I absolutely love the voice of Butler as he passionately tells the story of raising his trans daughter in the American South in this climate of rabid transphobia and anti-trans action and rhetoric. He takes such care in writing about his daughter; his heart practically leaps off the page. I wish that so many could read from him and learn even an ounce of empathy.
Dick van Dyke seems like a genuine, down-to-earth human. This book is set up as more of a compilation of stories, almost like sitting down with your funny grandpa and listening to him talk about things that he remembers from his past. This format works so well for someone like him.
I knew going into the synopsis is that this book had a “Parent Trap” comp and wondered how Colbert would bring this in and avoid making the plot campy. Colbert did not miss. To describe this as a “Parent Trap” retelling sells the book short. Colbert weaves in so much more such as teh foster care system, loving but not understanding a person who struggles with addiction, and learning how to navigate middle school. I loved this book and cannot wait to read even more from Colbert.
I really enjoyed this read while reading even though I could see a few flaws at the time. When I look back to write the review, those things keep coming to the forefront. I really appreciated how Adame brought in the documentation issue and wove that into the magical world. The way information about the magical world to Chloe frustrated me quite a bit. This also made some of the reasoning given to Chloe for the various obfuscations.
Adame has all the makings for strong work in the future so even though some flaws exist in her debut I will pick up from her again.
Laini Taylor has always had the gorgeous, lyrical writing that had me in a chokehold in her Strange the Dreamer duology. that writing kept me reading here when I struggled to engage with the characters. If you want to read a fairytale, this one might work for you. Unfortunately, even though I love Taylor’s other works, this one did not work for me.
Gemeinhart consistently pumps out engaging middle grade reads. I read and enjoy them although sometimes the absurdity of his school settings bothers me (as an actual public school teacher). This one managed to transcend my normal enjoyment and actually made me tear up a little at the end. Gemeinhart still includes his patented absurdity but does so in a way that these characters sneakily worm their way into your heart.
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