Item: Just Pretend
Rating: 3.00
Author: sarah_poultney

by Tori Sharp

Tori has never lived in just one world.

Since her parent's divorce, she's lives in both her mom's house and her dad's new apartment. And in both places, no matter how hard she tries, her family still treats her like a little kid. Then there's school, where friendships and a crush alike are starting to feel more and more out of her hands.

Thankfully, she has books. And writing. Suddenly, the stories she makes up in her head might save her, when everything else around her, including friendships, school, family, is falling apart.

Author Tori Sharp us with her on a journey through the many commonplace but complex issues of fractured families, as well as the beautiful fantasy narrative that helps her cope, gorgeously illustrated and full of magic, fairies, witches and lost and found friendships.

I received this as an ARC from the publisher. I would honestly rate it more of a 3.5 if that were an option. There are a LOT of strong ideas and complicated emotions conveyed in this piece, especially in a way that I think will be really beneficial to the intended audience. A lot of these ideas and story threads seemed to be missing the elements to bring them all together, and/or didn't always come to fruition. On the other hand, one of the things I enjoyed about this was the autobiographical aspect of it, and I know that memories don't necessarily come out in writing in a way that makes sense. I adored the way that Tori deals with the tumultuous landscape of her life through the lens of a fictional world, especially because that's something I also did as a kid. I think what this work does best is convey Tori's emotional journey over time and how she is impacted by the actions of those around her without wholly discounting their own inner turmoil. I'm excited to see the final release!

Just Pretend

by Tori Sharp

Reviewed by Sarah Poultney on Apr 12, 2021

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