Release: March 9, 2021
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Boys Town Press
Source: NetGalley
Find it at Amazon, Kindle, TBD, Bookshop.org.
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Welcome to a day in the life of five middle school students, Ashley, Melanie, Taara, Ryan, and Andrew.
Their day begins in the early morning hours when each of them is roused from slumber. Some awaken to the sound of an annoying alarm. Others are scared out of bed by Mom or Dad. Then there’s Ryan, who oversleeps again. He forgot to set his alarm clock, and no one’s ever at home to wake him.
Ryan gets to school late. Melanie arrives excited and energetic. Taara comes anxious and distracted. Andrew shows up ready to bully someone, and Ashley enters, sad and sulking because of the unkind gossip she heard on the bus.
As they walk the hallways, attend class and navigate the dreaded lunchroom, they experience all of the messiness of middle school – the fragile friendships, the peer pressure, the fickle social hierarchy, and the relationship drama. Issues at home and interactions at school influence how they relate to one another, their classmates, and their teachers throughout the day.
Melissa Minery gives the reader a birds-eye view of a middle school day as it unfolds for each character, offering an unflinching look at how a child’s backstory; family life, values, beliefs, etc., triumphs, and tragedies; influences his or her actions.
Written for middle schoolers, it s a true-to-life story with a valuable message about courage, forgiveness, empathy, and understanding.
About the Author:
Melissa Minery is a Certified School Counselor in New Hampshire. Also, she has worked at the elementary-to-high school levels and as a career Counselor with young adults. She’s always doing something to “grow her brain” and loves going on adventures with her family and hiking in the white mountains. This is her first published work.
The Good, the Bad, and the Backstory Review:
I enjoyed the concept of the story. The plot takes place over a day between four characters who go to school. We get to know about their problems and the issues they face. It is a fascinating topic because even as adults, we interact with people but don’t try to behave the way they do and what personal problems they might face. I liked how the author tackled this subject.
Moreover, all four characters are dynamic and distinctive. I liked Kenisha and Andrew the best as they did not know how to channel their feelings. They react impulsively to situations, and it was nice to see how they progressed. I also liked Taara as she struggles with a lot of emotions over her mother’s health issues. There are also small moments that I found beautiful, like how Taara’s family talks about “Rose, Bud, and Thorn” (I liked the concept and might use it with my loved ones). On a side note, Stephanie Hider’s illustrations are adorable and give the book a very nice touch.
However, I felt the story ended abruptly. For instance, we don’t know what will happen to Andrew or how Kenisha will deal with Ashley the next day. I also wish we had seen more of Marcos, as he was a wonderful character and role model for Ryan and Andrew. Furthermore, while I enjoyed the author’s writing style, there were many dialogues that the characters repeated word-to-word because the scenes repeat from various perspectives. I felt this made the story longer than needed.
Overall, “The Good, the Bad, and the Backstory” is a lovely middle-grade novel that teaches you how to be empathetic towards others and respect their feelings by understanding them.
