Monday, August 31, 2015

A giveaway winner.... And for MMGM: Rebecca Stead reaches me again!

First, I have a winner to announce. According to randomizer, the winner of the hardcover of Auggie & Me:Three Wonder Stories and The Wonder Journal is...


Greg Pattridge


Congratulations, Greg and expect an email from me asking for your mailing address. 


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Now on to today's MMGM feature. Remember to visit Shannon Messenger's blog for other links. 




Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead (Wendy Lamb Books/Random House, August 4, 2015, 304 pages, for ages 10 and up)

Source: Random House

Synopsis (from Indiebound): Bridge is an accident survivor who's wondering why she's still alive. Emily has new curves and an almost-boyfriend who wants a certain kind of picture. Tabitha sees through everybody's games or so she tells the world. The three girls are best friends with one rule: No fighting.Can it get them through seventh grade?

This year everything is different for Sherm Russo as he gets to know Bridge Barsamian. What does it mean to fall for a girl as a friend?

On Valentine's Day, an unnamed high school girl struggles with a betrayal. How long can she hide in plain sight?

Each memorable character navigates the challenges of love and change in this captivating novel. 

Why I recommend it: There's a lot to love about this novel, including realistic dialogue and great characters, but my favorite part is the gradual blossoming of the friendship between Bridge and Sherm. I love that neither of them are ready to be more than just friends yet. 

Have to admit I also felt a strong kinship for Bridge since she's an accident survivor. And as an aneurysm survivor, I can tell you her feelings are spot-on. Rebecca Stead has done her research. But I wouldn't expect anything less from the author of First Light, When You Reach Me, and Liar and Spy, all of which I've read and enjoyed.

Favorite line:  "Tab's mom said that when people reached out to hurt your feelings, it was because they secretly felt they deserved to be talked to that way."   (p. 140)

Bonus: Plenty of diversity, as one would expect in a NY city school. But the author doesn't hit you over the head with it. 

Rebecca Stead's website
Follow her on Twitter




22 comments:

  1. I'm more than thrilled to win. Thanks so much!
    Also thanks for this review of Rebecca Stead's newest. She one of my favorite authors and I always read her books twice. Once for enjoyment and once more to take note of her marvelous writing style.

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    1. Good for you, Greg. I certainly did read When You Reach Me several times, but I rarely re-read books, simply because the TBR stack is taller than I am. :)

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  2. Congrats to Greg!

    I'm so glad you enjoyed this book, Joanne! It means I will enjoy it too since I love Rebecca Stead's writing. :)

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    1. Oh good, Akoss. You will definitely get a lot out of this one.

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  3. Sounds as if there is a lot going on in this novel--as there always is in Rebecca Stead's books. To add to her workload, I heard she also became an agent!

    Congrats, too, to Greg. I love his own MMGM reviews.

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    1. I heard that about her too, Michael. Don't know where she finds the time!

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  4. I LOVED First Light, so will be adding this to my list. Great to be back, and thanks for the awesome recommend, as always! :D

    --Suzanne
    www.suzannewarr.com

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  5. Congrats to Greg! Thanks for this review of Rebecca Stead's book. I hadn't heard of it. I will check it out.

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  6. This sounds really good! I've loved almost everything Rebecca Stead has written so far, and this one sounds really intriguing. I like what you've said about them not being ready for more than friends yet and I'm curious to see how she handles the accident survival bit.

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    1. Jenni, to me, those were the best parts of the novel. The flashbacks were beautifully handled.

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  7. Thanks for the review! I'm intrigued and will look for this one.

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  8. This one is high on my TBR list. I love Rebecca Stead's books!

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  9. Yay! for Gregg! Very cool. Aw...the angst of 7th grade. This book sounds wonderful! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on it.

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  10. Congrats to Greg! What a win! :)

    I have only read one book by this author, but I did enjoy it. This sounds like a good read too. Thanks for sharing!
    ~Jess

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    1. Oh, Jess, you should definitely try to read another book by her, whether it's this or something else.

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  11. Congratulations, Greg. I can't wait to read this book!

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