There are some books that take awhile for you to decipher your feelings towards. Other books you know immediately that you are going to dis. Then there are the little gems that you connect with from the very first page. For me, Jumped In fits into the third category. From the first mention of Nirvana--my favorite band, if you didn't already know that--I knew I would love this book. This was a fantastic debut that made me believe that this is an author to watch.

Sam has mastered "slackerdom." He knows how to get by in school, and in life, without attention. He spends his times in the sounds of grunge classics and reminiscing about the days where he was happy with his mom and his two best friends, Dave and Rupe. When his English teacher pairs him up with Luis Cárdenas for a poetry assignment, the facade that Sam built slowly starts to unravel and he must rewrite everything he's come to believe.

This book was not what I was expecting, and I loved it. Sam's voice is the best part of this story. It's raw, and real enough to pass emotions onto the books readers. I, myself, teared up at the end. This is a truly powerful story that had me bound. Jumped In teaches its readers a lesson that is invaluable, especially in the world in which we are a part of today. The author excellently weaves a contemporary tale that nails the nitty gritty, and leaves us feeling hope. The book moves at an excellent pace. It's an easy book to read through, and it's even easier to enjoy--it helps that there are constant references to the greatest grunge band of all time (and nothing anyone can say will ever make me change my mind about this).

Jumped In is one of the few stories that doesn't have a focus of romance, or a main character even really thinking about romance, that has been able to hook me. Sam's a very realistic main character, I believe. He's afraid, and unsure of himself. He has trouble dealing with reality, which makes it impossible for him to do more with his life. He is very set in the past, which is why he acts the way he does. He's a smart kid, but he's lost. His emotional journey throughout this novel is breathtaking. It's one that I'm very glad I was able to witness because what Sam goes through is something to which everyone can relate. This is really a novel about growing up, and finding yourself through the blender into which life throws you. The minor characters tied in wonderfully, and each fulfilled their purpose in helping Sam complete his journey.

I would definitely recommend this book to those who their contemporaries a little edgy, and very heartfelt. This book is more than just a story, it has a deeper meaning that will hit its readers in their very core. It's gorgeous, and real, and even after more than a week later, the message still lingers. There are a few minor exaggerations, but they are easy to look past as this book really pushes its lesson. Jumped In tells us that there is more to a person than just their outer appearance. What matters is the person inside, and you can't know that until you take a chance and speak up.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher for my honest opinion and review.
This review can be seen here on my blog as well.all-time-favorites angst arc ...more5 s Mia Searles (The Muses Circle)317 50

A book that totally caught me off guard. Made me laugh and made my cry. REVIEW COMING SOON4 s Chrishell 🎐2

My first book that I have finished. I loved this book so much I only rated it a 4 because of the unexpected ending. The way this book speaks appearance vs. reality. This book shows how much a parents role in a child’s life is important. LUIS IS MY FAVOURITE CHARACTER. HE IS SO MISUNDERSTOOD AND THE WAY HE PLAY HIS PART IN BEING A FRIEND WHO BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN OTHERS IS SO HEART WARMING. I will never forgive the author for this ending.3 s Cody Zimmerman8 1 followerRead

Jumped In is about a boy named Sam who comes from Aberdeen but eventually moves from his friends and his past town. If there is anything you need to know about how to slack off, Sam is your guy to turn to. He has plenty of rules set up to get your through your high school classes without raising expectations of teachers. In this book, I really enjoyed how it put past things into the present, such as the band Nirvana. It also relates a lot to high school students, we all had a dream about being rockstars or police officers, this book follows that line. Also, I enjoyed how fast it was to relate to the book and really get into it. On the other side of things, I did not enjoy how boring it got in the center of it. Also, the ending was very unexpected and was not a good way to end it in my opinion. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, once I got into it I could not put it down, and I'm never that with books. It is very relatable to high school students, we all go through some moments that Sam goes through. I would give it a 7 out of 10, it was a very good read, however, the long middle stretch of boring, and the ending brought down my level of ness I had in the book itself. I would recommend this book to anyone that s really large, unexpected twists in novels, and anyone who has had to move away from their old life because this book will relate to you. 2 s Rachel's Book Reviews687 75

