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The Way to Bea
Everything in Bea's world has changed. She's starting seventh grade newly friendless and facing big changes at home, where she is about to go from only child to big sister. Feeling alone and adrift, and like her words don't deserve to be seen, Bea takes solace in writing haiku in invisible ink and hiding them in a secret spot.
But then something incredible happens--someone writes back. And Bea begins to connect with new friends, including a classmate obsessed with a nearby labyrinth and determined to get inside. As she decides where her next path will lead, she just might discover that her words--and herself--have found a new way to belong.
But then something incredible happens--someone writes back. And Bea begins to connect with new friends, including a classmate obsessed with a nearby labyrinth and determined to get inside. As she decides where her next path will lead, she just might discover that her words--and herself--have found a new way to belong.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published September 19, 2017
54 people are currently reading
1705 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 235 reviews
April 10, 2018
The Way to Bea by Kat Yeh, in my opinion, is packaged much younger than it reads. It sounds like a cute, middle-grade story about friends and mazes and labyrinths and secret notes. And there was a lot of cuteness, but the lying, skipping school, oblivious parents, and more made it feel much older than the blurb let on and not what I was hoping for.
Beatrix Lee (Bea) is starting 7th grade with no friends or support. Her best friend stopped talking to her. Now Bea feels alone and unsure of who to be. If her Bea-ness made her best friend walk away, should she change? How can she possibly stop being Bea? Stop being the girl in constant search of her theme song, the girl who writes poems in the air, and the girl who misses sharing everything with her BFF? With no friends or place to fit in, Bea runs and hides the school day away. One day she stumbles upon a safe place though and maybe, just maybe finds a friend there too. Will!
Bea and Will are super cute together. Their straight forward, honest, often filled with silence time together was my favorite part of the book. Actually the side characters made this book for me. Briggs and Will were a joy to meet. Bea made strides with facing her fears and old friends, but overall, I did not enjoy spending time with her. I loved her poetry though. Her Haiku and not quite Haiku poems made me think.
“if I act the way
I wish I were
am I still acting…or becoming?”
Haiku is a beautiful art form that doesn’t get enough time in the spotlight. But these sweet, little word gems inspired me to put pen to paper and try Haiku. Speaking of putting pen to paper—I wish the secret pen pal plot point continued a bit longer. I thought that was supposed to be a big part of the fun. *sigh* I might not have enjoyed some of the ingredients here, but the messages are ones to take to heart. Messages like….Be yourself and don't go changing for other people and “What you feel inside is what you put out in the universe.”
Check it out at your local Library.
P.S.
I wasn’t going to mention this, but it truly bothered me so….
I want to give a heads up to other readers or parents. The use of matches in this story came up several times. I’m not a fan of that at all! Matches were struck in the woods without much care. Sure if you’re starting a fire to survive—include the matches in the tale. But this! This felt like they were used for entertainment. Bea writes her poems with lemon juice and water to make them invisible, so a match or heat is needed to make them visible again. Cute idea. But matches left around or used in the woods is just something I don’t like to see. Purely my issue, but I wanted to put it out there for others to decide and discuss.
February 12, 2018
"The only thing I do know is that I'm afraid—and I'm still going to try anyway." (p. 302)
"...all I can think is that the more you walk down a path, the more you start to feel that you can probably handle whatever it is you find at the end." (p.310.)
"...all I can think is that the more you walk down a path, the more you start to feel that you can probably handle whatever it is you find at the end." (p.310.)
May 7, 2018
Oh my goodness, a new heartprint book. ❤️ I’m so sorry it took me this long to read it, because it’s absolutely amazing. Brilliantly written, with characters that leave a mark on you, if you haven’t read this book yet, PLEASE bump it up your TBR list. You won’t be sorry.
May 16, 2019
I do not recommend that you read this book for many reasons.
The main character, Beatrix Lee, finds herself wondering why she no longer has any friends, and why she no longer seems to fit in. This book is her unrealistic, and contrived journey to coming to find people that are like her:
equally weird.
I remember from the start of the novel, I read a few things that began to raise some eyebrows:
After having a mental breakdown, and running to find refuge in the woods, Bea comments to herself, "Why? Why, why, WHY do I always have to be so.....me."
First error:
She should have said,"WHY do I always have to be so.... bizarre or strange.
Secondly, Bea seems to have some issues with names. She always refers to characters by their first initial:
"We learned all about invisible ink from this book called "Start Your Own Secret Club" that S and L and L and I got from the book....". This began to irritate me, being that you may have noticed that sometimes, numerous peoples' names start with the same letter??
Bea decides during the summer to go away to Taiwan, and at the end of the trip, she remembers she has friends: Oh no, she forgot to communicate with them!
