Pearl: A Novel

by Jo Knowles

Bean (née Pearl) and Henry, misfits and best friends, have the strangest mothers in town. Henry’s mom Sally never leaves the house. Bean’s mom Lexie, if she is home, is likely nursing a hangover or venting to her friend Claire about Bean’s beloved grandfather Gus, the third member of their sunny household. Gus’s death unleashes a host of family secrets that brings them all together. And they threaten to change everything—including Bean’s relationship with Henry, her first friend, and who also might turn out to be her first love.

Genres: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Teen, Death

225 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 19, 2011

About the author

Hi! I'm the author of several books for kids and teens. including Ear Worm!,Meant To Be, and See You at Harry's. I'm available for school, library and book club visits either in person or via Zoom. For more info, please visit www.joknowles.com Thanks! :-)

Reviews

[Ava Cairns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this in middle school I was so hooked.
I want to read it again but I’m worried I’ll be less interested now that I’m older? I hope not.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished reading an advance copy of this YA novel on an airplane heading home from IRA, quietly wiping tears from the corners of my eyes and hoping the lady next to me wouldn’t notice. If she did, though, it would have been okay… I’d just have to tell her about PEARL.

Its author, Jo Knowles, is someone I’m lucky enough to count as a friend. She’s one of the smartest, kindest people I’ve ever met, and I loved her first two books, so I wasn’t surprised when this one crept quietly up and swept me away, too. This book keeps its secrets close to its heart, so I’m going to tell you only what I can without giving them away.

Pearl Collatti has lived a pretty mundane life with her mom and grandfather, Gus. She hangs out with her best friend Henry and watches Days of Our Lives with his mom. But when Gus dies, family secrets fly like milkweed fluff in the wind, and everything is different – Pearl’s relationship with her mother, her friendship with Henry, and her image of the grandfather she thought she knew.

PEARL is so many things… it’s part family drama, part romance, and part mystery. It’s peopled with characters so rich, so beautifully imperfect, that it’s hard to believe they’re not real. It’s a book about the cost of keeping secrets, trouble that turns beautiful, and painful truths that make room for love. It is a book that believes in love, too…even after years have passed. This is one I’ll be thinking about for a long, long time – and a book that I think will be an amazing choice for teen book clubs and literature circles when it comes out this summer.

[pearl]

I want to read this for (very) superficial reasons.

[Tricia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, so the problem with this book was the way it was written. I noticed a lot of editing mistakes, seeing quotation marks at the beginning of a statement but never at the end was quite common in this book. Another thing is that the author didn't have a very broad vocabulary. They literally remarked about how sweaty the characters were multiple times:
"He has a thing about sweat spots. Even though he puts on two layers of deodorant on, he still sweats through three shirts in the summer." Like who cares? And also I don't how many times Knowles said how fat Sally was. If Sally was being mentioned, so was her large butt, or her chubby arms. Overall, I didn't like this book.I liked the premise of it, but really it wasn't very well written and didn't live up to what the summary says. Oh well.

[Joy (joyous reads) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pearl and Henry practically grew up together. From not fitting in among kids of their own age, to not ever knowing their fathers, they’re kindred spirits who promised to never let the other grow old lonely. And maybe their absent fathers was the shared ground that bonded them together, or maybe it was from having a couple of mothers who seem to be more involved in their own dramas rather than raising their kids. Regardless of what it was, theirs was a relationship on the brink of something more.

Henry’s mother hasn’t left the house since his father disappeared and Pearl’s mom can only deal with her only if she’s had enough alcohol in her system. Really, the only people in Bean’s life she could count on aside from Henry was Gus, her grandfather. But when he died in his sleep, Pearl’s sad life slowly unravels, exposing secrets that threatened everything she’d come to know, including her relationship with Henry.

This is one of those books that should’ve reduced me to tears. But oddly enough, I didn’t feel anything at all. The characters weren’t able to reach me. I couldn’t feel pity. I was just reading for the sake of finishing a book I started.

There was nothing wrong with the writing, or the plot (I wouldn’t know how to crit those, anyway). I review books mainly to say whether or not I liked what I just read. There was just something that missed the spot here and I couldn’t put my finger on it.

The friendship between Bean/Pearl & Henry wasn’t able to convince me that they were the best of friends. Half the time, I felt some indifference with these two. It was like watching a couple of actors who were playing a part…actors who has no chemistry on screen. I couldn’t feel a trifle of pity for Pearl’s mother. I thought she was selfish throughout the book. Sally (Henry’s mother) was slightly better but not so much. Her life was sad though. Soap operas, Doritos and a couch and you’ve got yourself a peek at a day in the life of Sally.

