4.5. Thank you NetGalley and Holiday House for allowing me to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a beautiful, hopeful and sometimes emotional novel in verse. Quinn really is a great character. We see her grow as her life changes drastically after a Tornado hit her neighborhood. The writing is beautiful and the topics are important too.

This is the first novel in verse I have ever read, and this is a great discovery. Like I said with Quinn, the real strength of this novel is the characters. They have great development, and the relationships between them are very interesting. Also the theme of poetry in a novel in verse? An interesting choice, and a good one.

A must read if you like poetry, touching stories and characters and just good novels.

Ode to a Nobody is a beautiful story written in verse about a young girl finding herself through the written word. Quinn(ie) is broken down, blames her parents’ split on herself, and can’t seem to click with her best friend as well as she used to. During the poetry unit at school, she finds that she can grow and thrive and use writing as a tool to navigate the hardships in life. This discovery is accompanied by a devestating tornado destroying her neighborhood. As the neighborhood rebuilds, Quinn also rebuilds into the person she wants to be.

In regards to my own feelings about this book, I loved it. It was a story of a young girl growing into herself, but it also highlighted the devestation one person and a whole community goes through in the wake of a natural disaster. I think the strongest element of this was the voice of Quinn. The growing confidence, the hesitancy, the embarrassment a 14-year-old so often feels. The struggles of trying to please everyone while also trying to do what she feels is right. It came through in the poetry so strongly it felt like I was actually reading a tennagers journal. It is an entirely unique story on its own, but it will also remind readers of many coming-of-age tales, especially those told in verse (like The Poet X or Free Verse). If you want to feel all the emotions (devastation, heartbreak, hope, happiness), then pick up this book and enjoy the ride.

For any Taylor Swift fans out there: this book is the embodiment of You’re on Your Own, Kid told through the eyes of an eighth grader finding herself.

this read less like a poetry collection and more like a full blown story written in poetry format but nonetheless, it still broke my heart.

it touches on the complicated relationships between siblings and young friendships with a poignant family background. it takes place over a short period of time but it felt like a life-time, probably how we all viewed the world in our middle school ages

it lacks a lot of representation that i would have looked for and that would have personally made it more relatable for me but i’m weary of saying even that since this is a story that obviously a lot of other people would probably find hitting close to home

this middle grade poetry bind is definitely more for when you are looking for a heart wrenching and poignant story to go through though

my favorite piece was probably the last

“Does a rating
help adults pretend
they can forecast and protect
from forces bigger than themselves?”

This is the story of thirteen-year-old Quinn who's life is turned upside down after a tornado destroys her neighborhood. Because of this her perspective of life changes and she begins to question what is truly important in life.

Books that are written in verse can be hit or miss for me. I find that it can sometimes not flow as eloquently as the author intended and instead makes the story feel disjointed, however, Ode to a Nobody was written with such richness that I can't imagine the story being told any other way. While being immature at times, I appreciated how Quinn was written. Her character arc throughout the novel was very realistic and I think the author did a great job at capturing what it's like to be a teenager who's going through a lot of change.

I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys coming-of-age stories or if you have a teenager. It would be a lovely book to read together.

3.75

"Don't let life tell you who you are.
I don't have to be the best, like Forrest.
I just have to be me.
And I'm enough.
Choose a path-and do what it takes to walk it, even when it hurts."

Goodness gracious, this book was just....


I just wanted to start with the disclaimers so let's get that out of the way...

I received an ARC for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Okay so now that, that's out of the way I just want to start out by saying that this book is so very good!!! Ugh, it has been a really long time since I read something even close to this format and actually enjoyed it.

In this book we follow the journey of Quinnie or Quinn or Quinn(ie), depending on who you ask, a thirteen year old girl just trying to find her way after a devastating storm tears through everything that she once knew.

Before the storm Quinn is a nobody, an average skater, an average student and honestly a below average daughter. Before the storm Quinn and Jake are best friends, both relying on the other to get through the hard times. Quinn is okay with everything, she's okay with being under average for most things as long as she has the things that make her happy, Jake, her hamster and her video games.

But after the storm, Quinn is forced to face the hard truths of a lot of different things. Things that were once important to her have become unimportant but hard to let go of. In an Ode to a Nobody we take a deeper look into the life changing events that can happen to you at any stage in your life. The book takes a deeper dive into how even though everything in your life can be crumbing, that it's not the way that you fell down but the way you pick yourself back up.