Why do I have no friends?, she wonders to herself. Maybe it's because you blew them off during the summer! Moronic characters do tend to drive me crazy.
But let's just say that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. As soon as I learn about Bea's parents, some of the book begins to make sense. It became quite conspicuous to me rather early on that this was not the book for me, though I kept reading on, attempting to give this abysmal piece of work and opportunity to improve.
Spoiler alert:
It didn't. By this point, I'm sure you won't be surprised to find out that Bea's other bizarre friend has a seizure in the middle of the book. "Oh don't worry. This doesn't happen often to Will. He only has a seizure if you turn on the lights, or touch his folder, or talk to him for that matter lest it get disorganized and he be overwhelmed".
The book doesn't have much of a plot or story line that keeps you interested. Typically weird people don't become normal overnight. Towards the end of the book, Bea finally comes to the realization that she is the problem, being that she keeps holding onto her old friends hoping they will return.
And being that this is a poorly written cheesy story, they all return at the end, and are ready to accept her again despite her oddities:
Definition of Cliche:
"a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought."
Second definition:
"The Way to Bea" by Kat Yeh.
Stay far from this awful piece of literature, and you will ensure you never are in the position of Bea.
If you are in the mood for a mental hospital, you have come to the right place.
The main character, Beatrix Lee, finds herself wondering why she no longer has any friends, and why she no longer seems to fit in. This book is her unrealistic, and contrived journey to coming to find people that are like her:
equally weird.
I remember from the start of the novel, I read a few things that began to raise some eyebrows:
After having a mental breakdown, and running to find refuge in the woods, Bea comments to herself, "Why? Why, why, WHY do I always have to be so.....me."
First error:
She should have said,"WHY do I always have to be so.... bizarre or strange.
Secondly, Bea seems to have some issues with names. She always refers to characters by their first initial:
"We learned all about invisible ink from this book called "Start Your Own Secret Club" that S and L and L and I got from the book....". This began to irritate me, being that you may have noticed that sometimes, numerous peoples' names start with the same letter??
Bea decides during the summer to go away to Taiwan, and at the end of the trip, she remembers she has friends: Oh no, she forgot to communicate with them!
Why do I have no friends?, she wonders to herself. Maybe it's because you blew them off during the summer! Moronic characters do tend to drive me crazy.
But let's just say that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. As soon as I learn about Bea's parents, some of the book begins to make sense. It became quite conspicuous to me rather early on that this was not the book for me, though I kept reading on, attempting to give this abysmal piece of work and opportunity to improve.
Spoiler alert:
It didn't. By this point, I'm sure you won't be surprised to find out that Bea's other bizarre friend has a seizure in the middle of the book. "Oh don't worry. This doesn't happen often to Will. He only has a seizure if you turn on the lights, or touch his folder, or talk to him for that matter lest it get disorganized and he be overwhelmed".
The book doesn't have much of a plot or story line that keeps you interested. Typically weird people don't become normal overnight. Towards the end of the book, Bea finally comes to the realization that she is the problem, being that she keeps holding onto her old friends hoping they will return.
And being that this is a poorly written cheesy story, they all return at the end, and are ready to accept her again despite her oddities:
Definition of Cliche:
"a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought."
Second definition:
"The Way to Bea" by Kat Yeh.
Stay far from this awful piece of literature, and you will ensure you never are in the position of Bea.
If you are in the mood for a mental hospital, you have come to the right place.
August 27, 2017
I do not know the way
Until that extra thump (six) on your heart tells you that you've made the wrong choice. Only this time, it's not just a haiku—it's real life. And there's no starting over.
What an absolutely beautiful, emotional, and realistic read!!
What you feel inside is what you put out in the universe.
Because...how do you keep someone?
I mean, how do you keep someone and make sure they don't leave? How do you figure out how to be and how to act, so they don't even want to begin to think about leaving?
It's like you saved me from eternal invisibility.
Briggs frowns. "But i think that's kind of messed up. I think people should talk about things. How is anyone suppose to understand anything or how are things suppose to get better if you don't talk about it?"
Full review to come.
July 11, 2017
A Bea-utiful book about finding new friends when your old ones have abandoned you and learning to be true to yourself. 😭💜
note: the main character is Taiwanese American and one of the supporting characters is autistic.
note: the main character is Taiwanese American and one of the supporting characters is autistic.
January 22, 2018
"I'm the only one who gets to walk my path, and I'm the only one who gets to choose which way to go, and this is the only way I know how to be". Loved this book filled with honest middle school angst. And the librarian is super cool. Bonus points.