I honestly didn’t know what to expect with this book. I might’ve read the synopsis when I added it on my To-Read shelf but I certainly did not expect this reality.

[Melinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pearl, age 15, is raised by a mother who her age when she was born, and by a grandfather who treats Pearl kindly but torments his own daughter. Feeling that her mother, Lexie's, life would have been better off without her, Pearl struggles with her sense of belonging, unaware of her mother's own struggles with a second life she has kept secret from Pearl and her father for years. With simple but precise prose, the author Jo Knowles weaves an engaging and unique story in young adult fiction. Although I was bothered by the lack of physical description of most of the characters, they show distinct and developed personalities, moving the narrative along relatively quickly.

My rating is a solid three, not four, however, for several reasons. Despite the psychological and physical trauma to which Gus, the grandfather figure, subjects Lexie, Pearl is lauded for her reluctance to accept this side of her grandfather. After Lexie reveals the truth about Pearl's grandfather, Pearl admits that she can't hate him and in fact wishes her mother could see his good side. Instead of calling out this abuse apologism for what it is, Lexie tells Pearl she's proud of her, and wishes she “could have been half as thoughtful and forgiving” as her daughter when she was her age (p. 195). That’s the same age, mind, that Gus was hitting so hard she fell to the ground, burning her belongings, and barraging her with verbal abuse. It’s unclear why Lexie should have any regrets about hating a man who made her life a living hell, and sections like these conflict with another recurring message of the book, that Lexie would have been better off had she left home.

In a similar way, the presentation of the “relationship” that resulted in Pearl’s birth is also questionable. Contrasted with Lexie’s story about being raped, the sexual relationship she had, at age 15, with an adult man is presented as consensual, despite the fact that she did not enjoy it, did not know how to say no, felt compelled to participate due to extreme homophobia (internalized, familial, and societal), and was a minor at the time. There is no reflection on the fact that those sexual encounters, despite not being the raped-in-a-parking-lot narrative she presented to her father, also constitute rape. Instead, Lexie’s mother bears the brunt of the blame for “her actions,” which are not seen as an adult man’s sexual exploitation of a vulnerable teenager.

A final disappointment in the novel was the romantic storyline. Like nearly all other female young adult protagonists, Pearl’s life is incomplete until she falls for a boy. Their shared status as outcasts makes this plot development no less tired and typical.

Despite these flaws, the novel makes an important addition to young adult fiction, tackling a broad range of underexplored subjects with a strong narrative and complex characters.

[Andye.Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll start out by saying that this isn't really my type of book. I don't read a lot of contemporary, especially books that deal with issues, because, frankly, they depress me. And this book definitely had a sad tone to it, but it was also very sweet. I quickly read through the 224 pages, eager to find out how Bean (Pearl), Henry, Sally, and Lexie would resolve the years of tension, heartache, lies, betrayals, and shattered dreams.

Jo Knowles is a fantastic writer who makes you really feel the story. My heart ached for Bean. And I could almost feel the hot, humid temperatures of this "stuck town" in the middle of the city. Would you know what I meant if I said it reminded me of My Girl, or Fried Green Tomatoes? Even though this story didn't take place in the country, the town almost had a old, country feel to it. I think this was helped along by the names Pearl (Bean) and Henry.

I really loved Bean and Henry. They were just so sweet together. They did seem (to me) like they were younger than they were supposed to be, maybe 13 or 14. The way that they were with each other, and the way that they responded to things, just didn't seem like they were 15. But they really were so endearing. There isn't much in the way of romance (though there is some), but it is huge when it comes to friendship, and the love of family.

If you enjoy contemporary reads that deal with families, friendship, love and loss, I think you will love Pearl.

Andye

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I read this title, I started thinking that the lives of Pearl Collatti and her best friend Henry are more than a little bit like the soap opera, Days of Our Lives, to which his mother is addicted. As in most soap operas, the characters have secrets that,once revealed, will change the world around them in good and not so good ways. Both Pearl and Henry know next to nothing about their missing-in-action fathers, and the truth about Pearl's father only comes out after her grandfather's unexpected death. His death and river-side funeral also brings Henry's mother out of the house for the first time in years. When it seems as though Henry and Pearl may have even more in common than they had thought, the story edged even closer to the line of the soap opera world for me. While I liked many things about Pearl and the slow way she and her mother tried to come to terms with their life choices, there were other elements that just seemed too over the top to be believed. Still, it is hard not to want to root for the underdog in this title.

