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Review: Caterpillar Summer by Gillian McDunn

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Caterpillar Summer by Gillian McDunn - cover shows a girl holding a bait fishing pole standing back-to-back with a younger boy holding a shark toy on a beach.

Caterpillar Summer
Gillian McDunn
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published April 2, 2019

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About CATERPILLAR SUMMER

Cat and her brother Chicken have always had a very special bond–Cat is one of the few people who can keep Chicken happy. When he has a “meltdown” she’s the one who scratches his back and reads his favorite story. She’s the one who knows what Chicken needs. Since their mom has had to work double-hard to keep their family afloat after their father passed away, Cat has been the glue holding her family together.

But even the strongest glue sometimes struggles to hold. When a summer trip doesn’t go according to plan, Cat and Chicken end up spending three weeks with grandparents they never knew. For the first time in years, Cat has the opportunity to be a kid again, and the journey she takes shows that even the most broken or strained relationships can be healed if people take the time to walk in one another’s shoes.

My Review

Oh my gosh THIS BOOK! I loved so many things. Cat begins fishing because she’s hoping it will be the key to relationships that matter to her, but then she falls in love with fishing. It becomes something she needs, an outlet and interest that’s just for her. I absolutely identified with this whole emotional process because it’s how I came to love fly fishing so much.

When my grandfather passed away, I watched my dad grieve and had this sudden realization that someday, I will be in his shoes. Someday he’ll be gone. I’d grown up going out in the boat fishing with him, and I still treasure those memories. But at that point, I hadn’t fished since I was maybe twelve or thirteen years old. So I decided to learn to fly fish, partly because it seemed more fun than lure fishing and partly because I wanted to spend more time with my dad, who also loves fly fishing.

Then I fell in love with fishing all over again. And it’s funny, I think that love for fishing has been as great a bond as the activity itself. It’s really fun to have those shared experiences and moments together, but there’s also something to having that passion and sharing in the excitement and celebration of a great day on the water, or the fight of bringing in a big fish.

Anyway, all that to say that CATERPILLAR SUMMER really captures those magical properties of fishing. The way it can make you fall in love with it, and the way it can bring people together. And the way it can be the thing you need without you knowing you needed it.

I think the relationships in the story are expertly done. Cat’s relationship with her brother and the battle between her love for him, her fears about something happening to him, and the frustration and disappointment every time her own needs or desires get overlooked feel so real and understandable.

I love the quiet way Cat’s grandmother notices the way Cat feels and eases some of the burden. She says something to Cat at one point about how keeping a family together can be a quiet kind of work– and it’s exactly the validation Cat needs at that moment. She realizes she has an ally and that someone really sees her.

Cat’s grandfather, too, is an amazing character. Gruff and distant at first, but such a tender heart underneath all of that. And I love that it’s nature walks and fishing that bring him and Cat together and help them open their hearts to one another.

The progression of Cat’s relationship with her mom is powerful, too. Cat has to find real courage to speak up, to voice things she knew her mom wouldn’t want to hear. She risks disappointing or angering her, both of which Cat really fears.

I feel like I could go on and on about this book. So many things about it are so well done and really resonated with me. I hope CATERPILLAR SUMMER gets the awards and recognition it’s due. I know it will go on my shelf as one of my treasured books, one I’m sure I’ll go back and read again and again.

Readers who enjoyed ELSIE MAE HAS SOMETHING TO SAY by Nancy Cavanaugh or THE BENEFITS OF BEING AN OCTOPUS by Ann Braden absolutely need to read CATERPILLAR SUMMER.

Representation
Cat’s mom (and grandparents) are white and her dad is black. She talks briefly about how sometimes people don’t realize they’re all the same family because of the difference in the way they look. Cat’s brother has some sensory issues, and is maybe autistic (the story doesn’t specify).

Recommended for ages 8 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of CATERPILLAR SUMMER in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links, which don’t cost the reader anything when used. They help cover the costs of running this blog and occasionally provide an efficient caffeine delivery system for the blogger.

Review: Running Strong by Diana Sharples

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

Running Strong
Diana Sharples
Published on June 29, 2018

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About Running Strong

Races are won in the turns.

Flannery Moore rides motocross bikes and can’t remember the last time she wore a dress. She’s also in love with one of her riding friends. Although nothing else could make her do so, Flannery decides to redefine herself into the kind of girl Tyler Dorset might fall for.

Despite his mother’s desperate efforts to keep Tyler close to home, he has dreams of his own. Dreams that will take him far away from sleepy and safe Bentley, North Carolina. Will Flannery understand how a well-played guitar solo moves his soul? Or will their bond fade away if he’s not riding his dirt bike anymore?

When her mother is diagnosed with cancer, Flannery is compelled to make sacrifices, some obvious, some that break her heart. Will this mean settling for “less than” with Tyler when she longs for so much more?

For the sake of staying true to themselves, both Tyler and Flannery are pushed to make the choice between running away… or running strong.

My Review

This was such a sweet book. I read RUNNING LEAN some time ago when it came out, but I hadn’t realized this companion book existed. RUNNING STRONG takes place after the end of RUNNING LEAN and follows two characters who appeared in that first book: Connor’s friends Tyler and Flannery.

I think Flannery’s journey affected me the most. After her mom’s cancer diagnosis, Flannery struggles with a lot of fear and anxiety over what will happen with her mom. Her relationship with Tyler becomes both a happy place and another stressor to her. I found it easy to identify with her roiling emotions and her battle over wanting to be herself or change herself so she fit into popular ideas about femininity.