May 18, 2023
really nice book :)) i love how bea finds her way through reading stargirl. i love stargirl it’s probably one of my most favourite books ever.
January 2, 2022
not 3 but 3.5 rounded down bc 4 stars doesnt quite feel right. it was an okay read, but I was still kind of confused on some things in the book, like how apparently it was shared that one of the side characters liked the mc but it never got anywhere since they weren't even having any dialogue or anything. it was just unnecessary information. I also didn't understand the breakdowns that happened about 3/4 of the book in, would have been nice to have something explaining it to the ones who didn't get it (for example me)
February 28, 2018
4 stars
This is a hard book to review for me. On one hand, I loved Bea - her insecurity, her quietness, her loyalty to her friends. She is definitely a person who lives inside her head more than she's speaks and it shows in many of the moments she has with her classmates. The secondary characters were great - Briggs, Mrs. Riggs, and Will especially. I listened to this on audiobook and the narrator (the CD's are in the car so I can't recall who narrates this) did a EXCELLENT job. She made the characters leap out of the speakers for me.
That said, I do not know if this is a middle school book written for middler schoolers or a middle school book written for adults. I enjoyed this but as a 6th/7th grader, I do not know if I would have liked it (I think younger me would have found the book too dull/trying to pass a message). Also, I will be completely honest and say I did not like Bea's parents. AT ALL.
So yes, 4 stars overall. It's a good book with tight writing but I just can't understand how I ultimately feel about it.
This is a hard book to review for me. On one hand, I loved Bea - her insecurity, her quietness, her loyalty to her friends. She is definitely a person who lives inside her head more than she's speaks and it shows in many of the moments she has with her classmates. The secondary characters were great - Briggs, Mrs. Riggs, and Will especially. I listened to this on audiobook and the narrator (the CD's are in the car so I can't recall who narrates this) did a EXCELLENT job. She made the characters leap out of the speakers for me.
That said, I do not know if this is a middle school book written for middler schoolers or a middle school book written for adults. I enjoyed this but as a 6th/7th grader, I do not know if I would have liked it (I think younger me would have found the book too dull/trying to pass a message). Also, I will be completely honest and say I did not like Bea's parents. AT ALL.
So yes, 4 stars overall. It's a good book with tight writing but I just can't understand how I ultimately feel about it.
September 14, 2017
This is a tender, wonderfully written book about losing your friends, and finding the courage to stand strong and be yourself.
Bea has high hopes for seventh grade, but when she comes back from a summer vacation in Taiwan, nothing is as it was before. Her best friends have turned their backs on her, and while a kind-hearted teacher immediately tries to engage Bea into different groups of kids, Bea isn't sure she wants to have anything to do with anyone. To make matters more complicated, her artist parents are busy with different projects and don't notice how things have changed for Bea.
She finds a kindred spirit in Will, a member of the school literary magazine. Will is different in ways that Bea is not, but he's unafraid to be himself. There's also Briggs, a year older than Bea, who embraces individuality and creativity, and is a big fan of Bea's poetry.
It's hard to be different, especially in middle school. There is a LOT of pressure to conform to what everyone else is doing, and tamp down the quirks and talents that make you special. I love how this book embraces who Bea is - from her artistic, heart-feeling parents, to lovely Mrs. Rodriguez, and all the school literary magazine kids. It's a fantastic message with a robust, organically diverse cast of characters. I can't recommend this book enough.
*I was a Goodreads Giveaway winner for this book!*
Bea has high hopes for seventh grade, but when she comes back from a summer vacation in Taiwan, nothing is as it was before. Her best friends have turned their backs on her, and while a kind-hearted teacher immediately tries to engage Bea into different groups of kids, Bea isn't sure she wants to have anything to do with anyone. To make matters more complicated, her artist parents are busy with different projects and don't notice how things have changed for Bea.
She finds a kindred spirit in Will, a member of the school literary magazine. Will is different in ways that Bea is not, but he's unafraid to be himself. There's also Briggs, a year older than Bea, who embraces individuality and creativity, and is a big fan of Bea's poetry.
It's hard to be different, especially in middle school. There is a LOT of pressure to conform to what everyone else is doing, and tamp down the quirks and talents that make you special. I love how this book embraces who Bea is - from her artistic, heart-feeling parents, to lovely Mrs. Rodriguez, and all the school literary magazine kids. It's a fantastic message with a robust, organically diverse cast of characters. I can't recommend this book enough.
*I was a Goodreads Giveaway winner for this book!*
June 8, 2017
I'm weird with Middle Grade books. There are a few that I have really liked and there are some that I found underwhelming. This one falls right in the middle of these two categories. While I did like The Way to Bea, I wasn't in love with it.