Such an amazing read and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves to see character development and great world building. An Ode to a Nobody was a great read and I can't wait to add it to my collection when it finally releases.

I highly recommend this book if you like the following:
-Great world building
-Great character building
-rising from the ashes
-coming of age story
-natural disaster POV
-broken home

Ode to Nobody was a quick read but engaging. I can see this being a good read for fourth graders. It had me thinking and reflecting along the way.

I enjoyed the idea of this book, But i don't like how it narrated. This doesn't seem like a poetry book and supposed to be a novel..

I'm leaving this review voluntarily.

This was such a classic story of overcoming, friendship and growth. The story was beautifully written. A reader loses and wins alongside the characters.

“‘But life,’ she says, ‘is unpredictable. Untidy. Surprising.’”

This was a gorgeous verse novel written about friendship, change, & growing up. It is set in the aftermath of the tragedy of a tornado hitting a town, but the story focuses on the response from the community and how it impacts Quinn, an 8th grade student who is still finding her voice. This has rich figurative language and poignant messages about overcoming obstacles and, more importantly, the inner turmoil that comes with changing friend groups and friends growing apart. This reminded me a little of Locomotion by Jaqueline Woodsen and I could see this being a great novel to pair with an English poetry unit.

Stories written in prose are so beautiful and often not directed towards middle grade readers. And even though it is intended for a middle grade audience, I believe Ode to A Nobody can and will resonate with readers of any age given its themes about transformation and finding and believing in yourself. As we read through Quinn/Quinnie's poems, we see her at first with a low self esteem, adjusting to new family dynamics and changing friendships. And funnily enough, the things meant to destroy(in this case a tornado), are the things that can show us who we are and help us find and create ourselves.

When I started this book, I wasn't expecting much. I was greatly surprised. For a middle grade book, this was so impressive. The writing is amazing, and the story and lessons are all very important. It was a decently fast read, and I think that every young person should read this. If you liked The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo, then you'll love this.

I really wanted to like this book but it just fell flat for me. Poetry is very subjective, but this novel in verse just didn't flow for me.

Ode to a Nobody by Caroline Brooks DuBois is a contemporary/middlegrade novel written in verse. The main character Quinn tries to navigate the ever-changing world around her, while documenting her experiences as poetry. The writing in this is absolutely beautiful, and the story of Quinn trying to find her place in the world one that most people will be able to relate to.
Overall, it’s a beautiful book I’d especially recommend to younger people who are still trying to figure out where they belong and how to navigate the sometimes painful process of growing up. Maybe Quinn’s story will inspire you to follow your passion.

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

Quinn, Quinnie, or Quinn(ie) is a thirteen year-old girl who somewhat happily lives in the margins. In the shadow of her gold-star brother who's off to college, on the outskirts of her main friends (including Jack, her childhood Best Friend), and overall just not noticed by anyone or anything. Quinn doesn't know what she wants or what she can do. Stuck in the rut of being a below-average student who no one expects much out of, she spends her days not turning in assignments, attempting skating tricks, and trying to avoid her parents near-constant fighting.

Her life, and the book, is split into three parts-- before, during, and after. Written in verse, the readers follow Quinn through a couple of different types of growth. We watch, through Quinn's eyes, as the neighborhood around her falls apart and begins to rebuild following a devestating tornado. We are also treated to Quinn's personal growth as she begins to decide what type of person she wants to be.

ODE TO NOBODY is one of the most moving middle grade books I've read in a long time. While Caroline Brooks DuBois touches on so many pertient and universal experiences. With the recent increase in natural disasters, many readers will relate to Quinn losing her home and the rebuilding of her community. But everyone will relate to her personal journey out outgrowing friendships, parental divorce, and the pains of growing up.

I’m so happy to have had the chance to read this. This was one of the most beautifully written things i’ve read in a while. I think the story is one that’s important for people in every walk of life. I could resonate with her struggles and couldn’t help but love the catalyst being a tornado. (as a huge Oz fan)

Ode to a Nobody is a beautiful read. I haven't read anything contemporary in verse before so I really enjoyed the style and structure.
The imagery is just beautiful.
The story is an important one and I think as adults, we forget how difficult teenage life was as we work out who we are and find our place in the world. I found the protagonists journey through this in the wake of the tornado powerfully symbolic.