Dang, this was tough to read. My 6th grader brought it home from school at the recommendation of the school librarian..."It's one of my favorites" she said. Well crap. That's the last time I rely on the recommendation of that school librarian.
I actually enjoyed the story, so I may be over reacting just a tad. But the story isn't the problem--it's the writing. It's really bad. Like fingernails on the chalkboard bad. Awkward dialogue. Shallow descriptions. I promise I'm not being picky! Honestly, it don't take too much to impress me. Just demonstrate a little effort and I'll forgive most anything. But man, I had a really tough time with this one.
The saving grace of the book? My son likes it. We've been buddy reading it together, and that's made this a book I'll remember--just maybe not for all the reasons the author would like!
I won't be reading the next book unless my son wants to move on. And if he does, maybe the next one will be better. Maybe.
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