The Good: The best thing about The Way to Bea is the way that Yeh captures the loneliness that Bea felt so wonderfully. I felt like I could feel her pain. I also loved the resolution between Bea and S. I thought that it was so realistic.
The Eh: Plot-wise, I found The Way to Bea to be a little thin. It seems to be more about Bea discovering herself. The labyrinth/maze aspect of it wasn't in the book all that much and most of it was towards the end. I did find the middle to be a bit of a slog (however, I'm an adult reading a middle grade novel so take that with a grain of salt) and it did feel a bit long.
In the end, I liked The Way to Bea. This book shined the brightest when it was getting into Bea's loneliness and her angsty inner most thoughts. If you're looking for something with adventure, though, I'd skip this one.
The Good: The best thing about The Way to Bea is the way that Yeh captures the loneliness that Bea felt so wonderfully. I felt like I could feel her pain. I also loved the resolution between Bea and S. I thought that it was so realistic.
The Eh: Plot-wise, I found The Way to Bea to be a little thin. It seems to be more about Bea discovering herself. The labyrinth/maze aspect of it wasn't in the book all that much and most of it was towards the end. I did find the middle to be a bit of a slog (however, I'm an adult reading a middle grade novel so take that with a grain of salt) and it did feel a bit long.
In the end, I liked The Way to Bea. This book shined the brightest when it was getting into Bea's loneliness and her angsty inner most thoughts. If you're looking for something with adventure, though, I'd skip this one.
January 9, 2018
The Way to Bea was fantastic. While many realistic middle grade novels and graphic novels tend to revolve around a lead that is awkward or trying to fit in, Bea focuses on actual anxiety that some kids may feel. It felt really honest, and I think a lot of kids that find this wonderful story are going to relate to one of many possible characters.
If you're a kid, or have a kid, that's quiet, artistic, a writer, maybe is a bit of a loner, and you/they could use the reminders that friendships change and evolve, and how you should be true to who you are, you'll be just fine in Kat Yeh's very capable hands.
Between her recent picture book, The Friend Ship, and now The Way to Bea, Yeh has been killin' it lately.
If you're a kid, or have a kid, that's quiet, artistic, a writer, maybe is a bit of a loner, and you/they could use the reminders that friendships change and evolve, and how you should be true to who you are, you'll be just fine in Kat Yeh's very capable hands.
Between her recent picture book, The Friend Ship, and now The Way to Bea, Yeh has been killin' it lately.
September 19, 2017
When I was in seventh grade I loved haiku's much the same as Bea, the main character, in this book does. Baa's a girl who has come back from a trip to Taiwan with her family to find she find she and her best friend 'S' are no longer the inseparable duo they once were. There's a lot about Bea that's relatable, but I found myself relating as much if not more to the quirky kid Will who studies mazes and eats lunch by himself in the newspaper office. The book has relatable characters, and though there are no straight forward villains there are definitely those who would change Bea. And she doesn't need changing.
April 3, 2019
I like the way this book described poetry, those little moments in life, and those phrases that just make you want to write. However, I feel like everything moved too fast, especially in the end with Briggs.
September 5, 2017
Review can be found on my blog. Linked here:
https://betweenthepagesbooks.wixsite....
https://betweenthepagesbooks.wixsite....
September 23, 2017
When it says it's written by Kat Yeh, that just means go ahead and preorder.
Kat gives us another amazing middle grade read that is sure to captivate all readers.
Kat gives us another amazing middle grade read that is sure to captivate all readers.
December 21, 2018
ARC Review (6/20/17, received from a local bookstore)
Actual rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
When I first heard about this novel, I was absolutely ecstatic. Kat Yeh's middle grade novel debut, The Truth About Twinkie Pie, was one of my favorite novels last year. She did an impeccable job crafting a relatable protagonist with a phenomenal voice and capturing all the emotions of what's it like to be a kid like she's truly been in those same places. However, what I loved about that book was its sincerity. Yeh's writing is earnest and heartrending in all the right ways. Her casts of characters feel real and are always entertaining, and following their journeys is fun. Nothing feels forced. Everything feels 100% authentic. So when I saw it at a local bookstore on their kids ARC pile, I snatched it as fast as I could.
Needless to say, I was pleased to see Yeh's strengths carry over in The Way to Bea. Bea, the protagonist here, is another lovable protagonist that feels real, and her journey with trying to find her best self was fun. Additionally, the characters represent all walks of life once more, and everyone will be able to see pieces of themselves in them. However, the wandering plot and some lack of development for other characters aside from the leads still remain. I did notice these more with the follow-up, but it doesn't detract from yet another fantastic story with a big heart.
