Review: The Color Purple by Alice Walker

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The Color Purple by Alice Walker

The Color Purple
Alice Walker
Penguin Books
Published December 10, 2019 (Orig. 1982)

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About The Color Purple

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award

A powerful cultural touchstone of modern American literature, The Color Purple depicts the lives of African American women in early twentieth-century rural Georgia. Separated as girls, sisters Celie and Nettie sustain their loyalty to and hope in each other across time, distance and silence. Through a series of letters spanning twenty years, first from Celie to God, then the sisters to each other despite the unknown, the novel draws readers into its rich and memorable portrayals of Celie, Nettie, Shug Avery and Sofia and their experience. The Color Purple broke the silence around domestic and sexual abuse, narrating the lives of women through their pain and struggle, companionship and growth, resilience and bravery. Deeply compassionate and beautifully imagined, Alice Walker’s epic carries readers on a spirit-affirming journey towards redemption and love.

“Reading The Color Purple was the first time I had seen Southern, Black women’s literature as world literature. In writing us into the world—bravely, unapologetically, and honestly—Alice Walker has given us a gift we will never be able to repay.” —Tayari Jones

“The Color Purple was what church should have been, what honest familial reckoning could have been, and it is still the only art object in the world by which all three generations of Black artists in my family judge American art.” —Kiese Laymon

My Review

This is my first time reading The Color Purple. I went back and forth between an ebook version and the audiobook version read by Alice Walker. She’s an excellent reader– I really enjoyed listening to her bring her characters and the story to life.

As you can see from the content section below, The Color Purple is a pretty heavy story about a woman who is abused by her father and then her husband before she falls in love with a woman. Through it all, the closest relationship, and the one she cherishes most, is the one between her and her sister, who has moved to Africa with a missionary couple.

It’s also an epistolary novel. At first, the book is the letters Celie writes to God. Later, it’s filled with the letters exchanged between Celie and her sister, Nettie. If you know me, you know I love sister stories, so this one has been on my reading list because of that.

I loved the relationship between Celie and Nettie. They may be far apart, and they may not know whether their sister has received any of their letters, but they continue writing and sharing their lives with one another.

Reading The Color Purple made me think a lot about women’s relationships because, at its heart, that’s really what this story is about. It’s about the power of friendship and love between women and what it can do. It teaches a lonely woman to love and be loved. It gets a woman out of prison. Love inspires a woman to open her own business. It connects women across seas, continents, and decades.

Conclusion

I really liked this book. Between the sister bond and the way that the women in the story developed relationships and cared for one another and one another’s families, I really invested in the story. I kept thinking about Celie and the other characters when I wasn’t reading. I can see why this book remains so popular and beloved. It’s got some heavy content, so this won’t be a story for everyone, but I think it’s beautifully written, and I’m so glad I read it this year.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Some explicit language used infrequently to describe sex. Some racist words used.

Romance/Sexual Content
The opening scene briefly (but graphically) describes a girl’s father raping her. She states that those attacks continue, but doesn’t further describe them. Later, she references sex with her husband in detached language, showing it’s not something she enjoys.

Another woman talks to Celie about her body and encourages her to explore her body on her own, which she later does. Two women kiss and touch each other (briefly described) and fall asleep together.

Another character reports that someone assaulted her.

Spiritual Content
Celie’s sister, Nettie, joins a Christian missionary group. Shug reminds Celie that the bible says not to kill anyone, and that Jesus faced his own trials and challenges.

Celie and Shug discuss God’s identity and how they imagine God. Shug rejects the idea that God is white or a man and instead thinks of all of creation as part of God and God being in all of creation. They discuss how the Bible describes Jesus’ hair as being like lamb’s wool.

Nettie describes the Olinka people’s worship of roofleaf, a plant they use to cover the tops of their homes.

Violent Content
Three scenes show brief but graphic descriptions of sexual assault or attempted assault. Brief descriptions of domestic abuse.

Two women briefly fight. A white man slaps a Black woman. She punches him in the face. The next time Celie sees her, she describes the horrific bruises and swelling left after the police brutally beat her.