We studied poetry, I sucked.
I always respected it.
But could never write it well.
An inmate given keys,
This book spoke to me
Lou is hero
Sam is lost
Just Go
READ.
~
In depth review:
I love this novel. How I got it, is by pure miracle. I was holding it, at the Macmillan booth at ALA 2013 in Chicago. I’d waited an hour to get in the booth, to purchase a book I’d had my eye on all weekend. But sitting there at a table, there were about 9 ARC’s. I decided to pick up the one nearest to me, to read the back.
Then, there was a revolt. The 40 some odd people in line decided that they weren’t going to wait their turn. They rushed the booth, swept all the books in to their bags and purses, and left without paying for their books.
I was left with the few books in my arms, and this little gem.
I stayed to pay, thankyouverymuch.
But I was looking forward to reading that one little book that I just happened to be holding when I was crushed in to the side of the Macmillan booth.
I got the news that I had to go to the hospital (to be admitted for at least 5 days, for extreme antibiotics and lung samples to be taken. I’ve been through it before, but I hate hospitals with a passion. Even if they have saved my life on more than one occasion.)
So, there I am, being poked and prodded and given every student in the building to come ask questions for practice (I try not to be bitter, I really do.) and lo and behold, I read this book.
Awww…
It’s so good! Usually ‘gangland’ novels, or generally brooding novels don’t fly with me. I live see it all around me, and I’m generally one that reads to let my mind go elsewhere. Also another thing that I usually protest is cursing. But, by the time I finished the novel, I really didn’t care much about the language.
This was one of those graced novels that caught my attention, and even better, it kept my attention. I mention in my little Nonet at the top, I studied poetry, and I really loved it…but I sucked at it.
I pretty much ‘passed’ and moved on. I love poetry that turns things around.
And boy, was this book full of it.
I also, have a little side recommendation.
AFTER you finish the novel….go backwards and read the poems. NO, don’t go back to the front and read the poems.
Start from the back.
You’ll feel the punch harder that way. I promise.
my-favorites reviewed2 s Kayla Hanner40 2

"You don't know that, Mr. Carter. You have no idea." His eyes get wide. He's as surprised as I am that I talked back. "You're right, Sam," he says. "What I do know is you have a shot to be great today. I think you should take it."

I wasn't too sure how I'd this book, but I picked it up because it caught my eye on the book list for my adolescent literature class because I have always had a passion for slam poetry. In middle school I actually went to a few poetry slams, but lost the practice of writing for slams and lost the desire to go once I was around people that talked down/made fun of the art of slam poetry. I don't know why, but people my age (I am currently twenty-one) loved making fun of slam poetry for some reason, but it's always been something I love. Since I no longer do it and was never really that good at it, I thought that maybe this book would give me some slam poetry nostalgia and maybe spark my love for producing slam poetry again. I mean, I think it's a given that this book DID get me back into the poetry vibe, especially that of slam poetry, but it did SO MUCH MORE than that.

This book follows the story of Samuel, a boy who was raised in Aberdeen for the early part of his life then shipped off to live with his grandparents, so his mother could go somewhere filled with sun. In Aberdeen, Sam and his two friends planned to start a band, to be the next Nirvana. If Nirvana could find their way into stardom out of Aberdeen, Sam, Rupe, and Dave could find their way out too. They wrote songs and aspired to be musicians, but the opportunity never arose, because he had to leave. His mother left to Arizona and the last thing she said to him was "GOOD-BYE, SAM!" which is what his grandparents' bird spoke to him every time he entered or left the house. This makes Sam hate the bird, Gilbert, because it reminds him of that day and constantly makes him sad. Since his mother left, and made him move away from all his friends, Sam became a "slacker" in school and decided all he wanted out of his life was to blend into the background, until one day a kid named Luis joins his classes and is made to sit next to him in every single one. Luis is suspected to be involved in a gang, just his brother and father, so he has a reputation for being someone to be scared of around the school. Sam quickly notices that Luis follows the same "slacker" rules that he does, that is, until their teacher, which Sam calls Cassidy, decides that she's not going to let them get away with hiding in her classroom. They get assigned a poetry project for the poetry slam and that is when their relationship grows from being hesitant seat partners to being really good friends. They work their butts off for the project, and actually grow really close. Then, something happens to change it all, and Sam is changed forever.