Beatrix "Bea" Lee is the titular character here (or, I realized, the former acronym of Book Expo), and once again, Yeh's crafting shines here. Bea's journey itself was wonderful, but her emotions are tapped into incredibly well. The loneliness without a best friend she can only refer to by the first letter of her name (which was an excellent touch to me, especially since this changes later so we learn her name and those of the friend group), the anxiety that swelled up when she had to confront her past, the realization of how fun making haiku was and of making new friends so she could let them in, and even her sass as she's opening up felt genuine and achingly human. To see her grapple with these things made me realize just how much Yeh has experienced pain and joy, and Bea was that sponge soaking up those prior moments on her way to find her best self, planning a labyrinth (we also got the official definition of mazes and labyrinths, thank goodness; now I know the difference) conquering adventure with a new friend, and realizing she's best when she's creative.
But that's not all. All the characters in The Way to Bea were diverse and interesting to read. Seeing the differences in how they interacted with Bea made me invested in the world of this book. Whether it was Will, a striped-shirt wearing boy interested in labyrinths who eventually became Bea's friend (and who was also a very respectful handling of Aspergers), Ms. Rodriguez, the librarian who always knew which book to recommend to a student who needed it, Briggs, the fedora-clad eighth grader with his heart on his sleeve, the few interactions we saw with S in the past, and Jaime, the girl with the Afro who drew a comic about a turtle looking for a band in the school newspaper who wanted to be Bea's friend, they all captured my attention equally. Most of them treated each other with respect and approached things in their own way, and I was really rooting for them to succeed in whatever they were working on. I do wish that there had been more development with some of the kids on the Broadside (school newspaper) team, but sometimes, you get what you get, and they definitely felt like individuals, which is a plus.
I also enjoyed the heck out of the love for art in this book. Both of Bea's parents (aside from still being absolutely head over heels with each other with another baby coming on the way that Bea gets to middle name) are artists: the father is a comic book artist with a Taiwanese superhero (since Bea'a family is from there), while the mother works on blue paintings. This got passed down to Bea's haiku and poetry writing, and I loved how the novel spent time showing Bea's creative process and how it guided her to make the decisions she wanted to make. It took time as well to explore the relationship between Bea and her parents, one with more independence than most kids her age.
There were also plenty of music and literary references, which I loved to guess and figure out where they were going (all the songs mentioned in the book are in a playlist at the end, which I will definitely be listening to).
While I do think this book's plot had a lot going for it (Bea dealing with her anxiety, haiku, the newspaper crew, finding a labyrinth, giving a middle name to a baby sister, best friend drama), The Way to Bea is still an enjoyable book. With realistic characters, engaging writing, fun adventures, and enough sincerity to replicate even the warmest of apple pies, Kat Yeh proves to be one of the sweetest middle grade authors around.
One last thing: Peyton Elizabeth Lee from Disney Channel's Andi Mack (which is the best show the company has worked on in years thanks to Terri Minsky, please check it out) would make an awesome Bea in an adaptation of this. Not only would she capture the spunk of the lead incredibly well, but the show actually reminds me a lot of Yeh's writing (and not just the plot twist of the debut). It's engaging, authentic, heartwarming, and subverts pretty much all the typical things you see in shows like this. Lee's also too darn cute.
After Reading:
I need a moment to process my thoughts because I'm in an emotional and allergy-suffering state where my eyes sting. All I know is the ending was excellent, Kat Yeh is one of the most sincere writers I've ever read, and I just need more beautiful stories like this one from her.
Before Reading:
More Kat Yeh? Sounds great to me!
Actual rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
When I first heard about this novel, I was absolutely ecstatic. Kat Yeh's middle grade novel debut, The Truth About Twinkie Pie, was one of my favorite novels last year. She did an impeccable job crafting a relatable protagonist with a phenomenal voice and capturing all the emotions of what's it like to be a kid like she's truly been in those same places. However, what I loved about that book was its sincerity. Yeh's writing is earnest and heartrending in all the right ways. Her casts of characters feel real and are always entertaining, and following their journeys is fun. Nothing feels forced. Everything feels 100% authentic. So when I saw it at a local bookstore on their kids ARC pile, I snatched it as fast as I could.
Needless to say, I was pleased to see Yeh's strengths carry over in The Way to Bea. Bea, the protagonist here, is another lovable protagonist that feels real, and her journey with trying to find her best self was fun. Additionally, the characters represent all walks of life once more, and everyone will be able to see pieces of themselves in them. However, the wandering plot and some lack of development for other characters aside from the leads still remain. I did notice these more with the follow-up, but it doesn't detract from yet another fantastic story with a big heart.
