Heartwarming historical fiction
This is the first book I've read told from the second person point of view and after getting used to the writing, I found that this point of view did create intimacy between myself and Ariel and I enjoyed her authentic middle grade voice.
This historical fiction ties in actual events such as Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream Speech and his heartbreaking assassination, the Vietnam War, and Kennedy's assassination and the way in which the characters react to these events felt real and true to character.
I enjoyed the family drama and friendships and the characters, including the secondary ones, all felt like real people to me. Each person had flaws and a character arc that resulted in personal growth and new perspectives on the ever-changing world. I especially enjoyed how Ariel learned to stand up for herself and fight for her shattered family.
Ariel has a learning ability that I had never heard of and am very pleased to now know about so that I may recognize it and have empathy for those who need to express themselves differently. Ariel deals with bullying and racism, tough subjects for middle grade, but well done by this author.
One of my favorite parts of this novel was the poetry written by Ariel; it was thought-provoking and added so much depth to this novel. Ariel found a supportive teacher who recognized her intelligence and need for an alternative way of writing down her thoughts and I cheered them on through their adversity.
This historical fiction ties in actual events such as Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream Speech and his heartbreaking assassination, the Vietnam War, and Kennedy's assassination and the way in which the characters react to these events felt real and true to character.
I enjoyed the family drama and friendships and the characters, including the secondary ones, all felt like real people to me. Each person had flaws and a character arc that resulted in personal growth and new perspectives on the ever-changing world. I especially enjoyed how Ariel learned to stand up for herself and fight for her shattered family.
Ariel has a learning ability that I had never heard of and am very pleased to now know about so that I may recognize it and have empathy for those who need to express themselves differently. Ariel deals with bullying and racism, tough subjects for middle grade, but well done by this author.
One of my favorite parts of this novel was the poetry written by Ariel; it was thought-provoking and added so much depth to this novel. Ariel found a supportive teacher who recognized her intelligence and need for an alternative way of writing down her thoughts and I cheered them on through their adversity.