I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Other, Better Me
by Antony John
Published by HarperCollins on October 1, 2019
Genres: Middle Grade
Pages: 272
Format: Hardcover
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From the critically acclaimed author of Mascot comes this heartfelt novel, perfect for fans of John David Anderson and Cammie McGovern, about a girl searching for the meaning of family.
Lola and Momma have always been a team of two. It hasn’t always been easy for Lola, being one of the only kids she knows with just one parent around. And lately she’s been feeling incomplete, like there’s a part of herself that she can’t know until she knows her dad.
But what will happen—to Lola, to Momma, to their team of two—if she finds him?
The Other Better Me by Antony John tackles a lot of touching topics that not, in my experience, kids know about these days.
Is finding her dad a good thing for Lola and her mom?
Lola Harmon
Lola is a ten-year-old girl living in a single-parent home that is a mobile home. She has no clue who her dad is and wants to find out. Lola thinks this will make her feel complete, and maybe her mom will be happy again. The only problem is that momma and the other adult characters are trying to keep Lola from getting hurt. Her teacher gave the class an assignment for called The Other Me and is what starts it all. Now, Lola is finding herself, but instead of opening the letters right away, she has decided to take the mature route and wait.
The Community
The community of North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is a slew of characters including Lola’s best friends Nick, Kiana, and their families have all these things that no one is aware of, like: Mallory, the bully who might have more going on than Lola or the others think. Then Momma being ill throughout most of the book, to the owner of their mobile home across the street that takes care of Lola after school. There are a lot of people in Lola’s life who have helped shape her into the little ten-year-old girl that she is today. Lola has a lovely group of people that care for her and are there to help her figure things out.
Four Stars
The Other Better Me by Antony John is a great book to help kids understand what others are going through around them. Like, why is that quiet kid near the back always so calm and mean? Or is she doing that to mask her pain? Do you know what the one sitting behind the one hiding her pain’s home life is? There is a lot to consider when trying to figure out who your classmates are as a little kid. This book is so worthwhile for middle school kids.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of The Other Better Me by Antony John.
Until the next time,
Happy Reading!
About Antony John
Antony was born in England and raised on a balanced diet of fish and chips and bizarre British comedies. To annoy his parents, he decided to pursue a career in classical music. He graduated from Oxford University and received his Ph.D. in composition from Duke University. After teaching at Duke and the University of South Carolina, he became a stay-at-home dad and began writing books—the only other job besides composing that allows him to wear sweatpants all day. He lives near Philadelphia with his family.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2019 Goodreads Reading Challenge
- 2019 New Release Challenge
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