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A review by bardicbramley
Sh!t Bag by Xena Knox
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I really enjoyed this book's concept, and even liked Freya on all her flawed, angry and authentically teenage self - at first... I think the book could have ended at the 2/3 mark and I would have been so much happier. In the last third of the book Freya goes back to school and deals with the unfolding drama, gets used to her new lifestye and learns to accept herself. However the end of the book just felt exactly the same as the point where the camp ended. Like the story took two steps backwards and then came back around.
I was also very torn about Freya and Chris' relationship. I loved Chris so was happy to see him happy, but it felt wrong for him to have helped her find her boundaries only for him to allow her to push his. Also where did Mel go?! It felt really strange for Mel and Cody especially to have been such fully fleshed out characters for a significant part of the book to then be completely dropped and not seen again.
Overall - I will definitely recommend the book, I'm so glad to see more stories with disability and illness representation, but just a tad disappointed on the ending and character progression.
I was also very torn about Freya and Chris' relationship. I loved Chris so was happy to see him happy, but it felt wrong for him to have helped her find her boundaries only for him to allow her to push his. Also where did Mel go?! It felt really strange for Mel and Cody especially to have been such fully fleshed out characters for a significant part of the book to then be completely dropped and not seen again.
Overall - I will definitely recommend the book, I'm so glad to see more stories with disability and illness representation, but just a tad disappointed on the ending and character progression.