References to FGM. References to colonialism, the history of slavery, and the abuse of plantation workers.

Drug Content
Adults drink alcohol and smoke. References to smoking marijuana as a habit or as part of a spiritual experience.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. All opinions are my own.

Review: The Underwood Tapes by Amanda DeWitt

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Historical, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , , ,

The Underwood Tapes
Amanda DeWitt
Peachtree Teen
Published February 4, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Underwood Tapes

A captivating and profoundly moving novel with hints of supernatural intrigue, blending We Were Liars and Your Name into a can’t-miss read for fans of You’ve Reached Sam.

Thirty years ago, Grace’s mom left her hometown of Hermitage, Florida and never looked back—which is exactly why Grace thinks it’s the safest place to spend her summer now. Since her mom died in a car crash, Grace has been desperate to get away from the memories and reminders of her loss. Spending the summer transcribing cassette tapes for the Hermitage Historical Society might be boring, but boring is just what Grace needs.

Until she hears the voice of Jake Underwood—the boy who first recorded the cassette tapes back in 1992. When Grace realizes he can hear anything she records, despite thirty years of time between them, she strikes up an impossible conversation with Jake through the tapes.

But the past isn’t any simpler than the present, and a mystery has haunted Hermitage through the generations. In the 1970’s, a hurricane made landfall and resulted in the tragic death of Jake’s uncle Charley. In a town as suffocatingly small as Hermitage, it’s impossible not to notice how no one talks about that storm, or Charley, and as the mystery unfurls, Grace can’t help but realize a worse truth: No one talks about Jake either.

A beautifully written exploration of grief and what happens when untreated wounds bleed into future generations, The Underwood Tapes is the perfect read for anyone in need of a good, cathartic cry.

My Review

I really enjoyed some things about this book. It’s such a unique idea. Conceptually, it reminded me a little bit of the movie The Lake House, in which people from two separate timelines communicate through letters in a mailbox.

The characters were nicely done, too. I felt an immediate connection with Grace, a girl still reeling from the unexpected loss of her mother. She seemed so adrift, and her connection with Jake helped her find a way to anchor herself. I loved Grace’s cousin Laura and her third cousin Griffin, too, though I didn’t expect to at first.

The story has this tidal feel to it. Grace’s grandparents’ generation contains a close-knit group of friends. Her mother’s generation has one, too. And then Grace joins Laura and Griffin. I loved the way that echoed the feel of a tide coming in and out. The friendships grew close, and then something broke them apart, until Grace’s generation, in which they began fragmented, but through her experience in the small town, she created strong bonds.

The only thing I wish was different about this book is that I wish the ending had been a little longer. It felt somewhat rushed, and there wasn’t really any resolution beyond knowing more about what happened. I wish there had been something more there.

On the whole, though, I really enjoyed the emotional journey and the descriptions of a small town in south Florida. I can see fans of You’ve Reached Sam really liking this one. It has some of the same themes about complex, incomplete grief and the work of healing and moving forward.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
A few instances of the F-bomb and other profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
A girl can communicate with a teenage boy from thirty years earlier through recorded messages on cassette tapes. One particular geographical location also seems to allow her to slip into other moments in time.

Violent Content
References to a fatal car accident caused by a drunk driver. Grace experiences symptoms of PTSD while in the car. One scene shows someone’s apparent death by drowning. In another, someone is fatally injured.

Drug Content
A man drives home drunk from a bar. Grace attends a beach party where someone gives her a drink of alcohol. She holds the cup but quietly refuses to drink it.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: All Better Now by Neal Shusterman

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , ,

All Better Now
Neal Shusterman
Simon & Schuster
Published February 4, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About All Better Now

From New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman comes a young adult thriller about a world where happiness becomes contagious and the teens caught in the conspiracy by the powers that be to bring back discontent.

An unprecedented condition is on the rise. It behaves like a virus, with the first symptom being a fever, but those who contract it experience long-term effects no one has ever seen utter contentment. Soon after infection, people find the stress, depression, greed, and other negative feelings that used to weigh them down are gone.