Beatrix "Bea" Lee is the titular character here (or, I realized, the former acronym of Book Expo), and once again, Yeh's crafting shines here. Bea's journey itself was wonderful, but her emotions are tapped into incredibly well. The loneliness without a best friend she can only refer to by the first letter of her name (which was an excellent touch to me, especially since this changes later so we learn her name and those of the friend group), the anxiety that swelled up when she had to confront her past, the realization of how fun making haiku was and of making new friends so she could let them in, and even her sass as she's opening up felt genuine and achingly human. To see her grapple with these things made me realize just how much Yeh has experienced pain and joy, and Bea was that sponge soaking up those prior moments on her way to find her best self, planning a labyrinth (we also got the official definition of mazes and labyrinths, thank goodness; now I know the difference) conquering adventure with a new friend, and realizing she's best when she's creative.
But that's not all. All the characters in The Way to Bea were diverse and interesting to read. Seeing the differences in how they interacted with Bea made me invested in the world of this book. Whether it was Will, a striped-shirt wearing boy interested in labyrinths who eventually became Bea's friend (and who was also a very respectful handling of Aspergers), Ms. Rodriguez, the librarian who always knew which book to recommend to a student who needed it, Briggs, the fedora-clad eighth grader with his heart on his sleeve, the few interactions we saw with S in the past, and Jaime, the girl with the Afro who drew a comic about a turtle looking for a band in the school newspaper who wanted to be Bea's friend, they all captured my attention equally. Most of them treated each other with respect and approached things in their own way, and I was really rooting for them to succeed in whatever they were working on. I do wish that there had been more development with some of the kids on the Broadside (school newspaper) team, but sometimes, you get what you get, and they definitely felt like individuals, which is a plus.
I also enjoyed the heck out of the love for art in this book. Both of Bea's parents (aside from still being absolutely head over heels with each other with another baby coming on the way that Bea gets to middle name) are artists: the father is a comic book artist with a Taiwanese superhero (since Bea'a family is from there), while the mother works on blue paintings. This got passed down to Bea's haiku and poetry writing, and I loved how the novel spent time showing Bea's creative process and how it guided her to make the decisions she wanted to make. It took time as well to explore the relationship between Bea and her parents, one with more independence than most kids her age.
There were also plenty of music and literary references, which I loved to guess and figure out where they were going (all the songs mentioned in the book are in a playlist at the end, which I will definitely be listening to).
While I do think this book's plot had a lot going for it (Bea dealing with her anxiety, haiku, the newspaper crew, finding a labyrinth, giving a middle name to a baby sister, best friend drama), The Way to Bea is still an enjoyable book. With realistic characters, engaging writing, fun adventures, and enough sincerity to replicate even the warmest of apple pies, Kat Yeh proves to be one of the sweetest middle grade authors around.
One last thing: Peyton Elizabeth Lee from Disney Channel's Andi Mack (which is the best show the company has worked on in years thanks to Terri Minsky, please check it out) would make an awesome Bea in an adaptation of this. Not only would she capture the spunk of the lead incredibly well, but the show actually reminds me a lot of Yeh's writing (and not just the plot twist of the debut). It's engaging, authentic, heartwarming, and subverts pretty much all the typical things you see in shows like this. Lee's also too darn cute.
After Reading:
I need a moment to process my thoughts because I'm in an emotional and allergy-suffering state where my eyes sting. All I know is the ending was excellent, Kat Yeh is one of the most sincere writers I've ever read, and I just need more beautiful stories like this one from her.
Before Reading:
More Kat Yeh? Sounds great to me!
September 21, 2017
Twelve year old Bea Lee and her BFF had big plans for seventh grade, but now Bea’s friends are ignoring her, Bea’s super busy artist mother and graphic novelist father are focused on the arrival of Bea’s little sister, and Bea feels utterly lost and invisible. She takes comfort in the poems she feels in her heart and writes in invisible ink, then hides in a special place...and one day someone writes back! Who is the mystery writer and friend? Could it be Bea’s former BFF, one of the interesting boys Bea meets working on the school newspaper, or someone else? Navigating seventh grade turns out to be as complex as the world of labyrinths Bea finds herself immersed in...and just maybe along the way, Bea simply finds herself.
Kat Yeh’s The Way To Bea is a heartfelt delight! With an absolute pitch-perfect voice, endearing characters, and beautiful depth, The Way To Bea will sweetly and smartly charm middle-grade (and grown-up) readers.
Kat Yeh perfectly captures that angsty, confusing, often heartbreaking, and too big, too muchness time in adolescence (the middle-school years), and does so with clever humor, profound honesty, soul-deep heart, and fantastic poetry. I think every reader, but especially middle-grade readers, will be able to relate to Bea’s story in some way and, more importantly, will find meaning in her journey. Young readers will appreciate Bea’s genuine and authentic POV and voice, and the way Yeh doesn’t underestimate her readers’ ability to ponder life’s big questions and process even bigger emotions.
