This one took me a while to get through. A fantasy/contemporary novel about a 16-year-old Scottish boy who is gay, trying to find his place in life. He's introduced too Everland by Nico, a place he believes is the only place he can be himself. Turns out Everland is only an escape from the harsh realities of the real world. The book deals with family dynamics, friendship, first love, poverty, and self-discovery. I flip flopped between 3 and 4 stars. It didn't grab me, may not really stay with me. It's a maybe book for me. ( )

Sweet book but the many typos was maddening for me. The Scottishisms might be a challenge for some students. ( )

There's bravery in surviving this world when your mind can only focus on the bad in it.

This was a lot more ... real than I expected. Like, I felt quite melancholy whilst reading it. Overall I did really like it, but I was holding out for a different ending. :( ( )

Achingly sad, but a realistic look at not feeling like you live up to everyone else around you. ( )

Life's not going so great for Brody: his family is in financial difficulties, the neighborhood mean girls have picked him as their favorite target, and he'll never be as smart or important or appreciated as his genius brother James. One day, when the mean girls have kidnapped his beloved cat, he's unexpectedly rescued by a boy with enormous blue papier-mâché wings, Nico, who invites Brody to come to a specific place at a very specific time. Intrigued, Brody shows up, half expecting that he's been the butt of yet another unkind joke -- but then Nico and his friends arrive, and together they step through a door into another world. Everland is a place of pure wish-fulfillment, where nobody can get hurt and everybody can be whoever they want to be. However, as time goes on, Brody learns that the doors that lead to Everland from different parts of their world are disappearing. Before their door disappears, Brody and Nico must make a choice. Nico is determined to stay in Everland, but can Brody leave behind his family and real-world friends?

I loved this gritty, bittersweet fantasy. In general, I'm a fan of books that play with the tropes of portal fantasy, as this one does. Brody's hardships felt legitimate, and it was hard to guess what decision he would make in the end (or whether the choice would be taken out of his hands by the disappearance of the door -- I was anxious that he would convince Nico to return, but that they would not be able to do so because the door disappeared while they were still in Everland). If you enjoy this sort of fantasy, this one is highly recommended. ( )