Caela Carter

This is a very good and important read, and I'm thinking of sending it as a gift to my cousin, Abby, who is 10, but I probably won't because I am tired of sending gifts and not having them acknowledged. But that's another story!

In this one, Lydia is a 12 year old who feels out of step with her friends because she doesn't like the obnoxious attention she gets from her male classmates. She also feels out of step with her family because she seems to be the only one to feel creeped out by her mother's boyfriend. She knows she must be the "weirdo" but she can't help how she feels, and the ultimate lesson of the book is about validating feelings and having agency over one's body.

I found this got a little repetitive, but I am also not a big reader of middle school books, so it might be par for the course to drive some points home like that. I did love the ending and how Lydia learned from her mother's defense of her. And I really wanted Jeremy to get punched in the nuts but I guess that wouldn't be age approproate. Amber recommended this and wrote an excellent review, so you should read what she had to say, if the book sounds at all like your thing.

4.25 stars… (meer)

Lydia has spent the whole of summer vacation wearing long-sleeved turtlenecks and sweatpants because after the boys at school started commenting on her body she hasn’t felt comfortable or safe in her own skin. And worse, her mom’s boyfriend is starting to give her over-long hugs and uncomfortable stares. She’s too afraid that the adults in her life won’t feel the same way she does – that these things are wrong and she’s right to feel unsafe – and so she keeps it all to herself. When her mom surprises her and her live-in cousin with the news that she’s bought a house for them, they start cleaning it up on the weekends since the former owners seem to have left all their belongings behind. Lydia finds a small room in the basement filled with little jars of dried herbs and flowers, and a book of hand-written spells. Could this be the solution to her problem? Could she fight off unwanted male attention with magic? She’ll try anything to make the idea of going back to school in the fall even remotely palatable.

Easily the best read of the year so far for me and it’ll take a lot to top it. This is one of those middle grade books that every single student, no matter their gender, should read, and every single parent should read it, too. It perfectly captures the horror of being a middle school girl in the world, one who sees the injustices against women, feels them keenly, but also sees that this is the norm and she’s meant to accept it as such. So powerfully written, with a so-wonderfully told story. I loved every word of it and I urge all of you to read it for yourselves.… (meer)

Lydia has spent the whole of summer vacation wearing long-sleeved turtlenecks and sweatpants because after the boys at school started commenting on her body she hasn’t felt comfortable or safe in her own skin. And worse, her mom’s boyfriend is starting to give her over-long hugs and uncomfortable stares. She’s too afraid that the adults in her life won’t feel the same way she does – that these things are wrong and she’s right to feel unsafe – and so she keeps it all to herself. When her mom surprises her and her live-in cousin with the news that she’s bought a house for them, they start cleaning it up on the weekends since the former owners seem to have left all their belongings behind. Lydia finds a small room in the basement filled with little jars of dried herbs and flowers, and a book of hand-written spells. Could this be the solution to her problem? Could she fight off unwanted male attention with magic? She’ll try anything to make the idea of going back to school in the fall even remotely palatable.

Easily the best read of the year so far for me and it’ll take a lot to top it. This is one of those middle grade books that every single student, no matter their gender, should read, and every single parent should read it, too. It perfectly captures the horror of being a middle school girl in the world, one who sees the injustices against women, feels them keenly, but also sees that this is the norm and she’s meant to accept it as such. So powerfully written, with a so-wonderfully told story. I loved every word of it and I urge all of you to read it for yourselves.… (meer)

I was not enjoying the audiobook at all, so I decided to cut my losses and DNF. The audiobook narrator's voices for Gwen and her mom stressed me out (Gwen's mom always sounded like she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown).

But I think even if I were reading this book in print it might have stressed me out. I learned a lot about how frustrating it can be to need an IEP but not qualify for one. This is another [b:Starfish|54458127|Starfish|Lisa Fipps|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1594348481l/54458127._SX50_.jpg|66085012] situation for me.

So personally I appreciated what this book is trying to do, but I did not enjoy it. Professionally, I can see suggesting this book in a lot of contexts -- for a book group, for teachers, for families who may be experiencing something similar.… (meer)