :(

Another great graphic novel from Raina for kids to read that normalizes therapy and shows that we all are suffering from problems, to be nice to one another, and it's okay to need help from others. A great message that I hope a lot of kids hear. I know they love her comics at my library!

A fun reboot of Spider-man getting his symbiote suit from Battleworld and now that he's back home he's unaware that his suit is a living organism. I like how Mysterio is shown as pretty lame and he knows it LOL. Anyway, I'm always a fan of Spider-man and Venom and love when they reboot an old comic with newer, fresher art!

Spoooopy!!! I love ghost stories with changing art!

This book slightly reminded me of Sideways Stories from Wayside School just nowhere near as silly (or 90s) but each chapter is a student. Not all from the same school, but their lives are all connected and most of it happens in that hour after school lets out. Each chapter is a moment in a student's more complex life. I really enjoyed the lightness of this book. Not that it doesn't deal with some heavier subjects like parents with cancer and bullying and very minor theft, but besides stupid Marcus, the kids we learn about don't really have a mean bone in their body. It was refreshing.

Mock Printz review:
Augh, I can't ever deny Jason Reynolds, the man is a fantastic writer. I knew Long Way Down was going to win all the awards the other year but this one I'm not so sure. The characters are it's strongest point, because while there are many, each one is written with a back story in mind, creatively, they have their own tics and quirks to make each one memorable. Setting is second strongest and a very close contender. Heck, the whole book is based on the ten blocks around the school (most of the) characters go to. And we get to know so much about this neighborhood in just ten chapters. Third strength was the layout. The chapter beginnings with a horizontal blue line illustrating the character we were about to be introduced to (just their waist and lower though, never any faces), and put them all together and you get a whole street of the characters you meet within this book, and it holds so much action! Like a film-strip. It's wonderful.
But put it all together, and I am left with the feeling that this isn't his strongest writing. Would I recommend it to readers age 5th grade and up? In a heartbeat! Would I nominate it as a Printz winner....ehhhhhh. I'm not as confident about this one as Long Way Down. Sorry Mr. Reynolds!