Review: Up For Air by Laurie Morrison

Review: Up For Air by Laurie Morrison

Mark your calendars for May 7, 2019 because you won’t want to miss the release of this middle grade novel. Up For Air is a story of first crushes, friendships, heartbreak, family, and self-worth.

Buy here.

Connection

I connected with Annabelle in a way that really surprised me because at first glance, we are polar opposites. She struggles in school, I was my class Valedictorian. She is a strong swimmer, I can doggy paddle. However, as the plot developed and I got to dive deeper into the character of Annabelle, I began to find myself nodding my head and saying, “I feel you Annabelle!” I don’t want to reveal too much, but I felt her pain of not thinking she was worth anything. I felt her pain when she thought all of her friends were against her and always thought the worst about people. She had very little confidence, and that is where I connected so strongly with her. This self-doubt can really cause many problems, and Annabelle learned that very quickly.

Quotes

That was the thing about the ocean, even when it was rough: Even the most powerful waves passed if you stayed under for long enough, and Annabelle could hold her breath for ages thanks to swimming.

For today, it was better to focus her eyes forward, even without a point to wish on, than to look back toward home.

Rating

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. It was a riveting upper middle grade novel about life and growing up. My sixth graders would really enjoy this book right now because as they are almost 7th graders, some are looking for more mature books that aren’t quite young adult. This book fits that gap wonderfully.

Disclaimer

I received this book as an ebook from NetGalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. If the quotes are different than when published, I apologize.

I am a middle school teacher who loves to read ALL KINDS of books. I am part of the ARC-sharing group LitReviewCrew, a co-creator for the YouTube Channel Legit KidLit and the Podcast Read to Write KidLit. Check out my Linktree for more: https://linktr.ee/Mrsbookdragon

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