Almost everyone revels in this mass unburdening. But people in power—who depend on malcontents tuning into their broadcasts, prey on the insecure to sell their products, and convince people they need more, new, faster, better everything—know this new state of being is bad for business. Soon, campaigns start up convincing people that being happy all the time is dangerous. There’s even a vaccine developed to rid people of their inner peace and get them back to normal because, surely, without anger or jealousy as motivators, productivity will grind to a halt and the world will be thrown into chaos.

It’s nearly impossible to determine the truth when everyone with a platform is pushing their own agendas, and two teens from very different backgrounds who’ve had their lives upended in different ways by the virus find themselves enmeshed in the center of a dangerous power play. Can they reveal the truth?

My Review

I really struggled with this book. There are some thought-provoking elements, for sure. But it feels a little bit like a slap in the face to anyone who lost someone they loved during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially to someone who ignored safety measures to prevent further infections. Maybe it’s just too much too soon?

The story is about a pandemic that kills 1 in 25 people who contract the virus. The remaining survivors become altruistic to the point that they will harm themselves trying to help others (i.e., die trying to rescue people from a fire).

Interesting Thought Experiment?

Throughout the story, the characters explore whether the virus is a gift to humanity or a curse. Widespread infection threatens the system of capitalism because people stop wanting to buy and own things. They simply want to share and help others. The story’s villains (including a character who seems to be a stand-in for a certain tech billionaire) want to stop the virus at any cost. The heroes… maybe want to spread the virus everywhere? For the good of humanity? The 4% of people who die are an acceptable loss? It’s okay to spread the virus, knowing it will kill people?

I just. This is an interesting thought experiment, I guess. What if a virus made people happy? What if a virus made people stop chronically consuming products and instead chronically want to help one another? It’s an interesting idea.

The idea gets mired in its execution, though. This soon after a global pandemic, I’m not ready for a story that glorifies a hero who purposely spreads a deadly virus to save the world from capitalism. Perhaps because some of the loudest voices in our government right now are saying that it’s okay for the most vulnerable among us to suffer for the “greater good.”

The Altruism Virus Doesn’t Cure Homophobia

Yeah, so this is mentioned in the content below, but I wanted to include it here as well because, honestly, what is this about??

A couple of the main characters find this safe house in which they, despite being strangers, are welcomed by a woman running a commune. She’s a Christian and makes that pretty clear, which, cool. Okay. Then we meet her son, who is gay, and he tells the main characters that his mom is still homophobic. He’s like, yeah, the virus made her care about everyone else, but it left her homophobia intact.

I’m just. Like. Are we supposed to take from that conversation that homophobia isn’t wrong? That’s not one of humanity’s ills that altruism would fix?

Yeah, no. Not cool, friends.

Conclusion

Who would enjoy this book? Hmm. If your interest in the thought experiment idea outweighs concerns about the ethics of the plot, I think you could enjoy this book. I think other books by Neal Shusterman have challenged ethical ideas before, so fans of the Unwind series may be more inclined to see and understand what he’s doing here. I have only read the first book in that series, so that’s just a guess.

I will not be continuing with this series.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
A few F-bombs and some other profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between characters and references to more. A character uses a double entendre to hint that she and another character have been intimate.

At one point, a character kisses another character with a crush on him as a gesture of thanks or pity or something. It’s uncomfy.

Spiritual Content
There are some references to spirituality. One character’s mom is a Christian, and though the virus has left her altruistic and welcoming to strangers, she remains homophobic. That’s ick.

Some recoverees deeply revere one person whom they treat as a movement leader. This person behaves like a prophet and directs the actions of others.

Violent Content
References to homophobia.

Medical experimentation on human subjects. (Subjects are prisoners who are promised freedom in exchange for volunteering for the experiment, but it’s implied that many are murdered or do not survive the experiments.) One scene shows the experimentation and its (torturous) effects on a person.

Someone infects others with a deadly virus on purpose, believing they’re doing a righteous thing.