This book was actually a journey I wasn't expecting to go on. It was full of twists that I would have never thought would happen within the novel from just reading the description, and I never knew what was coming next. I felt I didn't know much of Sam's prior life and I was fine with that, because I really enjoyed getting to watch him make a life for himself at his grandparents' house, which he eventually saved into his phone as "home."I was worried that this book would be too focused on rock music because of Sam's obsession with Nirvana, but I was very pleased to find that the novel only mentioned Nirvana to further the story and add deeper connections to it, and didn't focus the entire thing on Nirvana lyrics and Kurt Cobain. I think it incorporated Nirvana into the story just enough to where it isn't too much but really emphasizes the story. This was a beautiful story that I wasn't expecting to come out of this novel, but I absolutely loved it. There were so many moving parts that I always had something jump out that I wasn't expecting. The poetry incorporated within the novel was absolutely gorgeous, and I think the combination of prose and poetry really worked well together. All in all, this story is absolutely beautiful and I recommend it to anyone who might be interested in poetry, Nirvana, or just a wonderful story of a lonely kid finally finding friends and motivation through self-expression.

There are a lot of things textually going on within this novel that I thought were very beautiful and intricate. The novel is written in Sam's voice and he is the sole narrator, but throughout the novel there are interruptions with poetry written by Luis that no one has any knowledge of other than Luis. He doesn't advertise poetry-writing, but the poems not only show his passion for poetry but also give an insight and backstory into Luis's life that we don't get from the character himself or from Sam's interactions with him. Luis is fairly quiet as a character in the novel but his poetry speaks volumes. I really loved this change in perspective, because not only did it provide an alternative point of view and information about a character, but it incorporated the beauty of poetry within a novel. I have always loved poetry in novels, especially when dispersed into prose, so I thought this fit very well. I recently read the novel Gabi, A Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero, and it also contained poetry mixed in with prose. I just think it combines two very fun styles of writing to tell a story. It's important to see, to, because it shows people reading the novel that you can write works that don't just utilize one method of writing. I also really d the way that the teachers were addressed as just their last names, not with any prefixes ( Ms., Mrs., or Mr.) I felt that it was more personal that way because it's how Sam and Luis would be addressing their teachers when talking to one another, and I think it also showed how personal the relationships between teachers and students are in the school. Another thing I was a fan of was the way Ms. Cassidy addressed Sam and Luis as "Luisandsam" because it is what followed them throughout the rest of their novel. Being paired that strengthened their relationship, led tot heir friendship, and resulted in Sam finding his own place in the world once the pair broke up. The short chapters were also a huge plus because they allowed information to be explained more concisely and also helped hold my attention as I read. I really enjoyed the stylistic elements of this novel AND the story itself, and I am so glad that I chose to read this for my class.

When it comes to my future as an educator, I believe I could find many ways to incorporate this novel into my classroom. It involves stylistic elements that could spark great discussions and incorporates poetry alongside the teaching of poetry, even with a few sample worksheets/assignments scattered in. I think this could be a great novel to incorporate into classrooms, and I believe it is just a wonderful novel to read overall. I loved this book and couldn't put it down after I'd picked it up. This is a story that will stick with you for a long time, and it's absolutely beautiful. I think this novel would be appropriate for late middle students onward, and I even think adults could get something great out of it. I highly recommend this novel for anyone that might be interested in reading it, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!1 Alli O'Keefe46

I had a slightly difficult time getting into this book, especially with all of the racial profiling that Sam was using against Luis, but once they finally connected, I couldn't put it down. I had heard many good things and this was on my to-read list for a long time. I believe this book provides a good lesson of not to assume things about people you may not know. Sam experienced this about Luis again and again. The ending came as a complete shock! This was definitely worth the read.1 Katherine187 12

This book covers poetry, grief, racial stereotypes, and the importance of human connections. It is definitely geared more towards the late middle school crowd. The book goes back and forth between plot progression and some surface level poetry. Which I didn't very much, but I'm sure other people would enjoy that.1 Alexa L402 10

Didn’t expect to get as invested as I did in the story, which made my cry A LOT. Super excited the author is visiting my school this week, his newest book American Road Trip is also excellent! 1 Dan William18

I loved this book!! It was such a great read - and I am excited to read more by Flores-Scott!!1 Eden239 161

Gosh, Jumped In is a very mixed bag. Sam’s voice is moderately authentic, at least in his narration. This was one of the rare cases where I found the swear words used judiciously, realistically. However, when we get to dialogue, too often Sam or other characters sound (well, read) awkward, stilted or simply phony, especially once we hit the exclamation marks. Combine this dichotomy with a great structure—short chapters that work fabulously to keep up an otherwise-draggy pace, interspersed with Luis’s poetry—and the overall reading experience is somewhat bewildering.

