I don't know how she does it, but Judy Blume really nails what it's like to be a kid/teen. I recently reread [b:Just as Long as We're Together|37731|Just as Long as We're Together|Judy Blume|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1168979441s/37731.jpg|3231118], which really stuck with me from my childhood even though I only read it once, and when I found out about this sequel, I knew I had to read it.

Here's to You, Rachel Robinson was just as good as Just as Long as We're Together. It's from Rachel's perspective instead of Stephanie's. Rachel is the super-achiever who is pushed by her parents, friends, and school to participate in all these programs and activities to the point where she's so stressed she grinds her teeth. To make things harder, her attention-seeking older brother got expelled from his boarding school and is home making life hard for the whole family. There's also drama with Stephanie's mom dating a younger man, Rachel's sister looking for a job, sexy classmate Jeremy Dragon, Rachel's college-age cousin Tarren getting involved with her professor, and Rachel's crush on her brother's tutor.

This book is incredibly realistic. It doesn't bludgeon you with morals and values. Not every detail mentioned gets worked into its own thread, which is nice: sometimes things just happen and that's that. For instance, Rachel's sister sneaks her mom's too-sexy black dress to wear to prom and doesn't get caught. Even though this book is pretty old, I could see young people today wanting to read it. The voices ring true, it's not riddled with cliches or dated references, and the plot makes you want to keep reading. I was only disappointed how quickly it was over.

Still reading all of Judy Blume’s work, and this is another I don’t recall reading in childhood. It took me several days to finish it, which is weird because I usually find Blume’s books compelling and want to finish them quickly. This one kind of dragged, even though it was the same characters from Just as Long as We’re Together. The story just didn’t have the same energy.

Love this one too. Always have empathized with this character.

Rereading some Judy. Not sure this particular one aged all that well.

• This book is a really fantastic portrayal of generalized anxiety in teens: the way she worries and what brings the worries on, the way the anxiety manifests physically, the family dynamics that contribute to these types of symptoms. I suspect that a lot of high-achieving middle schoolers would really see themselves in Rachel, and I love that what goes on beneath the surface of the “child prodigy” was addressed
• Overall, this is a sweet book with some interesting themes. In addition to family dynamics and (sort of) mental health, I also appreciated the focus on Jessica’s acne

• I was so excited about how in depth the anxiety and the problematic family dynamics (e.g. mom and dad put WAY too much on Rachel and then say “we don’t want you worrying about this” as if that makes it better, also the way that Charles is treated and blamed for everything) went in the beginning of the book, but I was disappointed with the resolution. I’m sure this is also partially because therapy was so taboo in these days, but the problematic family dynamic is never called out, Rachel’s anxiety is never named or diagnosed or even talked about with anyone, and I was confused about where the resolution with Charles came from. I think the series might have benefitted from a third book to help us see some of this too

Pretty mid for a Judy Blume book, to be honest. I appreciated the insight into Rachel, but I would've much rather had a (at the very least, third) book about Alison.

Sara is currently going thru a Judy Blume phase (she's 12) and I am picking up the ones I missed when I was her age. This one was perfectly enjoyable, an easy read in a way that I think modern writers for kids and teens seem to have lost... Nowadays "voice" is sacrificed to non-stop action, and I find that contemporary writers have a very false, self-conscious and wooden ring to their carefully constructed narrative voices. Anyway, Judy Blume has got the opposite--her prose is natural, unselfconscious, and vibrant.

Having said that... nothing much happens in this book! I kept WAITING for the problem character to do something seriously problematic, but all he ever did was insult his family at the dinner table. And I thought his insults were pretty laid-back, too. And I kept waiting for the borderline obsessive-compulsive viewpoint character to have a breakdown, or be diagnosed with some kind of weird syndrome, but she also managed to hold it together and just naturally relax a little at the end. There's no crisis and no showdown. So basically this is without any particular focus (unlike many of Blume's books), just a slice of suburban life. The family is in some ways unusual, in some ways messed up, and in some ways pretty neat. Like most families.

If there's a message, it's one I really dig, and keep hammering into my own characters in their whiny moments: "You are responsible for your own actions." (Mom, p. 83)

“I wish I could just let go and cry like that. I wish I knew how to let my friends comfort me.”

I wasn't as big a fan of this when i was younger. My heart belonged to Steph in Just as Long as We're Together. But now, as a neutotic 27 year old perfectionist, I realise Rachel is my spirit animal. So here's to you, Rachel Robinson. I wish I had identified with you sooner.

Not my favourite Judy Blume book, but i love a good follow up story to a favourite!
For me, reading Rachel Robinson's misunderstood perspective is comforting. I enjoyed rereading this story after 30 years and shared it with my 11yo who enjoyed it last week (2024).