Drug Content
References to alcoholism.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: March: Book One by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell

Book Review and Content, Nonfiction, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , ,

March: Book One
John Lewis and Andrew Aydin
Illustrated by Nate Powell
Top Shelf Productions
Published August 14, 2013

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About March: Book One

March is a vivid first-hand account of John Lewis’ lifelong struggle for civil and human rights, meditating in the modern age on the distance traveled since the days of Jim Crow and segregation. Rooted in Lewis’ personal story, it also reflects on the highs and lows of the broader civil rights movement.

Book One spans John Lewis’ youth in rural Alabama, his life-changing meeting with Martin Luther King, Jr., the birth of the Nashville Student Movement, and their battle to tear down segregation through nonviolent lunch counter sit-ins, building to a stunning climax on the steps of City Hall.

Many years ago, John Lewis and other student activists drew inspiration from the 1950s comic book Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story. Now, his own comics bring those days to life for a new audience, testifying to a movement whose echoes will be heard for generations.

My Review

This book has been on my TBR list for a long time. I love that it brings some of the history of the Civil Rights Movement to readers who enjoy a graphic novel format. The visuals also help make the events more real. I found it easy to imagine the real-life events unfolding from the static images on the page.

This part of the series highlights the beginning of the Nashville Student Movement, which was referenced in King: A Life, the biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that I read earlier this year. Reading these two books in such close proximity helped create a broader understanding of the Civil Rights Movement, the different groups involved, and the overall timeline of events.

There are several pages on which the text shows people using the “N” word against Black people. It never stops being shocking and awful. But it does highlight the great need for change that we faced (and still face) as a nation.

I’m excited to continue reading this series and to learn more about John Lewis’ life.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 13 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Some panels show people using the “N” word to describe Black people.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
References to church.

Violent Content
Use of the N-word. Scenes show marching and sit-in protests. A few show violent responses to protestors, such as tear gas, physically dragging them away, and dumping food on them.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. All opinions are my own.

23 Most-Anticipated Middle Grade Books Coming Winter 2025

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23 Most-Anticipated Middle Grade Books Coming Winter 2025

I’m wildly late getting this post together, but there are some amazing middle grade books coming winter 2025 that I desperately want to talk about, so here we are. Better late than never, I guess!

This is a pretty eclectic list, ranging from horror to fantasy to historical to contemporary to memoir. There are novels in verse and some more experimental formats. Pretty much something for everyone.

These are the books I’m most looking forward to, so there are bound to be some other highly anticipated books that I don’t have on my radar. Please leave a comment and let me know if you’re looking forward to some upcoming releases from January to March that aren’t on my list.

Note: This post contains affiliate links that do not cost you anything but help support this blog. Thanks for using them to do your shopping.

23 Most-Anticipated Middle Grade Books Coming Winter 2025

Mixed Up by Kami Garcia and Brittney Williams

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Kami Garcia knocks it out of the park with this sweet, encouraging story about friendship and learning with dyslexia. The illustrations are bright, friendly, and emotive. It’s brilliant.

Published January 21, 2025 | My Review

Safe Harbor by Padma Venkatraman

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A moving novel in verse about a girl who helps rescue a harbor seal and learns to deal with her own feelings as an immigrant to the US.

Published January 21, 2025 | My Review to Come

Doomsday Vault (Everwhen: School of Time Travel (and Other Odd Sciences) #1) by Thomas Wheeler

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Inventive students from different time periods attend a special school where they face the threats of a missing dean, a time paradox, and a secret space society.

Published January 28, 2025 | My Review to Come

City Spies: London Calling (City Spies #6) by James Ponti

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: The sixth book in the popular City Spies series takes the team to Rome and back as the newest member searches for his missing sister.

Published February 4, 2025 | My Review to Come

All the Blues in the Sky by Renée Watson

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Renée Watson is one of those authors whose name alone gets a book added to my reading list. In this novel in verse, Sage wrestles with guilt and unresolved grief over the sudden death of her best friend. Moving, heartfelt, and absolutely beautiful.

Published February 4, 2025 | My Review

Away by Megan E. Freeman

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: In this companion novel to Away, a group of kids investigates the mysterious threat responsible for large-scale evacuations. Can they unravel the conspiracy and expose the truth? Told from multiple points of view with verse, newspaper clippings, movie scripts, production diary entries, and letters.