Luis is perhaps the best-developed character due to his poetry; Sam’s character arc feels unbalanced since he doesn’t really require much growth to turn his life around, at least not compared to Luis’s problems. Adult characters are all developed superficially, enough to placate but nothing to really satisfy. Together, the wide cast attempts to make up for quality by quantity, and depending on your pickiness it may succeed.

Sam’s growth, the plot feels unbalanced: he and Luis become friends very quickly and there is a marked lack of conflict throughout the majority of the novel, especially since his (perfectly valid) teenage angst is always in sharp relief with the troubles Luis faces. Flores-Scott does manage to send his point home in a relatively moving way, though, ensuring the reader gets something at the end:

I’m so pissed at myself.
Pissed for having been angry with Luis. Pissed at myself for thinking the worst about him. I can’t get the image of the scar out of my head. Not just the scar, but all the crap I imagined about it.
I hate myself for the time I spent thinking those things.
Mostly I’m upset that my first friend in a long time is so sick that he might die.
Couldn’t he have warned me? Couldn’t he have said, Don’t get too close and please don’t care about me because I might not be around for long? (p.253)
Okay, let’s talk about the poems, because they are SO. LOVELY. I’m no poet, but they connect with you, with their rhythm and imagery and reality, brutal truth cloaked in harsher words, and they made me ache for Luis Cardenas who comes loaded with a history and legacy which Sam couldn’t ever understand. But he does his best, and Flores-Scott doesn’t hesitate to call out his protagonist:

They introduce themselves. Tre and Quintel. They tell me how long they’ve known Luis and his mom and how, along with Leticia, they organize the Viking Glen trick-or-treating and the block watch and all that kind of crap.
“We look out for each other around here,” Tre says. “So we been trying to figure out what’s going on with Luis and his mom. And worryin’. That’s why we overreacted on you. We straight?”
I feel a complete racist dumbass for what I’d been thinking about them. For the reasons I ran. “Yeah, that’s fine. I’m sorry I ran away from you.” (p. 229 – 230)1 Ariana Newby1 review1 follower

I am a 13-year-old girl in the 8th grade and I really enjoyed reading this book. I am a poet, and I love to read and write but I am somewhat silent. I recommend this book to as many people as I can.1 Amy Fournier557 156

*Actual rating 3.5 stars

I'm not a big poetry person, but this sounded really interesting so I decided to give it a try. I'm really glad I did. I actually loved getting to know Luis through his poems, and I loved seeing Sam open up a little and finally let people in. This book tackles many different issues. Stereotyping, friendship, family, and learning to find yourself. This was a book I was very unsure about and ended up really enjoying. It was a pleasant surprise.

Sam is the type of person who keeps to himself. Abandoned by his mom, and expecting her to return to bring him back to his old home, he never wanted to get close to people. Didn't want to form relationships with anyone if he was just leaving soon anyways. After it was apparent his mom wasn't coming back, he just didn't care to be friends with anyone. It's easier for him to just be by himself. He won't have to ever subject himself to that feeling of loss again. It isn't until Luis becomes an unexpected and unwelcome part of his life that he starts to see things differently. He finds an unly friendship with Luis. He discovers that his stereotyping may have been wrong, and that people aren't always who they seem on the outside.

I found the writing in this to be fabulous. At first I wasn't sure about hearing Sam tell us a bit about what is happening, then getting a poem written by Luis, but soon it really flowed and I was flying through the book. I wanted to know more about both of them, about where their story was going. I loved that this tackled the issue of stereotypes in such a cool way. I loved that everyone was so much more than meets the eye. Besides Luis and Sam, I loved all of the characters. I thought they were all well developed, especially their English teacher. Every character had a reason to be part of the story. There were no side characters just for the sake of moving the story along.

Upon finishing this book, I was surprised how much I felt. I started off not really feeling any sort of connection or emotions at all, and I'm not sure when they developed, but by the end I was aware of all the feels I had. It really caught me off guard, and I love that! This book was just so well rounded. It covers so many issues, it's so real, and it also gives a few little lessons on poetry that I found really cool. I think this is the type of book that all high school (or even middle school) kids should read. I am so glad that I decided to read something different from what I usually do. This was a great book.

