Kim Ventrella

I think this just wasn't my cup of tea. Some of the language felt forced or maybe just foreign to me with the southern flare. It took me awhile to figure out what some of the repeated phrases meant, and it also felt like I should already understand them. That aside, the characters did have depth and their interactions rang true.

Sam's father has passed away and he must leave his home to live with his Aunt that he hasn't seen in years. There is a reason for that which we do learn. After the first day in his new school Sam discovers a way that he can still interact with his father, but we quickly learn that it is temporary, which Sam refuses to believe. Would recommend for someone interested in stories of traveling through grief or large fans of stories with a heavy southern leaning.

**Will note that I listened on audio, and the accent was just not my favorite, but the narrator did have talent!… (mer)

When Sam’s dad dies, he has to leave everything he cared about - his dad, their boat and their home on the bayou - to move in with an aunt he hasn’t seen in years. But through a secret door in a tree, he finds a way to spend afternoons with his dad again. Even if that means ditching the cute purple-haired girl who wants to work on a science fair project with him. But ultimately, he’ll have to choose between trying to stay with his dad and a new life that’s starting to feel like home.

Somehow simultaneously both heartwarming and creepy, this book tugs on your heartstrings! You may cry, but in a good way. The author did a great job pulling you into Sam’s world and filling it with a cast of quirky characters you won’t want to leave behind!

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC.… (mer)

I think this book should qualify as this generation's Bridge to Terabithia. It deals with a weighty subject in a light hearted way that keeps the reader engaged and turning pages til the end. As an adult reader the foreshadowing was slapping you in the face, but I think it’s subtle enough that it will be a surprise to many kids. This would fall in with books like I Kill Giants and A Monster Calls, except instead of a destructive kid, this has a kid who is all heart and just wants his sister to get well, his mom to be happy, and his dad to come back home.

A skeleton has started growing in Stanley’s backyard. His sister and all his friends can see it, but his caretaker Francine can see it. But no other adults can. Stanley really wants a way to make his father notice him and his sister after moving away, and he figures if he wins this big competition with pictures of the skeleton, then his dad would have to come home for sure.

I hate the dad. I hate the dad, who is never there for the entire book. But I love the rest of that cast. Mom tries her best and has such a burden. Sister Miren is so happy and carefree under dire circumstances. Then there is Francine who is like a grandmother indulging the kids, but making them use their heads and their hearts when they need to.

I am completely in love with this book and wish I had not held on to the galley for so long before reading it. I also love the original cover. I hate the new paperback cover.

This book is a big ol’ tear jerker, and worth every tear. Given enough time, and enough exposure I feel this book could become a classic akin to books previously mentioned. So give this book a chance. Why it may make the tears flow, it will leave the reader with a warm and happy feeling of love and friendship.

I think this book should qualify as this generation's Bridge to Terabithia. It deals with a weighty subject in a light hearted way that keeps the reader engaged and turning pages til the end. As an adult reader the foreshadowing was slapping you in the face, but I think it’s subtle enough that it will be a surprise to many kids. This would fall in with books like I Kill Giants and A Monster Calls, except instead of a destructive kid, this has a kid who is all heart and just wants his sister to get well, his mom to be happy, and his dad to come back home.

A skeleton has started growing in Stanley’s backyard. His sister and all his friends can see it, but his caretaker Francine can see it. But no other adults can. Stanley really wants a way to make his father notice him and his sister after moving away, and he figures if he wins this big competition with pictures of the skeleton, then his dad would have to come home for sure.

I hate the dad. I hate the dad, who is never there for the entire book. But I love the rest of that cast. Mom tries her best and has such a burden. Sister Miren is so happy and carefree under dire circumstances. Then there is Francine who is like a grandmother indulging the kids, but making them use their heads and their hearts when they need to.

I am completely in love with this book and wish I had not held on to the galley for so long before reading it. I also love the original cover. I hate the new paperback cover.

This book is a big ol’ tear jerker, and worth every tear. Given enough time, and enough exposure I feel this book could become a classic akin to books previously mentioned. So give this book a chance. Why it may make the tears flow, it will leave the reader with a warm and happy feeling of love and friendship.

#mountTBR
#Booked2020
#PopSugar
#ReadwithMrBook
#Beatthebacklist
#LMPBC… (mer)