Published February 11, 2025 | My Review

The Labyrinth of Souls by Leslie Vedder

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A girl with a rare gift to see Nightmare creatures discovers that the monsters have begun to seep into the Waking World. She and her friends must find a way to stop them. I loved Leslie Vedder’s young adult trilogy, so I’m excited to see what she brings to this haunting middle grade series opener.

Published February 11, 2025 | My Review to Come

Investigators: Agents of S.U.I.T.: Wild Ghost Chase by John Patrick Green

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Investigators and Agents of S.U.I.T. are quite popular around my house just now, so I know we’ll be reading this one as soon as possible. This time, Zeb the sheep joins the cast of agents tracking down the ghost of the General Inspectre to conclude his unfinished business.

Published February 18, 2025 | My Review to Come

Max in the Land of Lies: A Tale of World War II by Adam Gidwitz

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Max returns to Berlin as a British spy to infiltrate the center of Nazi propaganda and find his parents. I heard so much about the first book in this series that I have to read this one.

Published February 25, 2025 | My Review to Come

Cousins in the Time of Magic by Emma Otheguy

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Three cousins time travel to 1862 and race to deliver a sword to the general for the Battle of Puebla (which became the reason we celebrate Cinco de Mayo). Along the way, they learn how Latine communities have shaped US history. I love the inclusive look at history here and the spin on time travel adventure!

Published February 25, 2025 | My Review

Pablo and Splash: Frozen in Time (Pablo and Splash #2) by Sheena Dempsey

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What you need to know: Pablo and Splash return with more zany adventures. This time they must rescue Professor O’Brain from the Ice Age. This graphic novel series is a ton of fun with a little bit of science and history threaded throughout.

Published March 4, 2025 | My Review

Right Back at You by Carolyn Mackler

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A boy from 2023 facing a school bully writes a letter for a school assignment and throws it in his closet, only to be surprised when a girl from 1987 writes back. Looks cute, poignant, and full of heart.

Published March 4, 2025 | My Review to Come

Bree Boyd is a Legend by Leah Johnson

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What you need to know: In the follow-up to her middle grade debut, Johnson tells the story of Ellie’s best friend, Bree, whose orderly life is turned upside down when a lightning strike grants her the ability to move things with her mind. This looks like it will be hilarious and heartwarming.

Published March 4, 2025 | My Review to Come

The Trouble with Sunshine by Yamile Saied Méndez

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A girl reeling from the unexpected loss of her mother finds solace in caring for a skittish horse. Méndez is a brilliant writer who deftly writes about complex emotions. I’m betting this one will be a winner.

Published March 4, 2025 | My Review to Come

One Wrong Step by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: When a boy and girl witness an avalanche on Mt. Everest, they set out looking for survivors, but sickness, bad weather, and a possible Nazi spy put their mission at risk. I keep missing out on the amazing books by this author– this year, I’m going to read one!

Published March 4, 2025 | My Review to Come

A Song for You and I by K. O’Neill

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: I loved The Moth Keeper and have been trying since then to catch up on other books by K. O’Neill. This one, about a driven ranger with an injured horse and a laid-back shepherd, explores unlikely friendship and the possibility of something more.

Published March 4, 2025 | My Review

We Need to Talk About Divorce by Kate Scharff and Annika Le Large

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: As a divorced parent, I’ve read a lot of books for kids about divorce. It’s such a complex experience for parents and kids alike. I’m always glad to see more resources available for kids especially, and especially ones that talk about blended families. I’m looking forward to this one.

Published March 4, 2025 | My Review to Come

Vanya and the Wild Hunt by Sangu Mandanna

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: I can’t say it better than the cover copy: Amari and the Night Brothers meets Nevermoor in this enchanting middle grade fantasy, inspired by Indian mythology and British folklore, about a neurodivergent heroine, a mysterious school, and a world of magical creatures. — Who could resist that?

Published March 11, 2025 | My Review to Come

Whale Eyes by James Robinson

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: An illustrated memoir told through anecdotes and interactive visuals. Helps readers confront discomfort with disability. I’m excited for this one. It sounds incredibly different, timely, and necessary.