*An advanced copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any compensation.arc own to-review1 Brenda1,516 69

Well.


I don't really know where to start with this. I suppose it would be prudent to say that I really wasn't expecting much from this novel. I'm not a particularly big fan of poetry, don't own any poetry books. The story sounded basic enough that it didn't warrant an immediate reaction of I have to read this from me. I did love the cover though. It feels chaotic and and unpredictable, much how the plot of this story went for me. I will say that I think if the man on the cover is meant to be Sam, I imagine that his shoulders would be hunched over more.

Despite my initial indifference to the book in the beginning, it blew me away. I'd to say one thing: I'm not a shy person. In school, I was much more the go-to girl Julisa than Sam. I didn't mind speaking in front of the class, and I would try to help out the teachers when I saw that the class wasn't responding (with the exception of math--I'm useless in math). Jumped In made it possible for me to see inside an introvert's head in such a way that I could understand it. Sam's reactions didn't seem crazy to me once I got to see in his head. There were many times where he panicked and did something that easily could have embarrassed him, running out of the classroom. But I could understand it, and I could see why he did it. It was a beautiful thing for me, to be able to see inside his head that. To feel those emotions that he felt.

The relationships that developed among all the characters, particularly among the last twenty pages or so, was by far the best part. I'll admit it, I cried. Quite a bit. I can't really gush about the book without giving some things away, so I'm just going to say screw it and give some things away.

The effect that Luis had on everyone is astounding. It felt honest and real, and when the reasons behind his behavior is revealed it's logical and makes sense. It made me sit down and reflect on the relationships I had in my life, and gave me an appreciation for the loved ones I have. Luis' effect on Sam was obvious and grew in such a natural way that it didn't feel forced.

In fact, I could say that about all the relationships. None of it felt forced, and none of it felt it was merely a gimmick, or a moment to just push the plot along without any real purpose. It all had a purpose, and it was downright beautiful.

I'm highly impressed with this novel. I'm feeling quite glad that I have a signed copy that I get to keep and share with others. first-reads signed1 Lara265

Reviewed by Janelle S., 6th Grade Teacher Extraordinaire

Sam is in a state of depression. Left by his mother at his grandparents’, he feels abandoned and lost. He misses his buddies and their love of grunge music now that he lives with his willing-to-try, but very old grandparents. When a new student, Luis Carderas, shows up, things change. This tough looking guy, who is rumored to be a gang-banger and has a thick scar and an attitude to match, decides that he wants Sam to be his partner in the upcoming poetry slam. As the two boys work on their poetry, they learn more about each other and find a rhythm and connection that Sam doesn't expect. Suddenly, Luis is challenging Sam to "let it out," pushing him to speak, to slam. As the day of the poetry slam dawns, Luis is not at school. Rumors of a race fight between some gangs run rampant and Sam is both worried and mad. However, Luis has left a CD of his part (and an apology note with a promise to explain) in the office and now Sam has to perform alone with only Luis' voice on a CD to encourage him. But he does it, and he does it well. Sam is encouraged and begins to do better in school, but still no Luis. Days pass. No Luis. A week passes. No Luis. Sam discovers that he has more friends than he thought as people band together to try to find Luis and his mother.

I LOVED the book up to the point of the poetry slam and the hunt for Luis. When Luis’ disappearance was explained, it reminded me too much of the hokiness of some of Lurlene MacDaniel's writing. I just felt that there wasn't any evidence in the plot line to really make the climax gel. A plot twist with little support makes everything seem underdeveloped. The writing reminded me of Twisted (Laurie Halse Anderson) or Fade to Black and Breaking Point (Alex Flinn). There was a lot of language, but it was realistic for a teenage boy.

Recommended for gr. 8-10.royal1 Andrea Mullarkey459

Sam lives with his grandparents in Des Moines, Washington a suburb of Seattle. What starts as a short visit while his mother goes off to get herself settled at the end of a bad relationship turns out to be a relatively permanent situation for Sam, one he is not thrilled about. He is determined not to get close to anyone at school or attract the attention of his teachers. He wants to suspend his life in a haze of the grunge music he loves until he can move back to the coast where he imagines his life will begin again. But an inadvertent interaction with the notorious Luis (everyone knows he’s a gang banger) and a poetry slam assignment in his English class shake him out of his slacking. What happens between Sam and Luis, each of them struggling to find their voice, is only the start of a complicated situation. The tension builds when Luis disappears after a tense fight at school and the mystery of where he’s gone and if he is safe takes over the story.