The Way To Bea is bursting with a rainbow of wonderfully engaging characters! From Bea to her parents, peers, and teachers, there is such an awesome array of eclectic, quirky, thoughtful, funny, unique characters for readers to love and relate to. With Bea’s new labyrinth obsessed friend, Will, Kat Yeh carefully and deftly gives a voice to young readers on the Autism spectrum, as Will has Asperger Syndrome (this is never stated in the book, but alluded to). And I must mention the character of Briggs, the editor in chief of the middle-school newspaper, because the boy charmed me completely! I’d love to see a 17/18 year old Briggs in a young adult novel someday because that boy is gonna grow up to be a sweetly swoon-worthy fella. (One of my favorite Briggs lines is halfway down on page 338!).
I just loved everything about this book: it’s captivating storytelling, irresistible voice, wonderful characters, and moving and profound message. The Way To Bea is a thoughtful and timely middle-grade novel that has that magical, marvelous ability to leave readers feeling like they just met a new friend!
Kat Yeh’s The Way To Bea is a heartfelt delight! With an absolute pitch-perfect voice, endearing characters, and beautiful depth, The Way To Bea will sweetly and smartly charm middle-grade (and grown-up) readers.
Kat Yeh perfectly captures that angsty, confusing, often heartbreaking, and too big, too muchness time in adolescence (the middle-school years), and does so with clever humor, profound honesty, soul-deep heart, and fantastic poetry. I think every reader, but especially middle-grade readers, will be able to relate to Bea’s story in some way and, more importantly, will find meaning in her journey. Young readers will appreciate Bea’s genuine and authentic POV and voice, and the way Yeh doesn’t underestimate her readers’ ability to ponder life’s big questions and process even bigger emotions.
The Way To Bea is bursting with a rainbow of wonderfully engaging characters! From Bea to her parents, peers, and teachers, there is such an awesome array of eclectic, quirky, thoughtful, funny, unique characters for readers to love and relate to. With Bea’s new labyrinth obsessed friend, Will, Kat Yeh carefully and deftly gives a voice to young readers on the Autism spectrum, as Will has Asperger Syndrome (this is never stated in the book, but alluded to). And I must mention the character of Briggs, the editor in chief of the middle-school newspaper, because the boy charmed me completely! I’d love to see a 17/18 year old Briggs in a young adult novel someday because that boy is gonna grow up to be a sweetly swoon-worthy fella. (One of my favorite Briggs lines is halfway down on page 338!).
I just loved everything about this book: it’s captivating storytelling, irresistible voice, wonderful characters, and moving and profound message. The Way To Bea is a thoughtful and timely middle-grade novel that has that magical, marvelous ability to leave readers feeling like they just met a new friend!
November 11, 2017
Actual rating: 4.5
I read this book in one sitting on a Friday night. I really enjoyed Bea and her group of friends that she eventually finds. There were a few things I didn't like that kept it from a 5 star review (her use of initials when talking about her old friend group-it just seemed stilted to me- and how her parents ignored her and then just magically fixed everything in one moment also rang untrue) but the moments with the other kiddos on the newspaper were astounding.
Bea's start to 7th grade hasn't been great. She spent the summer before 7th grade in Taiwan with her family and decides to surprise her friends when she gets home by showing off her newly found aquatic skills and diving into the pool for their annual back to school party. Only this year, it's an engagement party. And Bea wasn't invited. So now, she sits alone in class and sneaks off campus at lunch to visit the Wall, a cement relic on the paths outside of school. She has reluctantly decided to join Broadsides, the school paper, and there finds Will, Briggs, and Jaime. All kids she isn't sure she has anything in common with or even wants to get to know. Until she realizes that Will is a nice person to spend lunch time with. And Briggs is willing to do anything for his friends. And Jaime is on the search for an epic song, just like Bea. So when Will needs a friend, Bea decides to step up and help him solve the mystery of the Leland labyrinth.
This was a heartwarming story about being yourself and surrounding yourself with friends who want you to be you. Strong characters and a good storyline. Highly recommend.
I read this book in one sitting on a Friday night. I really enjoyed Bea and her group of friends that she eventually finds. There were a few things I didn't like that kept it from a 5 star review (her use of initials when talking about her old friend group-it just seemed stilted to me- and how her parents ignored her and then just magically fixed everything in one moment also rang untrue) but the moments with the other kiddos on the newspaper were astounding.
