I love reading children’s novels because of their unique approach to problems, so I had high hopes for Believe by Julie Mathison. This book did not hit its mark and there are serious problems that are impossible to ignore.

*Content warning: abuse, bullying, mental illness, loss of a loved one, racism, ableist language.

The book is set in the 80s and follows Melanie, a young girl struggling to fit in. She’s being bullied at school, she doesn’t have friends, and her mother is missing. Things start falling into place when she befriends Sabrina; Melanie gains more confidence, she finds a home with the school drama production, and she plans to find her mother. 

One positive aspect of this book was how Mathison approached the topic of grief. It was very relatable and was explained in a way that a younger audience could understand. 

That being said, it felt like I was reading something from the 80s—and not in a good way. The language is outdated and it made me very uncomfortable. This is a problem that should not be ignored. 

Early on, ableist language is used and this is continued throughout the book. It should go without saying that these comments are inappropriate. 

Along with this, racist language is used. I am Indigenous and reading the main character refer to Indigenous people as “Indians” made my skin crawl. This is not okay! In one scene, the main character explains how the proper terminology is “Native American.” If the character knows this, why isn’t this the term used throughout the book? Why not have this conversation earlier (not in the middle of the book) and prevent the use of derogatory language? If you’re not Indigneous, you should not use this terminology.

The racist and ableist comments turned me off from this book and overshadows the positives mentioned earlier. I would not recommend this book to anyone, especially children, without also providing resources to educate readers on the problems found within the text. 

This e-ARC was provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is a difficult book to assess because I know it's for a younger audience. But even still - I think there are things this book does well and then things that take you away from the experience of reading it. 
This book exists almost in a duality of times - the author's experience of a time past, and then the attempt to connect to a present. This language has a bit of a dissonance to me as a reader, and I question when language came into play quite a few times. 
The story itself is absolutely predictable from the beginning. There is no stray from this expectation and the characters all act predictably. This is unfortunate, as this is a tale of coping with loss and grief. The potential of ideas, imagination, and missed opportunities of development are all on display in the worst sense, which really brings this narrative down. This book repeatedly fails to live up to the opportunity its name provides. 
But then this book ends in a sort of almost ending, nearly as if there is half a resolution to the story, and then the other side is almost a promise for a resolution. But that promise is hardly fulfilling enough and I feel mostly like this is just forgettable.

A fantastic teen story so wonderfully written. A unique plot line following the everyday struggles of young girl. This book tackles mental health in a way that young children can access. The ending was a refreshing surprise, satisfying but not stereotypical. A beautifully written novel.

This is a cute middle grade book.  I appreciated the main character's imagination and spirit.  Melanie experiences the same frustrations with school and friendships that many students know.  She also has changes in her home life that make life even harder.  I think middle grade readers can relate to Melanie and can learn from her.
At times I did wonder what the main plot of the book was because it seemed to be a series of subplots all vying for center stage.  However, I think that style complements the typical middle grade reader.  I would add this book to my classroom library.

My eight year old daughter loved this book! She had a hard time putting it down. At dinner, she would excitedly tell me about what had been happening in the book. She read it in about 5 days. I think other girls from about 2nd grade through early middle school would also like this book. The reading level is appropriate for strong second grade readers on up. We will be looking for more titles by this author!

So I'm writing this review as someone who is over ten years older than the target demographic for this book. However, that didn’t detract from my enjoyment of this book. 
The story follows Melanie, a fifth-grader, as she navigates school, and does her best to avoid Karen, the school bully. Then Melanie meets Sabrina, a girl who is fearless and doesn’t care what anyone thinks of her. Sabrina slowly draws Melanie out of her shell and encourages her to believe in herself. The only thing missing is Melanie’s mum, however Sabrina is convinced they can track her down. 

I can't remember the last time I read middle grade, but really enjoyed this book, it has a really whimsical feel the whole way through that I loved. I loved Melanie as a character, I loved her imagination and the way she saw the world. The book managed to cover topics such as grief and loss in a really lovely way, that would be perfect for younger readers. 
Mathison did an amazing job of only having a handful of characters, but making them all really unique and interesting- I felt like I knew all the other children in Melanie’s class by the end of the book. 

I guessed pretty early on the “twists” in this story, but I think that’s because I'm an adult reading a children’s book, and even then, it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the story. I think this is a great book for pre-teens, but I also feel like it can be enjoyed by all age groups- I loved it!

I personally found it hard to really relate to the story, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t good. This book is a wonderful book to share with children. It touches on topics, such as grief and finding your courage, that I wasn’t expecting. A quick read that is perfect for younger readers.

There needs to be more books that talk about grief for kids and adolescents. This book tackles a lot of issues and how Melanie deals with things as a pre teen girl. I would encourage 5th grade and sixth grade girls to read this one.