[Angie · Rating 1 out of 5]

"This book was terrible. I wish I could give it negative stars.
The plot makes no sense whatsoever and the characters are poorly developed. All of a sudden, Henry's agoraphobic mom leaves the house after 15 years of solitude and starts hanging out with Bean's mom? And Bean's Mom never gave any indication she was gay for 15 years?

I understand that Bean's mom, Lexie, was putting on an act for Gus, and when he died, it was time to be herself. But not just the next day. And if this Claire was her partner for the last 15 years, she would have been nicer to Bean. She also wouldn't have gone all dyked out with her hairstyle suddenly. Gus wasn't Claire's Dad, so she could have looked as gay as she wanted.
It makes me wonder if the author has ever met a real-life lesbian.

While reading Lexie's coming-out scene, a co-worker described my face as "Like someone is making you eat worms."

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Includes death and "issues," but written oh so well. I tore through it in almost one sitting - I did have to close my eyes and go to sleep in the middle since it was bedtime.

[Nicolette · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was very interesting. There were lots of plot twists along the way, and I enjoyed the multiple point of views of each character. one thing i didn’t like was it was the same setting the whole book, so that could’ve made it better if it was different. But other than that i enjoyed it.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some spoilers-I mean it!

I chose to read this book because it is part of the Contemps challenge; that is also the main reason I finished this book besides its short length because I really didn't like most of the characters.

Bean, born Pearl, lives with her mother and grandfather, the two often at odds. Bean is lonely with a mother, Lexie, who seems indifferent to her and a grandfather, Gus, who tries but can't fill the place of a mother in her heart. Her best friend is Henry, who lives with his mother as his father abandoned them when Henry was young. After her grandfather suddenly dies, Lexie seems to feel liberated and Bean begins to wonder about her history.

Where to start? I found Bean rather annoying with her mopey and boring self. She was also very melodramatic. There were a couple of times where she was mad at her mom, then they seemed to calm down, and then she was screaming again. I hated those up and down, roller-coaster scenes. I guess a fifteen-year-old can be very dramatic and it's not like Bean has had good examples of personhood from the people around her. But I just didn't like her.

Then it turns out that Lexie is gay, which is why her father hated her, and her best friend Claire has been her girlfriend all these years. As soon as the grandfather dies, Claire is right there, stepping into Bean's life with absolutely no warning to Bean and often acting like an evil stepmother, trying to lay claim to Lexie. Now, Lexie is not a good mother and we've seen no inkling that she has any idea how to parent but it is still baffling to me how she moves Claire in without ever talking to Bean. I'm pretty sure it's a basic rule of parenting that the kid comes first. That's not to say that Lexie doesn't deserve happiness but she is supposed to think of her child at least some of the time. These women were 30 and in many ways they still acted like incredibly immature teenagers. So that's why I hated Lexie and Claire.

At the beginning Gus seems really nice but as the story unfolds we read about his prejudiced reaction to his daughter's queerness, which is full of so much hate. This opens another facet of his personality and helps explain some of Lexie's actions. It doesn't quite explain why Lexie didn't work harder to get away from him permanently. Another character who I liked at the beginning was Sally, mother of Henry, who I thought was an agoraphobe but who does end up leaving the house easily in support of Bean and then sort of becomes friends with Lexie and Claire. However she ends up almost collapsing in on herself in another extremely dramatic outburst.

One character I didn't hate was Henry...but that was mostly because he didn't seem to have a personality; he was there but he was easily forgettable.

One last thing I hated was the depiction of An Affair to Remember as some great romantic movie. I happen to think that it is one of the least romantic movies ever and I adore Cary Grant movies as he's my favorite actor and he makes everything better. But not this one. In Affair Deborah Kerr is hit by a car and becomes paralyzed. Instead of telling the man she loves and wants to marry that she's undergone this huge life change, she hides from him. He deserved to know! And if she had told him right away, and he accepted this change as part of "for better or for worse," then it could have been romantic. Or he could have fled, proving his true colors. But instead she hides from him for months and never displays any intention of telling him until he figures it out! What's romantic about not trusting the person you claim to love to know such a big thing about you? S/he should be able to handle every aspect of you (except for things that are your fault such as cheating). Ugh, I hate that movie.

Overall: Not recommended; definitely my least favorite of the Contemps Challenge.

[Jeni Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bean’s life is beginning to feel like the episodes of ‘Days of Our Lives’ that she and her best friend, Henry, and his mother, Sally, watch every day each summer over a shared bowl of Doritos.