This book tackles issues of identity, stereotyping and self-expression through two vivid voices that are not always heard from. Sam is an under-achiever struggling with staying present in his life. Luis is a tough kid from a tough family and his reputation precedes him at school. But they each have a more complicated back story and more things to say than they are initially prepared to share. The story is told primarily in prose by Sam but chapters are interspersed with Luis’s poetry. Strong imagery, accessible language and plenty of plot make this an easy recommendation for young people interested in words as well as those looking for books with a diverse cast of characters although some more mature themes violence and gangs may put this book outside the reach of middle school readers.poetry1 Kristen1,942 36

At first, this book moves along at a fast past and you think, "Hey. This is a nice book about a two boys becoming friends." And I d that--there aren't a lot of books out there that are, at the core, just about two teenage boys becoming friends. Sam is a white, grunge-loving slacker whose mother abandoned him with his grandparents. Luis is a Hispanic, possible-gang-banger with mysterious scar and a secret love a poetry. They both try to fly under the radar in school but pair together to work on a writing project. Simple, right?

WRONG. WRONG. WRONG. WRONG. WRONG. WRONG.

I was reading along, content in my opinion of this book when BAM! Blindsided. Oofta. It goes from kinda-touching-realistic to mysterious to gut-wrenching in a matter of pages. I was an emotional wreck by the time this one was done. Wow.1 ElectricVaps14

Book's fine, I guess. I d it in the beginning a fair bit, but my opinion slowly waned as the book went on. I mainly didn't this as much as I wanted to 'cause:
1. The profanity here got rather annoying after the while. I'm fine with it normally, but I really thought it was used too much in this book.
2. I think I would have d Sam and Luis' relationship more if it was taken more slowly than in the book, same might just go with the entire plot tbh.
3. I wanted to see more of Dave and Rupe.
4. Wanted more Nirvana tbh.
5. I really feel Luis' death of cancer could have used a bit more foreshadowing.

If there a few elements I do , the poems Luis writes near the end are highlights, and I the "But rock we shall." line too.1 Tara Ethridge873 29

There are so many things I loved about this book--just so many things. The slackers who are truly deep thinkers just waiting to be heard, the teachers who ROCKED and cared so much, the poetry strewn throughout the book, and even smaller characters were so meaningful. A student recommended this to me and told me I would cry, and he was so right. There were even a few audible sobs from me whilst reading. For middle schoolers, this is a great book for both genders, but both main characters are boys. A bit of coarse language, but other than that, it's remarkable.

#YALLA peeps, Teagan recommended this, and it rocked my world! It makes me want to have a poetry slam night at school.

1 Samantha Kibel49 11

This had really good , so...maybe I'm missing something, maybe it just hasn't aged well...but I was very disappointed. Stereotypes abound. "This quiet, brooding Hispanic new kid must be a gangster." Equates "slam" poetry to use of ebonics and cheesy rhymes, and after performing a slam poem the token Black student, not mentioned anywhere elsein the book approves: "...shouting and clapping, this kid, Rashad, slaps me on the back and shakes my hand." Come on now. The MC's growth felt very underdeveloped. The dialogue wasn't believable. Then he tries to John Green/Nicholas Sparks the ending. Ugh. I really, really wanted to love this book, but I just couldn't enjoy it. :-/1 Beth3,005 218

Oh the tears. Thank goodness I wasn't out in public when I was reading this. The last 40 pages of the book had me weeping incessantly.

I would love to make this a read aloud in my classroom, but I fear I won't be able to get through the ending. Plus there's a fair bit of language, which could get awkward with middle schoolers. Would be a good high school read aloud though. 2015-novel-length-reads building-empathy family ...more1 Jennifer Kinney15 1 follower

This was such an excellent book. I loved the character of Luis immediately. I could not put this book down. It was so heart wrenching at the end. I cannot stop crying for the goodness in the charactr of Luis. What a fabulous read!1 Laine sanders9 Read

At he end of this book I almost because of what happened to Luis. I feel that Sam is a good friend for going through all this trouble just figure out a tragedy. I feel that this book showed to never judge a person by what they look and by rumors. 1 Lauren19

I read this book a few years ago but still this book has stuck with me. It is a moving piece about friendship and way a friendship can change you. If you want an emotional, sobbing thrill ride this is the way to go. 1 Kalea109 21

Traumatized.

