niseag's reviews
290 reviews

Thank you Netgalley and Jessica Kingsley Publishers for the ARC.

I want to start of this review by stating how happy I am a book like this exists. Some people might say that allies should not demand their own representation,  but a book like this might be crucial reading for young people who have lgbt folks in their lives: siblings, cousins, close family friends.... It does a good job in showing how they might be affected by seeing the pain of their loved ones, and in turn it explains how to stand with them in a way that children might understand. Combined with charming illustrations, this is an approachable way to introduce a child that might feel helpless against the pain of others to a way to help.
All that said, I think the book takes some knowledge for granted that the target audience I just described would not understand. What stood out to me was how it specified "the progress pride flag", which is politically very correct, but might add an extra layer of complexity that I do not think is needed, or indeed beneficial, here. I would also have liked if the book went into what the teen centre mentionned actually means to miguel and why it is a worthy cause. As I am an adult reader who is familiar with these kinds of instances, it makes sense to me, but for a child only just introduced to this part of the world it might be a vague concept. An extra line like "That is where Miguel and his boyfriend hang out to avoid the bullies" or something would have gone quite far.
I might be going into this too far, but that is mostly because I want to see books like this do the best they can. And things do not improve without critism. They are important. This book is important and should find places in libraries and classrooms. This is a brilliant step in children's literature.

 I got this book for free from my universities counselling building. It has some valuable advice and thoughts to ponder, and really hit home at times. That said, a lot of it is outdated, I see why they were getting rid of it. It's also rather American centred. 

 I have to be honest, this is not a good book. or at least it is not for me. people die, there is no emotional response to that at all. there's a bunch of old people doing stupid stuff and being tourists and i think it's meant to be funny but it isn't, and the whole book is just completely and thoroughly meh. I don't care. I don't think even the characters involved in the murders care. I was bored for most of this read and am glad it has finished.