mjenae's reviews
249 reviews

This book really hit the spot. There's not a big plot-line; the story mainly follows Hayley's life and character development. But you'll never hear me complaining about character development, or emotional themes. Divorce, friendships dying (and new ones growing), love and rejection and everyday imperfection. Hayley is now one of my GOAT book characters; I related to her so much, and I felt like I was learning and growing with her throughout the story. (Oh, and did I mention she has a British grandmother who has tea every afternoon with an old Polish man who's just a good friend? Their dynamic is so cute and amazing and I kind of want to be her.)

Speaking of hitting the spot—I just finished eating a carrot cake cupcake (the first recipe of eight scattered between chapters) and WOW. Soft and full of flavor. The ginger cardamom cream cheese frosting—if anything takes the cake, that's it. And I'm not just saying that. I'm excited to try the other recipes.

I mean, I was down when they said "psych class." Throw a project into the mix and I'm for sure hooked. So yes, loved the premise.
The readers/actors do a phenomenal job at making this story come alive. It was perfect for a rom-com. Robbie always sounded casual and silly even when he was being serious and I don't know, it just worked well with the vibe. Also, he made me crack up all the time, so I may have been biased due to that.

Reasons I enjoyed this book:

This book ripped my heart out.
Jess and Leslie reminded me a lot of myself and my friendships; I think that's why everything felt so personal. And it hit my biggest fear solidly on the head. I knew it was coming, but it still hurt, physically—more than I thought it could.
I love these characters, this story, so much. I want to keep experiencing life through their eyes. I want to see where they'll go next, what they'll say next. What they'll teach me.
If you want a story of honest-to-goodness friendship, of relationships—teachers, classmates, parents, siblings—and of how to fight fear and move on, pick this up. I think you'll like it.

It was alright. I was most invested in the ending, which was fantastic. But Ryan got on my nerves the whole book through. He was spoiled and selfish and threw very childlike tantrums. He had a perspective change in the last couple chapters, but we never got to see where that took him. I just wish his character development wouldn't have taken so long to arrive. I know he was only 12, but his morals clashed with mine, and it made a good part of the story hard to appreciate.

Completely delightful. I'm going to make those caravender candies post-haste.

I really really loved this.
First of all—it has the word "Rebel" in the title. Obviously it's going to be about a wild girl in the summer. Plus, it takes place in the South, which is an extra benefit.
I thought the Civil War diary entries at the beginning of each chapter was a clever way of incorporating family history while also tying the two eras together.
Benzer and Franklin and Patty and even the adults were great characters and even greater friends. They were described well physically and personality-wise. It was quite a lovable cast.
The adventure was fabulously unrealistic. Of course it's a search for gold, including an old leatherbound diary and a hidden room behind a bookcase and crumbling trellises. Of course.
Understandably (seeing as it spoke a lot about the Civil War), racism was a prominent theme. I thought it was portrayed well—not too heavy-handedly, but clear. It even gave the Confederates an ear. No one is perfect, including Lou's ancestors, but that's where the lessons come in.
But my favorite part was how the author approached God. A lot of middle grade authors—and authors in general—seem to skirt around religion, or make their characters disbelievers or completely uninterested in spiritual matters. Lou didn't really believe either way in the beginning, but after she found the family Bible and promised God she'd attend church if He gave her an exciting summer, she began to become more aware of Him. She enjoyed church, and she continued to pray random prayers throughout the book. In her final prayer of the book, she thanked God and apologized for thinking He was a "fuddy-duddy." When she gave her grandma the letter she'd found in the Bible, and her grandma exclaimed over it, Lou said, "Maybe someone should have opened it a little more often!" I almost cried.
10/10 would reccomend, if you're looking for a lighthearted read with solid morals.

So. Many. Highlights.

I feel like Virginia is a small doses writer. One page can last me a week; her prose is best soaked up slowly, savored.

I don't know what I was expecting, having only read the children's adaptation, but it wasn't this. I'm led to believe through some of the reviews that they've taken a couple liberties with this version, but that it wasn't so far outside of context. Now I really want to read the original, because I can't believe a classic could be this daring.
The characters are unique and complex. I loved almost every one except the antagonists, who were still very entertaining. The debtor family, the husband with his hilarious way of speaking like Shakespeare. Emily and her restlessness, her longing for the sea and adventure. Aunt Betsy, curiously predictable in her unpredictableness, hot-headed and fiery and the perfect supporter for the nephew she didn't even want. Dora, even though I think she would be driven me crazy in real life; she had a deeply sacrificial love, and it made her admirable. Alice—kind, gentle, always there to listen and help—the best bestfriend David could ask for. Steerforth… well, as David said, “To know you, Steerforth, is to know how downright astonishing a human being can be.” I honestly cannot believe that man.
I still don't quite know what to think of it. It was such a wild ride. I'll be thinking of it for a while.

Pretty basic; I'd reccomend it to anyone who's just beginning their Enneagram journey. But it had many nuggets of truth for me, too! I felt called out more than once; it inspired me to work on the areas I've been lazy in.
(Disclaimer: I do think this is supposed to be read over 40 days, one section each day. I impatiently listened to it all at once, so that possibly contributed to the lesser effect it had on me.)