Bea's start to 7th grade hasn't been great. She spent the summer before 7th grade in Taiwan with her family and decides to surprise her friends when she gets home by showing off her newly found aquatic skills and diving into the pool for their annual back to school party. Only this year, it's an engagement party. And Bea wasn't invited. So now, she sits alone in class and sneaks off campus at lunch to visit the Wall, a cement relic on the paths outside of school. She has reluctantly decided to join Broadsides, the school paper, and there finds Will, Briggs, and Jaime. All kids she isn't sure she has anything in common with or even wants to get to know. Until she realizes that Will is a nice person to spend lunch time with. And Briggs is willing to do anything for his friends. And Jaime is on the search for an epic song, just like Bea. So when Will needs a friend, Bea decides to step up and help him solve the mystery of the Leland labyrinth.
This was a heartwarming story about being yourself and surrounding yourself with friends who want you to be you. Strong characters and a good storyline. Highly recommend.
November 30, 2017
I gave this 5 Stars because I couldn’t give it 4.5 Stars. It took awhile for me to get into this book, and the writing style was a little different, otherwise it would have definitely been 5 Stars! The Way to Bea by Kat Yeh is an intricately designed story. It’s a story of traveling the maze that is our life, hitting those blind alleys, or dead ends, and continuing in our discovery of ourself. It’s about learning who you are, and accepting yourself, all the music, art, poetry and colors that make you, you. And it’s about accepting others for who they are, and accepting and being ok when others leave your life path. The Way to Bea is a middle grade book. Bea and her friends are 7th and 8th graders, guided by parents and a couple really special teachers. But the truths of this book are for all ages. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a feel good story.
November 15, 2017
Any book that has labyrinth in it is a winner by me.
And that's not all it has!
Middle school is the time where kids start to decide who they are going to be, and whether or not their old friends still fit. Kat Yeh has done a beautiful job of recreating the sense of loss and isolation when you lose your friendship group, when you have to make these decisions before you were ready. I love how she referred to these now inaccessible friends by initials only.
I enjoyed watching the friendship blossom between Bea and Will; Bea was patient and kind (mostly) with Will as she figured out how to communicate with him.
I also enjoyed the hidden haikus written in invisible ink. Who is the mystery pen-pal?
This is a sweet story of finding yourself and making new friends.
And that's not all it has!
Middle school is the time where kids start to decide who they are going to be, and whether or not their old friends still fit. Kat Yeh has done a beautiful job of recreating the sense of loss and isolation when you lose your friendship group, when you have to make these decisions before you were ready. I love how she referred to these now inaccessible friends by initials only.
I enjoyed watching the friendship blossom between Bea and Will; Bea was patient and kind (mostly) with Will as she figured out how to communicate with him.
I also enjoyed the hidden haikus written in invisible ink. Who is the mystery pen-pal?
This is a sweet story of finding yourself and making new friends.
May 29, 2018
I’m giving this a 5 based on its merits as a middle grade/young YA book, rather than literary fiction. This one hits all the sweet spots in a growing up awkwardly and honestly tale. I loved the characters and felt their pain sharply and poignantly. Bea’s parents are just as fumbling and self absorbed as she is, but that somehow lends to their charm. I was glad that the ending struck a note somewhere between hopefully optimistic and disappointingly real. Oh, and she’s a poet, so of course I liked that.
March 31, 2018
I have about three pages of favorite quotes transcribed from the book for my road narrative project. I'm still in the process of annotating them. Once I do, I will have a more analytical reading of this book posted as an essay. Right now, though, the short version is that even beyond connecting with it for my research, I loved the book.
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2018/comm...
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2018/comm...
September 17, 2018
The Way to Bea by Kay Yeh is a really good book. This book is mostly about mazes, friends, and labyrinths. The thing I love most about this book is the connection she has with her friends she finds throughout the book. Beatrix is one of the main characters and she likes bed to write poems, but then she realizes someone has written back.
December 22, 2017
As Bea works her way through the maze of new friendships and a new role in her family, she begins to see herself and her friends more clearly. Readers will connect with Bea’s first-person narrative of her winding path toward discovering her strengths. (from School Library Journal)
August 31, 2017
I loved this heartfelt, heartwarming, charming, happy, labyrinth of a story.
Please read my full review at my blog, if you wish. http://wp.me/p2eSOM-Fd
Please read my full review at my blog, if you wish. http://wp.me/p2eSOM-Fd
September 6, 2017
This was so good! Review on The Book Wars soon.
February 9, 2018
I think the theme is to be yourself, because at the end of the book Bea realizes that people who don't appreciate her for being her shouldn't be the people she wants to be friends with.
May 16, 2018
This book. My heart.
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