For years, she and Henry have bonded over the mystery of why their fathers left them and their mothers behind. Bean’s father left before she was born; Henry’s when he was just a baby. They don’t find many answers from their mothers. Sally, Henry’s mother, hasn’t left the house since Henry’s father ditched their life together; Bean’s mother won’t even say Bean’s father’s name. When they were small, “Henry and I had been pretty satisfied with the stories we’d concocted about our dads. Mine was a pilot who disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle. Henry’s had been kidnapped by terrorists,” Bean says in Jo Knowles’ new young adult novel, ‘Pearl.’

But the secrets both their mothers have kept from them begin to unravel when Bean’s grandfather, Gus, who lives with Bean and her mother, dies.

Bean is confused when her mother seems almost relieved by Gus’ death, and when her mother’s best friend, Claire, practically moves into their home afterward (”It’s like they’re 12 and having a stupid pajama party”). She aches to know why the grandfather who taught her how to fish, cut her food into tiny pieces when she was younger so she wouldn’t choke, and once gifted her with the pearl earrings he’d given Bean’s grandmother for their 10th wedding anniversary could barely summon a kind word for Bean's mother, yet bought a Powerball ticket every Tuesday, hoping to fulfill her mother’s dream of owning a restaurant. And will the secrets that Bean's mother and Sally have been hiding threaten to destroy Bean’s relationship with Henry—just as she is beginning to feel something more than friendship for him? (“He slowly reaches for my hand. In the dark, I can just make out the shadow of our hands together. I feel a slow warmth spread up my arm. It feels foreign and familiar at the same time,” Knowles writes in ‘Pearl.’)

‘Pearl’ is riveting not only for the plot twists that take Bean on a soap opera-style roller coaster ride the summer after she turns 15, but also for the vein of emotional truth that runs throughout this novel. As Bean struggles with the changes that her grandfather’s death has brought forth in everyone who is close to her (“Everything—everyone—is changing. Literally. And while they may look happy, I’m not sure it’s for the better”), and as she grapples with the painful truth behind her grandfather’s relationship with her mother, readers in their teens and older will identify with Bean’s sense of loneliness, confusion, and overwhelming desire to belong. They will recognize the moments in their own lives when they’ve wondered whether “bad turning into something good” is an impossible wish. And they’ll read the scenes that explore the sweetness of first love and recognize the joy and uncertainty that surround moments such as these (“Henry looks surprised and scared. It’s sort of like looking into a mirror because he looks exactly the way I feel,” Bean says).

[Wisterious Woman · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm joining the ranks of the people that said this is one of the worse books they have read in a long time:boring, doesn't make sense, not very likeable characters, unrealistic,and not much of a plot.
Since the author has a husband and son I'm assuming she isn't a lesbian.
I didn't like her other book with a gay character either. I just don't think she gets it right.
The setting seemed 1970s. I couldn't really tell but Bean seems innocent for a 15 year old especially since she never figures out why her mother doesn't date but still comes home after a night of drinking looking like what her father calls a 'tramp'. I never figure out who buys the food,or clothes for Pearl or actually does all the normal things like housework. They seemed to get junk food from the mini-mart most of the time. The book lacks both adequate description of the scenes but also a cohesive plot.

There was one aspect of the book that I really liked. Pearl/Bean describes herself as fairly plain looking and Henry as chubby and sweaty. I applaud the fact that the main characters aren't the handsome football player and the gorgeous popular girl. Also, they don't always seem to have sex on the brain. It is a comforting friendship instead. Henry's mother is described in detail as being overweight and a couch potato. But I liked her because she seemed to be a truly caring mother and was kind to Bean. I have friends who are in the Plus-size lady category and they are great people. Often overweight people are held in disdain in novels.

I didn't end up finishing the book because I just couldn't stand it.
The author should give up on writing about homosexual characters. She never really addresses the alcoholism either. There is no sense that the kids getting into Vodka is a bad thing.

She isn't always off on her characters. I really like 'Living with Jackie Chan'.

[Princess Bookie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Thoughts: I didn't know if I'd enjoy Pearl when I started it. I was unsure about it. I liked it quite a bit. We are introduced to Bean aka Pearl and her best friend Henry. They have been best friends since the age of 7 and they are now 15 years old. Both of their dads left them when they were young so they have bonded over that. They tell each other everything. We also meet Henry's mom Sally and Bean's grandfather Gus, her mother Lexie, and her mother's friend Claire.

