Amazon.com: Customer reviews: From You to Me

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Mr. JL

Great Story

Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2022

This is book is great, it moves fast, the students (mostly girls) enjoy the theme.

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Eh.

Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2018

I have pretty high standards for children's literature. This book has an intriguing storyline, but the writing is basic and the pop culture references date it. My kiddo liked it fine, though.

2 people found this helpful

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From the United States

Mr. JL

Great Story

Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2022

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This is book is great, it moves fast, the students (mostly girls) enjoy the theme.

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Baraa

Water damage

Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2020

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The book at a bit of water damage.

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Jon E. Singletary

it was entertaining

Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2019

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it was entertaining and i really enjoyed the part where she gets happy at the very end of book yay

One person found this helpful

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Milagros

Good book

Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2018

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My Afterschool liked this book

One person found this helpful

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Mandy Stallard

A cathartic read

Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2019

On the first day of eighth grade, Amelia's teacher mistakenly gives her a list of goals written by her deceased sister, Clara, in sixth grade. Since Clara didn't live long enough to complete the goals on her list, Amelia decides to achieve them for her. In her mind, checking off these boxes for Clara will help her not feel as lonely or sad. In her efforts to complete her sister's goals, she ends up pushing away her two closest friends, leaving her feeling even more alone. Ameila's journey is angst-ridden, but there are also moments of pure joy along the way.

I know K. A. Holt as an author of novels-in-verse, so I was surprised to see that this quick read is written in prose. Her writing feels very much like the language an eighth-grade girl might use; there are lots of OMGs and references to Beyonce and her lyrics. Middle school girls should feel right at home in this book.

I was fully expecting this book to be a tearjerker; it's hard for me to read about the loss of a loved one without bawling. Oddly enough, I didn't cry at all during this book. Perhaps it's because we never have a full on description of Clara's death. Her death is revealed in bits and pieces. We know she drowned at the lake; we know her death has scarred her family and closest friends, but that's about it. We never see Amelia and Clara's relationship because she is deceased when the book begins. I didn't feel as emotionally invested in Amelia because I never saw what she was like with her sister, so for me, this book was not draining like I expected it to be.

It's likely that many MG students haven't yet closely experienced the loss of a loved one. From You to Me will be a good introduction to this topic. It accurately depicts the suffering family members experience when they are left behind, but it does so without sending the reader into a terribly depressive state. I certainly think it is worth recommending to any student who has experienced the loss of a sibling or close family member. This book may prove to be very cathartic for someone who connects to Amelia's loss and loneliness.

3 people found this helpful

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Red Canoe Reader

An inspiring book, full of heart

Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2018

Amelia is in 8th grade. Three years ago, her sister, Clara, died in a boating accident on their small town’s lake. And Amelia simply can’t move on. The grief is just too much. Her best friend has stuck with her, as has her sister’s best friend, Stitch, as well as all of the citizens of her small community, but it just hasn’t helped. Even her mom and dad have seemed to move on and left Amelia to face her grief by herself, at least that’s how she feels. ✨
Oh, I loved this story for so many reasons! I loved the support, patience, understanding and love that Amelia received from her best friend, Taylor, from Taylor’s grandmother, Mrs. Grant and from Stitch. All of them, along with so many more people in their small town were feeling the sadness of Clara’s death, but always put Amelia first. I loved the closeness of Amelia’s family as they struggled to find a new normal and renewed happiness. But I especially loved Mrs. Grant. We all need a grandmother like her who understands that her unbelievable grilled cheese sandwiches and chocolate shakes will not solve all of our problems, but it’s certainly a great place to start. And then willingly listens to us with a gentle ear and a big hug. I loved the support Amelia received from her sister’s friends who were on the boat with her that fateful day, even though they were dealing with their own grief and guilt. And their immediate agreement to help her with a crazy plan that might help all of them, as well as the rest of the town, to move forward. ✨
Even though Amelia is in eighth grade, and some of the main characters are in high school, this middle grade story is one that is completely acceptable for anyone in grades 4-8. From You to Me is one that will be enjoyed and loved by anyone looking for an inspiring book, which is full of heart. It needs to be added to both public and school library collections. ✨

2 people found this helpful

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💜I Love Jellybeans

Beautiful book that tugs at your heartstrings and shows hope that life goes on even when different with loss of a loved one

Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2018

Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )

