Middle Grade Madness! discussion

This book won the poll by a mile even after taking into account people's second votes, so that's pretty impressive!

I'm super excited to read this one. Actually, the only reason it was on the poll was because I came across it a couple of months back and I loved the cover of it. I thought the premise sounded sort of sweet and sad and I already got myself a copy of it back than as I was planning to read it but never got around to it. So this is the perfect opportunity for me and I'm planning on reading this one as soon as June starts!

I love the cover too! and it does look interesting. I'm excited to read it!

Kacie wrote: "I love the cover too! and it does look interesting. I'm excited to read it!"

Pretty or interesting covers always reel me in. It's not true what they say, I do judge a book by it's cover😂 I'm glad you're looking forward to this one too!

Trying to get my hands on a copy :)

Requested from the library!

This one also sounds so good! I’m into the emotional books and my older sister loved her older YA books! I need to read my other YA book by her before reading this one (it’s my one rule for buying books is that I have to read the one that I own before buying more)

@Eden @Kelly awesome! Sorry for letting you guys know about it so late! It may take a while for you to get copies now😞 But you're free to join in whenever you can so there's no rush anyway!

Ilsen wrote: "This one also sounds so good! I’m into the emotional books and my older sister loved her older YA books! I need to read my other YA book by her before reading this one (it’s my one rule for buying ..."

I haven't read any of her other books. Which from the ones you've enjoyed would you say is the best and you'd recommend? I'd definitely be interested to check them out.

Also that's a great rule! I tried to have that rule for the books I download to my kindle but I cannot regulate myself or be strict with myself. So I have 63 new books on my kindle app and still download new ones to read all the time😂 It's not too bad compared to the 50 books I have read on there. If I can get it to 50 new unread books then at least it'd be balanced.

I can’t seem to find it in my library:( I’ll try get it second hand cuz I rlly want to read it!

It sounds good, but also pretty depressing.

Doesn't sound like the kind of book that interests me, which is totally fine.

@Eden I tried looking for you but it’s not on Hoopla. It’s free as an audiobook on audible if you have that and like to listen to audiobooks. That’s the best I could find otherwise it’s available as a paperback and hardcover from all your basic retailers: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Penguin Random House. It’s also available as a kindle ebook which is how I’m reading it but only from Amazon US not UK.

@Lynn that’s actually why I chose it and wanted to read it in the first place. That sounds kinda weird but the depressing aspect of it appealed to me. Sometimes you just want to feel sad feels ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ And if it’s carried out well it could be really moving. I’m looking forward to it! Are you planning on reading it too?

@Audrey aw that’s a shame but also totally fine! That’s why I love that our other Book of the Month is so different from this one, maybe that one will appeal to you more.

Kadi wrote: "@Eden @Kelly awesome! Sorry for letting you guys know about it so late! It may take a while for you to get copies now😞 But you're free to join in whenever you can so there's no rush anyway!"

No worries! It was available at the branch where I work! Woo hoo!

Kadi wrote: "@Eden I tried looking for you but it’s not on Hoopla. It’s free as an audiobook on audible if you have that and like to listen to audiobooks. That’s the best I could find otherwise it’s available a..."

It sounds like one of those books that will win awards, lots of angst and emotional themes, but no, I think I will pass on this one. Right now, I feel like reading light and fluffy. I'll be interested, though, in hearing about if from those who read it. 😊

It’s like 14 pounds second hand but he’s gonna hv a look on audible thank u😭

I read the book yesterday! I am curious what you all think of the book :)

Maeve wrote: "I read the book yesterday! I am curious what you all think of the book :)"

I checked it out from the library today. Heavy topics, but I'm really looking forward to reading it. I love books in verse.

EdenB15 wrote: "It’s like 14 pounds second hand but he’s gonna hv a look on audible thank u😭"

£14 for secondhand?! That's extortionate! That's more expensive than the hardcover which is £10 on Amazon UK. It's weird but the main bookstores like WH Smith and Waterstones don't seem to have it. Guess audible would be your best bet then. Let me know how it goes and if you manage to get a copy, I hope you do!

