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Nov 27, 2016DBRL_KrisA rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
This book passed the crying-in-public test, which means I had the chance to show strangers my ugly crying face while reading. The book has an unusual format, where different members of a 5th grade class take turns relating the events that happen; in fact, we often get the chance to see the same event from several different viewpoints. I did like how each of the kids' chapters was written in a somewhat different style. I didn't care for the obviously contrived valley girl style used for Alexia. I did enjoy the more eloquent style given to the big reader, Jessica, and the very structured, logical style used by Luke. I would have given the book a higher rating, but while it covers several very emotional and serious topics (and deals with them well), I felt like the buildup to these events was too sudden. I guess I feel like the book should have been a bit longer, and should have taken more time to develop the characters and set the scene for the major event in the last part of the story. (I hesitate to say more for fear of giving away spoilers.) All of that being said, this is a good book for juvenile readers. It deals with issues like family and death in a straightforward, but not sensational, way. It teaches strong lessons about friendship, teamwork, and forgiveness, but not in a preachy way. And it tugs at your heartstrings something awful.