Details

Length: 418
Story Build: quickly paced 
Character development: solid  
Age Recommendation: 6th and older 
Reasoning: main characters are in middle school 

Summary and Review

I was recommended this book by my soul sister (who I’ve mentioned numerous  times now) at school, and she promptly loaned me a copy with the words, “You’ll finish it in hours…” 

Now, I didn’t really finish it in hours because I read before going to bed, but I quickly read it. It’s easy to consume this text based on the format alone; it is written in poetry, much like the texts written by Jason Reynolds (Long Way Down) and Kwame Alexander (Swing, Solo). I tear through these books because they flow with a quickness that a traditional novel format does not allow. 

But the format isn’t the only reason. Holt creates two really heart-warming characters in her main protagonists– Tam and Kate. You root for them immediately, and there are parts of yourself that you see in them. 

Tam is that version of yourself that is confident and true (and may only come out in front of those people with whom you feel most comfortable). She is tall and sporty and has her trusty sidekick, Levi, and really doesn’t quite care what others think of her. She is who she is. 

Kate, on the other hand, is relatable in her desire to please. She desires to make her mother and cheer squad happy even if it means that she isn’t allowing herself to explore what she might want to be. Kate has everyone’s version of her figured out, but she actually hasn’t discovered what it means to be her. 

When Tam and Kate stumble into one another’s orbit, they find themselves magnetically attracted to each other, wanting to learn more about the other person. Together, they shock not only themselves with their desire to be friends (and maybe more) but also their friends and family. 

The poetic style of the text allows for Holt to be creative with the format as well as the plot of her story. She sometimes intertwines the perspectives of Tam and Kate into one poem with two sides, which is enlightening and inspired. She uses sentence structure and word play to give us a picture of the girls’ growing relationship and feelings. It’s brilliant. 

So, simply put: it’s a story about two girls figuring out what they mean to each other. But it’s also about discovering what YOU want and what YOU want to be in YOUR world. Totally relatable to both teens who are entering middle school and those who are also questioning who they like. 

Celebrations

Stylistically, Holt is really creative. I loved the way in which the story was written with the prose and the intertwining of the characters’ voices. This was a way she was able to develop the personalities of Tam and Kate really well. I also liked her play with the words, both physically on the page as well as her choice of which ones to use. 

Hesitations

Really don’t have any. I just think any girl, or boy, who struggles with figuring out who they are within the context of other’s expectations should read this!