Maeve wrote: "I read the book yesterday! I am curious what you all think of the book :)"

You read it in a day? That's so fast wow! Can't wait to start it tomorrow! Then I'll share some thoughts and we can all discuss!

Lynn wrote: "It sounds like one of those books that will win awards, lots of angst and emotional themes, but no, I think I will pass on this one..."

As a mood reader I totally get you! Reading to match your mood is the best and you can always keep it in mind for the future if you're interested in it.

Kelly wrote: "I checked it out from the library today. Heavy topics, but I'm really looking forward to reading it. I love books in verse."

Same! Lately I've read so many novels in verse, I'm actually reading another one literally right now. They're just so good because they can be like 300 pages but you can read it in one sitting. It almost feels like cheating! And if it's done well then it can be really moving and a beautiful example of different language forms and styles.

Kadi wrote: "Lynn wrote: "It sounds like one of those books that will win awards, lots of angst and emotional themes, but no, I think I will pass on this one..."

As a mood reader I totally get you! Reading to ..."

Thanks, I am interested in hearing about it, though.

Nothing on audible either I’m raging :((

@Eden noooo!! I’m going to look around for more options for you and if I find something I’ll put it on here. Hopefully no one else is having issues getting their hands on this one. It’s weird how obscure this book seems to be!

I just started this book and looking at the contents has me like woah because there’s so many chapters, this book must be really long! Unless they’re all like 1 page chapters or something...

oh hallelujah. my library has it!!! finally some good luck XD

Found a copy on a website!!!

I’ll join in around the 10th after my exams

@Kacie @Eden awesome! I’m really glad so many of us are going to be reading this one! There’s a lot of interesting discussions that’ll hopefully come out from it because the content of the book is pretty intriguing like that. I’m almost 1/4 through so I’m going to post my thoughts on the first quarter and some discussion qs soon. There’ll probably be spoilers but I’ll put them in tags to hide them.

Ok guys so I’m one quarter through! The 1/4 mark starts from the chapter titled: “Despite Tossing and Turning” and here are some of my thoughts:

The new girl on the team:
(view spoiler)[ I am not here for the sexist comments and the protagonist’s shock that a girl can actually be a good baseball player. Granted, he did actually accept she has talent but he was sceptical at first and even laughed and didn’t stop his friend when he asked her why her dad decided to teach her baseball and not her brothers like she’s any less worthy of being taught than her brothers are. I guess maybe you can say it’s more understandable if you take the view that that’s probably an accurate representation of what young boys think and maybe this will be the turning point for the protagonist and his friend and they’ll realise now that girls can do anything.

Also it’s important to note that the sexism isn’t from the narrative, it’s from the protagonist because although he’s the narrator, it’s shown that the coach didn’t allow their sexism. The coach was a good guy, he appreciated the girl’s skill and gave her a chance to show her abilities too. (hide spoiler)]

Trace’s friend Bram:
(view spoiler)[ I find it interesting that Trace doesn’t try to hide what happens with Will from his friend and his friend’s mum. Guess he’s not enough of an angsty teen to think that’s how the situation should be handled. Like he has no reservations just blurting out his private family business like that. But then afterwards he doesn’t want to tell Lily about Will so he does have the sense to keep things private. Maybe that just goes to show Trace is really close to Bram enough to trust him with sensitive info about his private life. (hide spoiler)]

The restaurant scene:
(view spoiler)[ I can’t believe the dad revealed his girlfriend to Trace in such a terrible way. In public at a restaurant and in front of his friend. The dad specifically told him to invite a friend so I can’t decide if that was because he thought having a friend there would make Trace feel less awkward and uncomfortable or if he thought having a friend there would make it less likely for Trace to make an embarrassing scene for them. The first is a nice benefit of the doubt kind of thought and the second is the classic cynic in me. Which do you guys think is more likely to be the real intention? (hide spoiler)]

how far have you read? I'm gonna try to read some before bed. but I got totally sucked into a suspense series heh

I’m actually 34% in now. I would give you a page number but I’m reading the kindle edition so there is no page numbers. It’s the chapter that starts with “Dad takes Lily home”. Not having chapter numbers is pretty annoying but hopefully you get me.

