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Marieke (mariekes_mesmerizing_books)'s Reviews > Eli Over Easy
Eli Over Easy
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Marieke (mariekes_mesmerizing_books)'s review
bookshelves: arc-netgalley-edelweiss, lgbtqia, middle-grade
Jun 02, 2023
bookshelves: arc-netgalley-edelweiss, lgbtqia, middle-grade
Actual rating 4.5 stars.
Phil Stamper writes both YA and MG, and I’m a fan of his YA books, especially Golden Boys, but I think he has a special gift for writing stories about thirteen-year-old boys.
Eli Over Easy is a story about grief. Eli’s mom died a few months ago, and now he’s home alone daily in a tiny apartment in Manhattan while his dad is working. When he finds videos from his diseased mom, he starts cooking together with his neighbor Mathias (Mat).
Grief is so different for all of us. Some people, like Eli’s dad, try to hide their sadness and continue with life. Some people like Mat get sad and feel down, even though they’re hiding it behind a huge smile. And people like Eli try to hold on to those beautiful moments they once had.
I gobbled up this story frantically, and warmth slid through my body as the bond between Eli and Mat deepened. I loved that the boys shared each other’s pain and helped the other making life easier. Just like Small Town Pride, the writing is on the spot, and Eli and Mat are two characters to root for.
The only thing I didn’t like was the constant use of masks because of COVID. It’s a difference between the US and Europe, I guess, because here (The Netherlands), we don’t even test anymore, let alone wear masks.
I received an ARC from HarperCollins Children’s Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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Phil Stamper writes both YA and MG, and I’m a fan of his YA books, especially Golden Boys, but I think he has a special gift for writing stories about thirteen-year-old boys.
Eli Over Easy is a story about grief. Eli’s mom died a few months ago, and now he’s home alone daily in a tiny apartment in Manhattan while his dad is working. When he finds videos from his diseased mom, he starts cooking together with his neighbor Mathias (Mat).
Grief is so different for all of us. Some people, like Eli’s dad, try to hide their sadness and continue with life. Some people like Mat get sad and feel down, even though they’re hiding it behind a huge smile. And people like Eli try to hold on to those beautiful moments they once had.
I gobbled up this story frantically, and warmth slid through my body as the bond between Eli and Mat deepened. I loved that the boys shared each other’s pain and helped the other making life easier. Just like Small Town Pride, the writing is on the spot, and Eli and Mat are two characters to root for.
The only thing I didn’t like was the constant use of masks because of COVID. It’s a difference between the US and Europe, I guess, because here (The Netherlands), we don’t even test anymore, let alone wear masks.
I received an ARC from HarperCollins Children’s Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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Reading Progress
April 30, 2023
– Shelved
April 30, 2023
– Shelved as:
middle-grade
April 30, 2023
– Shelved as:
lgbtqia
April 30, 2023
– Shelved as:
arc-netgalley-edelweiss
April 30, 2023
– Shelved as:
to-read
May 31, 2023
–
Started Reading
May 31, 2023
–
20.0%
"Another book about grief. I love Eli, I like the COVID references a little less …"
June 1, 2023
–
45.0%
June 1, 2023
–
71.0%
June 2, 2023
–
Finished Reading
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Andreas
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Jun 03, 2023 06:06AM
Including COVID in a story wasn't already the best idea for Golden Boys. I think the authors who just ignored in their books did it the best way.
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Andreas wrote: "Including COVID in a story wasn't already the best idea for Golden Boys. I think the authors who just ignored in their books did it the best way."Somehow I think Americans are still more careful than (Northern) Europeans. On Instagram, I still see many of them wearing a mask in a bookstore. It almost seems like they integrated it permanently into their lives. But I agree with you. I it when authors ignore it. In the end, this MG is still a fantastic book!