Bean and Henry have made up so many stories about their fathers. It helps them cope and gives them a sensible reason why their dad's aren't around.

A death in the family results in lots of questions between Henry and Bean. And why does Bean's mother act the way she does? At times, she just doesn't seem reasonable. Lexie doesn't get a long with her father most of the time and Bean just doesn't understand why she feels that way towards her grandfather. Bean and Henry start to develop feelings for each other and wonder if they are related. Honestly, this book is just over 200 pages and if I say much more I'll be giving away the whole plot and the whole conclusion.

I'll just say this, I really enjoyed reading Pearl. It wasn't what I thought it was going to be, but a good story otherwise. There isn't a whole lot of romance in this one, its more mystery and is full of lots of questions. Bean is trying to figure out things.

Overall: I really liked Pearl. Its a good contemporary book.

Cover: Its really plain but still appealing. If you look close enough, you can see faces on the cover.

What I'd Give It: 4/5 Cupcakes

Taken from Princess Bookie
www.princessbookie.com

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review from my blog:
http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot....

I have such a hard time reviewing and rating books like this one. Anyone who knows me knows I'm a conservative reader. Thus there is certain content that I prefer not to read about. This book has some of that content which makes me hesitant to recommend it. Since I hate spoilers I'm not going to share what it is... but conservative readers beware that the family secrets that unravel although not graphic may not be for you.

That said Pearl is a well written book, one I read in one sitting. Delving into family secrets, relationships, love, grieving and friendship Jo Knowles packed a lot into this fast paced family drama. The characters were well developed in a short time and I was drawn into this story and enjoyed it (for the most part).

Pearl by Jo Knowles will be released in July 2011


Content: Some language and other content that may bother conservative readers. Email me if you want more details as I don't want to post spoilers.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Source: ARC Tour

[Jen]

When I first saw the cover, I honestly thought it was a high fantasy or something. But I was way off! It’s actually a contemporary. For me, this type of contemporary wasn’t for me. This also isn’t your typical contemporary YA novel.

It was very simple, and an easy read. I think that middle grade readers could read this book too, but it was honestly boring. I didn’t see a point in the book, I mean most contemporary books don’t have points in them, but Pearl just seems especially pointless. It was basically about Bean finding herself. Which could have been done better.

Bean was a very naive character, she seemed very juvenile. It always seemed like she needed Henry’s help all the time. And the adults in the book were just terrible parents. I mean I know that they are single parents and all, but Jo Knowles just made them sound as if they didn’t care at all.

Overall, the plot for this book was just very mundane and boring. The writing was simple and easy to understand. The content of the book is as plain as the cover. I’ve definitely read better contemporary fiction.

[Kirsten Reay · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read Knowles' books before, and like the others, this time I wasn't disappointed. Pearl is a quirky, tragic read with (yes, let's face it) a pearl at the end of the tunnel. Like Lessons from a Dead Girl, it was a very quick read that left me wanting more. Knowles has a fantastic writing style and a knack for writing provocative and flawed characters. The characters reminded me almost of Susan Patron's "The Higher Power of Lucky", though I didn't really care for that book as much as I did this one.

[Chelsea · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not understanding how this book got published. The writing is like...well mine. I couldn't write to save my life and that's how I felt. This entire books pieces just didn't quite fit together.

Why would Henry's mom suddenly get out of the house after 15 years with no explanation? Why was it that as soon as Gus died, that Pearl's mom decided to have her girlfriend moved in who is the most stereotypical gay ever.

The whole situation with Pearl and Henry dad may being the same person was too unreal. I found it to be one coincidence too many.

None of the characters were relatable. How am I suppose to enjoy a book if the I can't relate to a single one of the characters?

[Cathy Blackler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jo Knowles has the ability to craft compelling tales of families searching for that fragile balance. Such is the case with Pearl. Pearl, known as Bean, struggles with the loss of her grandfather, the ghost of her grandmother, and the mystery of her mother's seeming reluctance to embrace anything remotely maternal. With the help of her only friend, Henry, Bean learns that it is possible for something beautiful to develop even in the most challenging circumstances.

[Katie Cooper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Knowles' books are always slightly unusual, different from most contemporary stories and I love it. There are no other characters like Bean and her mother. I did feel like Henry wasn't developed enough and I knew hardly nothing about him, but the rest of the story just seemed so real, like it could happen in your neighborhood or town. This wasn't my favorite story personally, but like all of her other books, it is extremely well-written.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of unlikeable characters here. This is, again, darker than See You At Harry's or Jumping Off Swings. Oddly enough. But I guess when you deal with these subjects--children dying and being abused and teenagers getting pregnant and so on--even your lighter books are going to sound dark. But there's a warmth to the characters in See You At Harry's, and in some of the characters in Jumping Off Swings, that made those books much more My Kind of Thing.