From You to Me.
Ok I am going to try to review without any spoilers.
This is a beautifully written story that even though the topic - death of a sibling/friend/classmate is a heavy one it is done in such a way that has such heart and soul you can't help but keep reading.
The characters are all relatable on some level even if this did not happen to you.
Now Ameila is in 8th grade and when these kids are in 6th grade they write a letter to themselves about what kind of things they would be doing and person they want to be in 8th grade.
Amelia gets a letter on her desk when she begins 8th grade and to her shock and sadness it is her sister's letter not her own.
Her sister Clara died 3 years earlier.
So with the help of her best friend after the shock wears off from reading words her sister wrote. They decide Amelia should do the things in the letter.
In the process of doing these things it is helping her to heal and figure out who she is now without her sister.
There is so much going on in the story without it being cluttered.
The reading level is on point as it is not a story that is too hard to understand the words used.
It is a light read in respect to language but heavy in topic without being so much so it is going to hurt.
In the end you are rooting for them all and can see how even though they will never be the people they once were they are going to be ok with the ones they are now.

One person found this helpful

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Dr. Cathy Goodwin

Deals with death and grief in a caring way

Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2019

Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )

The premise of the book is intriguing: As Amelia begins 8th grade, she gets a letter written by her sister who'd died three years earlier. The students had been asked to project themselves 3 years into the future.
Amelia gets her sister's letter by mistake.

I've never taught grade school or high school, but this seems like a particularly insensitive assignment. Some kids will be new to the school that year; what will they read? And how does Amelia get her sister's letter? They're not in the same grade so the letters wouldn't be in the same batch. Hopefully the school does a better job of keeping other papers straight.

Amelia's desire to honor her sister by carrying out the items on the list might seem strange, but people honor their dead loved ones in my ways that are meaningful to them but baffling to others. She's a different person from her sister so she'll deal with the activities differently. She seems to grow by trying out these new behaviors and she's got a strong support system.

Like another reviewer, I was disturbed by the family's leaving Amelia in the room she'd shared with her sister, with the bed still there. I'm not a grief expert so I don't know if this is a good way to deal with the grief. Grieving is a very individual process -- not everyone follows Kubler-Ross -- and the recovery time can vary a great deal. I'm not sure that message will get through in this book.

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Openbookreviews

From You to Me

Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2019

How would you feel if your teacher accidentally gave you a dream letter that your sister wrote when she was younger instead of the one that you wrote? Now, complicate this idea. The dream letter was actually written by your sister who just recently drowned in your town’s lake. Tough, right. This is exactly what Amelia Peabody must try to process. Not only is she mourning the tragic loss of her sister and the naturally difficult process of growing up from a child to a teenager, Amelia now must try to navigate what it means to have received a list of her sister’s dreams. Dreams that clearly Amelia’s sister will never now get to complete.

What does Amelia Peabody do? She sets off to complete her sister’s list of dreams. These dreams including asking her sister’s crush on a date, completing the ultimate town prank, and throwing a huge party at the exact location of her sister tragic death. K.A. Holt’s book, From You to Me, is an endearing story of overcoming tragedy. It shows just how much resilience a child can have when it comes to the roller coaster moments that life throws at everyone. Although the book did end in a predictable fashion, it ended exactly the way I needed it to. It ended with the continuation of life after an unexplained tragedy.

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Tina Says

From You To Me: Great Story About a Tough Topic

Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2018

Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )

This is a great tween realistic fiction that deals with the tough topic of grief in a realistically.

Amelia's older sister died three years ago in an accident at the lake, and Amelia is still grieving. She feels like she should have moved on by this point, but can't help how she feels and how she's changed in the past three years. Her friend, Taylor, tries to help her, offering her support, and Amelia is blessed with understanding parents and other supportive people in her life. Still that can't fix how she feels.

When Amelia is given a letter that Clara wrote herself that was meant to be handed back to her at the start of eighth grade listing things she hoped to accomplish that year, Amelia decides to achieve the things on her sister's list with the hopes that will bring her closure.

Although this is a heavy topic, Holt tells this story without it feeling too sad. Even though Amelia is in eighth grade and there are a few high school characters in this book, it is still appropriate for readers in fourth- eighth grade. I like that there are books out there that show grief and let kids know it is OK to feel sad after losing a loved one. While I did question why Clara's bed is still in the bedroom and her clothes still hung in her closet - something Amelia had to see day after day, I appreciated Holt's ability to portray one family's way of grieving (not everyone cleans out a loved one's closet the day after their funeral).

From You To Me is well written with an important message and characters readers will relate to.

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