This was such
A
Beautiful
Book
Wow.

I cried, just a little.

This really teaches the lesson of not assuming things about others as well as stepping out as yourself.

So
Good. diversity-lgbtq favorites friendships ...more1 Miranda Marchese89 1 follower

This is one that's really more 3.5 stars, but I didn't feel I wanted to round up and give it 4. It's a good YA book (and very sad in parts) but not the best I've read this year. I do that recent YA books have been more open about discussing different family situations and lifestyles....this book and Touching Snow are both good examples of that.
I really wish that I had gotten to know both of the main characters in this book a little better, particularly Luis. It's a conscious choice by the author that we only get his POV through poems, but I found myself wanting to know how he got into poetry in the first place. Without that info, it seems an arbitrary choice to make this kid from the wrong side of the tracks break through the stereotypes, and I know that's not what the author meant.
For me, some of the most moving parts with Sam were where he reflected on his relationship (or lack thereof) with his mother. The parts where it really got into what it was for him, psychologically, to have his mother essentially abandon him were very gripping.
Now, spoiler territory for the cancer subplot. It certainly was powerful in parts (I did not expect Sam to not be able to see Luis before he died...damn, that broke me) but I'm not as big of a fan of it as a literary device. It kinda makes Luis out to be some kind of one-dimensional savior character when, again, I don't think the author intended for that to happen. The motif of Sam adding more people to his contacts was a nice touch, though.
Overall, good YA book, VERY quick read, but not my absolute favorite of this year. Andrew Tyson12 1 follower

This book by Patrick Flores-Scott is one about a troubled teenager named Sam. Sam is troubled because he has no father in his life, his mother has left him, and he had to move away from his friends. As a result, Sam ends up withdrawing himself from the society around him. At school, it is his personal goal to avoid having any amount of attention placed on him. He doesn't want to interact with his teachers, and he doesn't want to interact with other students. In fact, he makes an effort to leave an empty seat beside him in every class, but this changes the day a new student named Luis comes to Sam's school. At first, Luis intimidates Sam even though he hardly acknowledges Sam. Things start to change when Sam and Luis have to work on a poetry project together. Both of them start to take their work more seriously, and they both become less withdrawn. I would highly recommend this book to anybody. The book is written in a way that grabs your attention on every page, and you're eagerly anticipating what might happen next.

This is a book that would be good for students who enjoy poetry because there is a lot of poetry and discussion about creating poetry within the book. I also think students who enjoy reading stream of consciousness would also enjoy this book. Throughout the book, it is we are in Sam's head and we are getting to hear all of his thoughts in a variety of situations. Thia Lee328 2

4.5 Stars... Beautiful story about friendship etc...

This book was not at all what I expected. I truly enjoyed this book so very much. The story is so touching, funny (had me laughing throughout) and I d just about all the characters (even the bird). This was just a well written heart felt book and I loved the messages implied.

The only issue I had with this book and why I didn't give it a full 5 Stars is the cursing. There is sooooooo much cursing that it truly took away (a little) from the beauty of the story. I don't understand why it was there at all and even if some felt "needed" why so much?

Other than the language, I thought this book was really good and it definitely one of my favorites of this year. It's just great story with so much to take away from it without the need to add a bunch of romantic elements to it.

Content: No sex, no romance---just at the beginning Sam mentions that girls want to "do" Luis, but that's it.
Language: WAY TOO MUCH, but the story is still so good. Emmilee Throckmorton41 1 follower

I honestly was not expecting to this novel. I don’t typically books that insert poetry throughout, but I found myself curious from the very beginning as to why the poetry wasn’t the main character’s poetry but rather the poetry of the kid he sat next to. I found myself getting drawn in to the narrative and I found myself reading my own students into the students in the classroom. I began to see the characters as the students in my class and I realized I should never judge a person based on their slacker-hood. Also, I should never let them get away with it. The main character’s voice speaks loud and clear, although he rarely does. This story drew me in and kept me reading until the ending that I honestly didn’t see coming. All in all, I would definitely recommend this for some of my reluctant readers!ya Amora14

Autor del comentario:
=================================