This book is great for middle grade readers and I think that they could find the main character relatable. I thought that it had a great message to be learned. I thought that the representation and writing fell short.

Young certainly isn't the first author to tackle the affect of labels on students. Even so, this book handles the topic well. Not only are we looking at the affect of other people's perception on behaviors, but the character's own self-labeling. We see how each aspect of the problem, especially years of falling behind, compound and create a nearly insurmountable school issue. While the ending is fairly predictable, the characters are dynamic and relatable.

Bright is a deeply insightful book about labels, persistence, and self-belief, featuring themes like sisterhood, female friendships, and family. This one will be extra meaningful to the kids (like me) who are so afraid of failure that they stop trying. It also teaches a valuable lesson that learning isn’t effortless — for anyone. More importantly, it’s a poignant reminder that book smarts aren’t the only valuable skill. People skills are incredibly powerful, especially for leading others. Overall, a stellar novel worth reading.

Not a fan of this book. I wasn't expecting the completely weird vibes from it, and the pessimistic teacher got on my nerves.

I found this novel to be thoughtful and frustrating especially as a retired teacher reader. I don’t mean frustrating in a bad way. I just felt our main character needed interventions earlier in her academic career. But in reality, sometimes these children slip by with out the proper notice.
The author has written a story considering personal strengths amid societal labels. Marianne Blume is a struggling eighth grader. She “didn’t know a lot, but she knew she was stupid.” This is not a new situation for Marianne since she has always been this way in school. But things are about to get more serious as she is on the brink of moving on to high school. Along with the threat of having to repeat the eighth grade she also must navigate her classmates’ teasing and mockery. For this reason Marianne pretends a “bubbly and unbothered” persona that masks her real and underlying thoughts. When her principal does share the news that she may have to repeat a year, she commits to upping her grades. A bit late in the game considering middle school is coming to a fast end. Being left behind by her class, including best friend Skya, who already seems to be making new friends, is almost unbearable. So, desperate to win extra credit from her strict math teacher, Marianne joins three of the school’s smartest kids on Quiz Quest Team. How can Marianne be accepted into such an exclusive club focused on academics? Well the team is as desperate for another member as she is for a passing grade. Despite a rough start, the teammates make a number of important discoveries throughout the season, including Marianne’s considerable empathy and social skills.
Not like all underachievers, Marianne was a success story as she realises the concepts of what it means to work hard. It was not a smooth transition for Marianne.
A very well written novel for middle school readers. I found satisfaction in watching a character grow into someone even she didn’t know she could be

I really enjoyed this middle-grade book. I thought it was an interesting concept to have a protagonist who did not have any diagnosable learning disability but still struggled in school. I think my favorite part was that the teacher, while somewhat the antagonist, was complex and had good intentions. As a teacher myself, it is so frustrating to read so many books where the teacher is so horrible!

I loved this book! It features Marianne, an eighth grader who is convinced she can’t learn and is dumb. She has found ways to play off her wrong answers in class by having a bubbly, school doesn’t matter to her persona. When she learns she is not going to pass the eighth grade and move onto high school, her only option is to join the Quiz Quest team to get extra credit from her math teacher. I loved how the book emphasizes the strengths beyond book smarts that Marianne has in coaching the team and being a good friend, and also the way her persistent efforts pay off in the end. Thank you to NetGalley for the digital ARC and the opportunity to share my opinions on the book! I would recommend it to any middle grade reader.

There are characters and elements of the book that I did think were good, but it is hard to fathom that a student with learning challenges makes it to 8th grade before intervention are explored. Something just didn't ring true to me. Marianne's sensitivity to her peers' feelings and her kindness were the best part of the story.

Beautifully written novel. I’m always rooting for the underdog and I love watching characters grow into something more special than they already knew.

I enjoyed this one a lot. I first chose the book since my coworker (also a librarian) is named Marianne, but I was really engaged in Young's writing and Marianne's story. I think kids will be able to relate to her!

I liked seeing the development of Marianne and how she really starts believing in herself. I liked how she helped everyone else see their strengths too.
This is a great look at friendships. A good middle grade read.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

Bright is a suspenseful, thought-provoking story of a girl struggling to pass school, whose only recourse is to join Quiz Quest. Examines different types of intelligence, what’s necessary to make it all happen, stereotypes, how we think of ourselves.

I loved this book. It was empowering. So important to send the message to believe in yourself and to ask for help when needed. Don’t let your negative preconceived notions be your reality

Bright is well worth sharing with young readers. It’s well-written, thoughtfully explores issues that are relevant, and would be a welcome classroom library addition.

It's hard to explain how much I love this book. The pacing is excellent, the characters and enjoyable, and the insight Marianne demonstrates into her how coping strategies was really intriguing. The only aspect that felt unbelievable was the ridiculously mature way Marianne and her sister dealt with their occasional fights. May we all be so lucky as to have children that mature, introspective, and responsible.

Marianne can’t be bothered to try in school because she doesn’t do well. When she’s told she’ll repeat the 8th grade if she doesn’t bring up her grades, she reluctantly joins the Quiz Bowl team. The team is not happy at first but slowly help her study. Mr. G , her math teacher and Quiz Bowl leader, tells her she needs to show “proof of effort” and if she does he will give her extra credit to pass math. After they win the first round, Marianne still feels she’s not good enough. When Mr. G frustrates her one day, “you have to struggle in order to learn something,” she walks out of math. Now what? Can she still compete? Does she even want to? Have her grades changed enough so she can pass to the high school?

Bright hits perfectly at Middle School level and addresses a subset of kids that is often overlooked. Marianne Blume is getting ready to fail 8th grade. She is drifting away from her best friend, Skyla, and her perfect overachieving sister Lilian is acting strangely. Marianne's last hope is the school's Quiz Quest team, where she learns more about herself, friendship, and handling changes than she learns about trivia.
This is a terrific read for kids who have lost confidence in themselves or are feeling lost in the transition from middle to high school. The characters are varied and diverse and manage to fly under the line of stereotypes.
Reads quickly.