Published March 18, 2025 | My Review to Come

Cincinnati Lee, Curse Breaker by Heidi Heilig

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: The great great (great?) granddaughter of a famous explorer must return relics he collected to break the curse on her family. I love the inclusive spin on the Indiana Jones-type story.

Published March 25, 2025 | My Review to Come

The Girl and the Robot by Oz Rodriguez and Claribel A. Ortega

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A girl who can fix electronics prepares to enter a contest, hoping for the prize money to bring her Papi home. Then a robot crashlands from space, broken, alone, and in need of Mimi’s help, even if it risks everything she’s worked for. Ortega is another author whose books are irresistible great.

Published March 25, 2025 | My Review to Come

The Underwild: River of Spirits by Shana Targosz

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: The cover copy says this is perfect for fans of Rick Riordan and the series Greenwild, which is one of my favorites. I love the cover and the story’s themes about friendship.

Published March 25, 2025 | My Review to Come

My Mummy vs. Your Ghost by Paul Tobin

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Hayden and Gabe bring a mummy to the battlefield for another fight, this time against new coaches and a ghost. This series is packed with creepy crawly fun. Definitely something to read purely for fun.

Published March 25, 2025 | My Review to Come

What middle grade books coming winter 2025 are you most looking forward to reading?

Are you looking forward to any of the middle grade books on my list? Have you had a chance to read any of them yet? What else needs to be on my reading list this season? Leave a comment and let me know!

Review: All the Blues in the Sky by Renée Watson

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All the Blues in the Sky
Renée Watson
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published February 4, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About All the Blues in the Sky

# 1 New York Times bestselling and Newbery Honor author Renée Watson explores friendship, loss, and life with grief in this poignant new novel in verse and vignettes.

Sage’s thirteenth birthday was supposed to be about movies and treats, staying up late with her best friend and watching the sunrise together. Instead, it was the day her best friend died. Without the person she had to hold her secrets and dream with, Sage is lost. In a counseling group with other girls who have lost someone close to them, she learns that not all losses are the same, and healing isn’t predictable. There is sadness, loneliness, anxiety, guilt, pain, love. And even as Sage grieves, new, good things enter her life — and she just may find a way to know that she can feel it all.

In accessible, engaging verse and prose, this is an important story of a girl’s journey to heal, grow, and forgive herself. To read it is to see how many shades there are in grief, and to know that someone understands.

My Review

I could not put this book down, and that did not surprise me since I have LOVED everything by Renée Watson that I’ve ever read. She’s an incredibly talented writer with some serious range– writing young adult and middle grade fiction, a poetry collection, and this novel in verse. She’s amazing. I can’t say it enough.

Sage’s story drew me in from its first pages. Her grief is raw. You can feel it pulsing beneath the words on the page like a heartbeat. She feels guilty for unresolved parts of her friendship with her best friend. She envies others who got to say goodbye to their loved ones. Her feelings are moving and easy to understand.

I love the sense of community around Sage. She’s part of a grief support group for kids, and even though she feels closer to some kids than others, she learns different things from each of the kids in her group. She has meaningful relationships with adults in her life, too, beyond her parents.

The book includes an author’s note in which Watson shares that she lost 15 loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic and how this made her think about the losses that children were experiencing during that time.

All the Blues in the Sky offers hope amid the heartache and reminds us how much we need our connections to one another. I love this book and recommend it wholeheartedly.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
A kiss on the cheek and then the mouth.

Spiritual Content
References to attending funeral services. One character describes memories of attending church with their grandmother.

Violent Content
Brief descriptions of an accident in which a car struck a girl on a bike, killing her. References to someone who was murdered by police officers. Reference to fatal illnesses and loss of child and adult family members. (These are mentioned in the grief group Sage attends. They’re described appropriately for the audience.)

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday

I’m sharing this post as a part of a weekly round-up of middle-grade posts called Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday. Check out other blogs with posts about middle-grade books today on Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays at Always in the Middle with Greg Pattridge.