[lauu 𖤐⭒ · Rating 4 out of 5]

NO he leído este libro, es un espacio para escribir la reseña de mi anterior lectura!

reseña libro F1 proyecto 2 ale

imagínate que vives bajo el mismo techo que tú madre manipuladora y te obliga a casarte con un desconocido simplemente para salvar su empresa.. ¿que podría salir mal, si sólo tienes que convivir con un completo desconocido?

me encantan los matrimonios falsos y este no iba a ser una excepción!!! realmente me encanta ver como dos desconocidos tienen que convivir sin conocer absolutamente nada de sus manías o costumbres y ver como eso desata el caos 🙏🏻 que es justo lo que ha ocurrido aquí 💋

ambos personajes me han gustado bastante, sobre todo ella, ya que, me he visto reflejada en muchísimas ocasiones y eso ha hecho que conectase más con ella que con él ☝🏻 ; aunque he de decir que él es muy lindote 🫦

aunque logan no sabía absolutamente nada de ella, ni el infierno que vivía, nada más ver una mínima parte, enseguida empezó a actuar para que ella no tuviese que seguir viviendo así y esas acciones… me pueden mucho, lo siento 🙏🏻, es que ver como una persona está dispuesta a hacer cualquier cosa por ti… nono, me encanta!!!

me gusta que se haya reflejado el tener un familiar que te manipula y juega contigo continuamente, y ver todo el caos que puede ocasionar vivir con una persona tan tóxica aunque si es verdad, que de las cosas que se mencionan, algunas deberían de tomar más profundidad, como por ejemplo: el tema de la comida, creo que necesita un poco más de profundidad. Al igual que el duelo en el que vive el prota, me hubiese gustado y (creo) que estaría genial que se mostrase más cosas con respecto al proceso de duelo.

evidentemente ambos evolucionan y eso se puede apreciar conforme vas leyendo, creo que podría decir que mi parte favorita es cuando ella le planta cara a su madre 🙏🏻

respecto al romance, me gusta que haya sido muy lento y que se fuese apreciando poco a poco pero creo, bajo mi punto de vista, que se necesita más escenas donde se pueda ver qué ambos tenían sentimientos por el otro

una escena que he sentido muy rápida es donde ella está teniendo una crisis por su cuerpo, él entra, se declaran y segundos más tardes se acuestan, mmmm creo que realmente es muy forzado sobre todo teniendo en cuenta que segundos antes ella estaba llorando, personalmente hubiese puesto la escena de la declaración un par de capítulos más tarde hehe

es un libro relativamente corto (a mi me lo pareció 😎) y muy entretenido la verdad, y sobre todo, con mucho drama 💋

puntuación: 4 ⭐️

[Tanja · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author has brought to life a beautiful protagonist who despite the difficult home situation she grows up in, is a kind, caring and compassionate person, who the reader feels connected to and cheers for throughout the story.

This passage from p. 87 stuck especially with me, p. 87:

"What did he steal, Mom?"

She's quiet for a minute. "My childhood. Who I am. Who I want to be."

I could so easily relate to this. There always seem to be people who think they know/know better who you are or more importantly who you should be; who try to suppress the real you; who try to decide and force you to be who they want you to be. Sometimes they do this in a more subtle way, other times with psychological games that touch on mental abuse that leave lifelong scars.

Jo Knowles has done an amazing job in narrating such a story, in making visible the different perspectives, the different rationales. Nothing is ever black and white in such a situation and I especially loved how Pearl/Bean is standing for, yes almost defending, the many shades, many perspectives, in between to be seen.

[Miss Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first book on my Goodreads list--read 6 years later and not worth the wait!

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

i dont know why but i really liked this book

[D · Rating 1 out of 5]

Because of poor genetics, I am more susceptible to developing high blood pressure. This book did not help in any way.

[Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the second book I have read by Knowles and loved it. A great read for 12-14 year olds - feelings of not fitting in, not feeling loved, and finding your place in the world.

[Carol Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one. It was an easy read. I liked the characters, so it made the story worth the read.

[Hippiemouse420 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Jo Knowles! This is (I think) the third book of hers that I've read, and I am a confirmed fan. She's such a great writer.