Ultimately, Flannery decides the person she needs to please, in terms of the way she dresses and acts, is herself. I liked that she’s both the motorcross girl and the girl who likes makeup.

Tyler’s guitar playing added a lot of depth to his character, I thought. It really showed a lot of passion and drive, and I liked that. His struggle to break away from an overprotective mom also felt pretty real.

Overall, I liked this book. In terms of spirituality, it’s definitely written from a Christian perspective, but I didn’t think it sounded preachy. It’s a sweet, clean story, perfect for readers who are just beginning to read romance or who are looking for a gentle love story that also tackles family issues. You can read my review of Diana Sharples’ first novel, RUNNING LEAN, here.

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Major characters are white. One character has recently been through recovery from an eating disorder. Flannery’s mom receives a cancer diagnosis early RUNNING STRONG. Most of the characters are Christian.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. References to sex—Tyler wants to make sure he doesn’t go too far with Flannery, since they both believe in waiting until marriage to have sex.

Spiritual Content
Both Flannery and Tyler’s families attend church. At one point, Tyler’s family meets with a pastor for counseling. He uses a Bible verse to talk about speaking life, or saying positive things, to one another.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
Tyler’s mom believes his uncle drinks and uses drugs. Another family member died from a drug overdose in the past.

Note: This post contains affiliate links which don’t cost anything for you to use but which help support this blog.

Review: Meet the Sky by McCall Hoyle

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

Meet the Sky
McCall Hoyle
Blink
Published on September 4, 2018

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About Meet the Sky
It all started with the accident. The one that caused Sophie’s dad to walk out of her life. The one that left Sophie’s older sister, Meredith, barely able to walk at all.

With nothing but pain in her past, all Sophie wants is to plan for the future—keep the family business running, get accepted to veterinary school, and protect her mom and sister from another disaster. But when a hurricane forms off the coast of North Carolina’s Outer Banks and heads right toward their island, Sophie realizes nature is one thing she can’t control.

After she gets separated from her family during the evacuation, Sophie finds herself trapped on the island with the last person she’d have chosen—the reckless and wild Finn Sanders, who broke her heart freshman year. As they struggle to find safety, Sophie learns that Finn has suffered his own heartbreak; but instead of playing it safe, Finn’s become the kind of guy who goes surfing in the eye of the hurricane. He may be the perfect person to remind Sophie how to embrace life again, but only if their newfound friendship can survive the storm.

My Review

One of my favorite things about Hoyle’s debut novel, The Thing with Feathers (my review here)was the way she used Emily Dickinson’s poetry throughout the book. Which means one of my favorite parts of Meet the Sky was the way she used the Tennyson quotes at the beginning of each chapter and also at pivotal moments in the story itself. Honestly, I didn’t realize some of those quotes were written by Tennyson before reading this book. For example, “Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” I’m not sure who I thought wrote that, but I didn’t realize it was Tennyson. So yay. Learned something new.

In addition, I liked Sophie’s character a lot. I kind of wanted to see more of her interaction with her sister and her mom. We know her sister is different since the accident, but I felt like I didn’t get to experience that firsthand, other than a very brief scene in the beginning of the book.

The story isn’t really about Sophie and Mere’s relationship, though. It’s much more about the hurricane mishaps that force Sophie to reconnect with her childhood crush/friend Finn. I liked Finn and the contrast between his character (risk-taking and adventurous) and Sophie’s (so many control issues).

I read another book recently (Even if the Sky Falls) in which characters are trapped together by a hurricane. I feel kind of funny about it because I live in Florida and have been through probably half a dozen hurricanes, so as I read both books, I kept comparing my experiences to what’s described in the book, and feeling really sensitive to whether something seemed realistic. Which might not be really fair, since one book took place in New Orleans and the other in North Carolina, which are really different areas than where I live.

At any rate, in this book, Sophie and Finn do a bunch of stuff during the hurricane that’s really dangerous, like going outside during the storm. For the story, it made things super dramatic, and I kept wanting to yell at them, like noooo, go back inside! This is bad! I had a hard time with that part – not because I thought it was unrealistic. People do impulsive, dangerous things during hurricanes all the time.

On the whole Meet the Sky is a sweet romance about learning to let go of fear in order to experience love and a full life. I think fans of Jennifer E. Smith and Jenn Bennett will like this one.

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Cultural Elements
Major characters are white or not physically described. Sophie’s sister Mere has lost some mobility and has memory issues resulting from a traumatic brain injury. She’s a very minor character in the story.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
A couple references to swearing—things like, thinking words that would make her mother angry.

Romance/Sexual Content
Finn makes a couple of vaguely suggestive comments. Sophie undresses a boy down to his underwear after he collapses in wet clothes and goes into shock. Sophie wakes up in a different shirt and realizes she was undressed and dressed again by someone else. She’s embarrassed, but neither of these instances are really sexual. She doesn’t linger on any details.
Brief kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Finn talks with Sophie about living deep and sucking all the marrow out of life. She has a lot of fears and dependence on control, whereas he seems to take a lot of risks and yet has a lot more peace than she has. She craves his contentment.

Violent Content
Descriptions of a car accident with injuries. Some injuries resulting from being outside during a hurricane.
Also a couple of times, characters break windows or steal things (medicine, food, etc) while they’re stranded during the hurricane.

Drug Content
Sophie’s dad became an alcoholic after the accident that injured her sister. At one point, Finn offers Sophie Jack Daniels (meaning for her to use the alcohol to sterilize a wound) and she recoils, thinking about her dad and how she doesn’t want to be anything like him.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.