Ooh what’s the suspense book? I’m always interested in a good thriller!

oh well I'll read it on my phone too so percentage is actually more helpful.

its the Elite Guardians series by Lynette Eason. the second one. it's pretty good. not the most suspenseful but it's still fun

Kacie wrote: "oh well I'll read it on my phone too so percentage is actually more helpful.

its the Elite Guardians series by Lynette Eason. the second one. it's pretty good. not the most suspenseful but it's s..."

I've always wondered about her books. Do they have a religious vibe?

they do have Christian themes but I don't think it's super overpowering. like they mention going to church and being angry at God and having to fix their relationship and pray... stuff like that

oh! it's written in verse. I didn't realize. I've only read one other book in verse but I kinda liked the style (makes sense why there's so many chapters now lol)

yikes this book..... *tears*

alright I'm at 35% :D I really like it so far

(view spoiler)[just making sure I remember how to do spoiler tags on my phone :D (hide spoiler)]

(view spoiler)[alright about cat....she seems cool XD and like you said...I don't love the sexism either but I mean...they're 12 year old boys. and baseball players XD so I'm not surprised at their reaction. even my brother still has a lot of prejudice against girls playing sports and he's like....16. no excuse but I think it's just the way boys act sometimes (which is obnoxious)

and I think it's good that trace feels comfortable enough to talk to bram and his mom. it doesn't sound like trace has a lot of people he can talk to

and I hate that his dad introduced his girlfriend like that too!! ugh. I think he should've been open about it from the start. just be like "heyyy I met this girl ....she's pretty cool... I'd like to get to know her a little bit" instead of straight to girlfriend intro in a crowded restaurant with no warning. not considerate of him at all

and man....I'm mega concerned about Will. sneaking out...taking money...yikes...this book is definitely tugging on my heartstrings.

and I hate that trace feels like he needs to fix his family. such a huge burden for a little kid. and I hate that he has almost no support system....but he seems like a good kid. I like him as a protagonist

overall really enjoying this! I just hope with all my heart that things get better for poor trace and will :( :( :( (hide spoiler)]

he calls himself a keyboardist but is playing Clair de Lune? *scoffs*

*whispers* he doesn't practice enough to be able to play clair de lune *ahem*

okay....I finished....I couldn't help myself....(view spoiler)[and now I'm a mess of tears :'( (hide spoiler)]

I also just finished it like literally 2 minutes ago. I have so many thoughts it would be easier to upload my brain😂
I’m actually not at all sad after that, mostly because the ending was semi-happily ever after (if I hear one more “I love you” I might throw up) and also because I saw that ending coming clear as day lol

Kacie wrote: "*whispers* he doesn't practice enough to be able to play clair de lune *ahem*"

HAHAH yeah I thought the music element wasn’t developed enough, he played like 3 times and even then it just says he played like didn’t ever show him practicing. Also that brings me onto why he played: (view spoiler)[
The fact that he played just to remember his mother annoyed me. I sided with Will in that there’s no point playing to remember someone who doesn’t care enough to stick around. That’s just pain for you and I don’t get how Trace ever found it soothing unless he was obviously deluding himself into thinking his mother cared about him (hide spoiler)]

And that brings me onto his mother who I HATE:
(view spoiler)[ I hate his mother for being so distant, for not caring about Trace, for only ever caring to ask about Will or coming to see Will but not Trace like he’s not important enough for her. (hide spoiler)]

