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“Friendship, middle school drama, and integrity.”
Reading age
8-12
Genre
Realistic fiction
Publisher
Greenwillow Books
Publication date
March 8, 2022
My summary of the book
There’s a new kid at Fawn Creek, Louisiana. It’s such a dull, small town. No kid ever moves there. Why should they?
At Fawn Creek Middle School, there are only 12 kids in 7th grade. The new kid is a girl named Orchid Mason. Greyson and Dorothy are intrigued by her, and they quickly become friends. But some students are not so fond of her. Soon, the nearby town is holding a dance, and things are about to change for them. Will they pip out of their shells and not just be “those kids”?
My thoughts
This book is well written and has a large cast of characters. Orchid is the most compelling character, and her description is excellent. The story changed perspectives a lot; the chapter is third person omniscient, which looks into the character’s minds but does not tell it from their perspective. However, the chapters’ lengths were uneven; at first, the chapters were short, and then there were too long. I love fantasies, and I found this story a little bit dull.
The book tackled essential subjects such as friendship, bullying, middle school drama, and being true to yourself. The relationships and the humor are pretty good. I like how the kids had their cliques and interests.
My rating
About the author
“New York Times-bestselling author Erin Entrada Kelly was awarded the Newbery Medal for Hello, Universe and a Newbery Honor for We Dream of Space. She is a professor of children’s literature in the graduate fiction and publishing programs at Rosemont College. She is also the author of The Land of Forgotten Girls, winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature; You You Go First, a Spring 2018 Indie Next Pick; Lalani of the Distant Sea, an Indie Next Pick; and Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey, which she also illustrated.” – Book Depository.
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