Blog Tour Book Review: In Your Shoes by Donna Gephart

Title: In Your Shoes
Author: Donna Gephart
Copy Obtained: From publisher

About the Book from Goodreads
Miles is an anxious boy who loves his family's bowling center even if though he could be killed by a bolt of lightning or a wild animal that escaped from the Philadelphia Zoo on the way there. 

Amy is the new girl at school who wishes she didn't have to live above her uncle's funeral home and tries to write her way to her own happily-ever-after. 

Then Miles and Amy meet in the most unexpected way . . . and that's when it all begins. . . . 

One sentence review: Sweet story that reminds us everyone is going through something.  

Best for readers who: Like serious books

Best Stick-with-You Image: Um I don't think I'll ever get the image of a bowling shoe flying through the air and hitting someone's head

Library Thoughts: Yes I'd get this for the media center because I know some kids really need this mirror reminding them they aren't alone.  

I don't know of any other middle-grade book that contained all the things this book contained.  For one - a bowling alley.  I don't recall a MG book with a bowling alley!  Please remind me of one that I

might be forgetting.  That alone made this book unique.  But in all seriousness, there was more.  Both of the main characters were so interesting and working their way through their own struggling that I couldn't help but feel for them.  Amy's story is so tough knowing that she lost her mom, and now her dad is gone a lot of the time.  I don't know how she dealt with losing her mom and then living in a funeral home where she had to be surrounded by more death.  That would be tough for an adult let alone a 12-year-old.  And when she talked about just wanting to talk to her mom my heart hurt.  It was such an honest statement that anyone who has lost of a loved one knows.  Miles story isn't as tough but he's dealing with something not everyone understands.  I think so many students would relate to his struggle with anxiety.  Like Amy's story, it would help them see they aren't alone.  I really liked Miles.  He was such a real kid  - so believable.  And I love his feelings for his grandpa.  You don't see that as much in books, and I know a ton of my kids are close to grandparents, so that's great for them to see in a book.  

The secondary characters are good too.  I like Tate.  She's her own person, and you have to respect her for that! But at the same moment, she's every middle-schooler all about standing out yet fitting in.  It's a hard struggle! Although very minor characters I also liked all the adults.  Miles parents were great.  They were believable just like Miles was.  Although Amy's dad angered me some just because he left her with her uncle a lot and sometimes didn't seem to be there for her.  I got why he did it, but it was frustrating for me.  

One note - the librarian at Amy's school is Mr. Shu.  I'm sure he's based on the real Mr. Shu and that's cool.  But for me using the name Mr. Shu threw me everytime.  It jolted me out of the story a bit.  It's probably just a me problem but I thought I'd mention it! 

Over all good little book!