And that really makes me hate Trace because:
(view spoiler)[ Even though Trace can see all that he never calls his mum out on it. He never calls her out for abandoning them, for lying to them, for treating him second best to his older brother. And what’s worse, and this got me super mad, he still panders to her. He still talks to her, calls her, hugs her when she comes. Like he has every reason to be mad at her and inside he is but he never voices that. And yeah ok maybe it wasn’t the time to call her out at the end because of everything else that was happening but he could’ve called her out earlier on. Or at least told her off a bit.
And he even defended her to Will. She doesn’t deserve that. I sided with Will on giving up on her and not even because she was a bad mother or a liar but because she gave up on them first and my view on toxic people like that is to cut them out. That would be my advice for toxic friends so what difference does it make if she’s their mother? Besides she’s never around so out of sight, out of mind, it’s very easy to cut her out. (hide spoiler)]
That last thought is probably controversial so it’d be interesting to see how many people agree with me on that. I think maybe that view comes with age or a cynical outlook, I certainly don’t have Trace’s youthful naïveté to delude myself when it comes to her.

yeah (view spoiler)[ though I hope that with the developments at the end of the book, he'll start playing for himself and not to remember her. kind of like why he wanted Will to take his guitar. (hide spoiler)]

I felt like (view spoiler)[ he wanted Will to take his guitar to remember their mother just as much as he thought it would heal Will like music heals him. The thing is they view music the same: its a reminder of their mother. Trace holds onto music for that reason but that’s the exact reason Will let’s it go in the first place.

So even though Trace starts to accept that moving forward with Lily could be good, he still holds onto some of his mother. And that’s just something I can’t get. Like she doesn’t even deserve that, she’s not even worth a thought in his mind. And I say that just as much because she makes me mad as I do because I want the best for Trace and for him to be happy. Holding onto something like that sort of seems like codependency like he doesn’t love music for his own reason, it stems from his love for his mother and it feels more toxic and sad than it does sweet. (hide spoiler)]
At least that’s my view on it!

Also I added some more thoughts above that relate to this which should probably be read first so you can get where I’m coming from.

(view spoiler)[ yeah I get where you're coming from (In regards to his mom and their relationship and the music). I don't know if a twelve year old boy is going to have the...idk what the word is....desire/ability to call his mom out...that doesn't excuse his mom at all. she's the worst. just abandoning her family like that and everything else she does. but going back to what I said earlier, trace doesn't have a very good support system so I think he was holding on to his mom because he had no one else....but she wasn't really there either....which is a bit confusing as to why he would do that. but I don't personally hold it against trace for not calling her out. he was already trying to "fix" his family and he felt a lot of responsibility. idk if he would be able to handle the idea that his mother wasn't coming back (hide spoiler)]

Kacie wrote: "alright about cat..."

I’m super glad to see (view spoiler)[ the sexism didn’t stick around! As I predicted, her arrival in Trace’s life was the eye-opening moment needed for him to appreciate that girls can be more than just ditzy idiots as him and Bram basically put it. If I wanted to be nitpicky I could argue the book doesn’t go far enough though because I mean they’re not wrong, some girls do act like they don’t care about anything other than makeup but that doesn’t mean they’re worth looking down your nose at. Trace sort of acknowledges that by saying he doesn’t know the girls well and that maybe if they tried playing baseball they’d actually be good and it is good that he shows an awareness that girls can be talented and you shouldn’t judge people you don’t know. BUT why are they only worthy of not being looked down upon if they’re good at baseball? Why do the guys get to decide whether they’re worthy, why do they have to pass the guys’ criteria?! (hide spoiler)] This is actually really relevant to real life and things I know women face and have faced myself. Men don’t make us worthy with the criteria they create. We are worthy in our own right.
And I feel very strongly about that!!
I know I know you could say this is just an mg book it’s not that deep but it’s a talking point! And also the book addresses it for a reason, to teach the reader and to bring awareness.

I did LOVE the bit with (view spoiler)[ Skye and Trace where they talked about consent. (hide spoiler)] Was not expecting that and thought it was a fantastic inclusion and a really great message!