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Books | Juvenile Fiction / School & Education

3.8

(62)

Lisa Moore Ramée

From the author of A Good Kind of Trouble, a Walter Dean Myers Honor Book, comes another unforgettable story about finding your voice—and finding your people. Perfect for fans of Sharon Draper, Meg Medina, and Jason Reynolds. Eleven-year-old Jenae doesn’t have any friends—and she’s just fine with that. She’s so good at being invisible in school, it’s almost like she has a superpower, like her idol, Astrid Dane. At home, Jenae has plenty of company, like her no-nonsense mama; her older brother, Malcolm, who is home from college after a basketball injury; and her beloved grandpa, Gee. Then a new student shows up at school—a boy named Aubrey with fiery red hair and a smile that won’t quit. Jenae can’t figure out why he keeps popping up everywhere she goes. The more she tries to push him away, the more he seems determined to be her friend. Despite herself, Jenae starts getting used to having him around. But when the two are paired up for a class debate about the proposed name change for their school, Jenae knows this new friendship has an expiration date. Aubrey is desperate to win and earn a coveted spot on the debate team.There’s just one problem: Jenae would do almost anything to avoid speaking up in front of an audience—including risking the first real friendship she’s ever had.

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More Details:

Author

Lisa Moore Ramée

Pages

320

Publisher

HarperCollins

Published Date

2020-07-14

ISBN

0062836730 9780062836731

Ratings

Google: 5

Community ReviewsSee all

"Meh, was disappointed with this one. Felt bored reading it, though to be fair, it is way better suited for younger audiences than myself! "

Maddy :)

"I received an ARC from Edelweiss and Balzer + Bray in exchange for my honest review. Jenae is heading into another school-year with a single goal in mind: be invisible. Her plan has served her well for a long time as she uses it as a mechanism to cope with paralyzing social anxiety. And she probably would have been successful had it not been for the arrival of a new student. Aubrey arrives and for some reason he notices her. And he seems to have a singular goal himself: befriend Jenae. During all of this Jenae must also cope with family issues: a mother who seems detached, an absent father, an injured brother who has given up and a grandfather who seems to be having some memory issues. But she also issues at school: public speaking and protestors who are arguing over whether or not to change the school's name from honoring a racist celebrity (John Wayne) to a Latinx hero (Sylvia Mendez). So I did really enjoy this book, but my biggest peeve was that it took me too long to feel invested in the characters. Will I buy this for my library? Undoubtedly! Will I read it again? Probably not. But, most importantly, will I recommend it to my kids? Without question. I think they will enjoy her journey as she learns to find her voice. And many kids are going to see themselves in this story."