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I'll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan
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I'll Be There (edition 2011)

by Holly Goldberg Sloan (Author)

Series: I'll Be There (1)

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4453555,461 (4.04)7
Raised by an unstable father who keeps constantly on the move, Sam Border has long been the voice of his younger brother, Riddle, but everything changes when Sam meets Emily Bell and, welcomed by her family, the brothers are faced with normalcy for the first time.
Member:MHanover10
Title:I'll Be There
Authors:Holly Goldberg Sloan (Author)
Info:Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (2011), Edition: 1, 400 pages
Collections:Your library, Currently reading, Wishlist, To read, Read but unowned, Favorites
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Tags:to-read

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I'll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan

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» See also 7 mentions

English (34)  Swedish (1)  All languages (35)
Showing 1-5 of 34 (next | show all)
I was worried this would be depressing. Since I was reading it for a book club and it therefore qualified as homework, I had no qualms about peeking at the end to see how it all turned out. This did not ruin the book for me in the least, and I think I was able to enjoy it more, knowing the rug wasn't going to get pulled out from under me.
There are a few things about the way this is written that normally bother me-the multiple points of view and the constant switching, to name a few. But something about Sam, Emily and Riddle, and the inherent goodness of so many of the supporting characters, made anything that would normally bother me just fade to the background. Even when the author kind of went off the rails with the extraordinary survival story and unbelievable coincidences at the end, I was just glad to see them all reunited and happy.
I think that's the trick, at least for me. If an author can get me to fall in love with the characters and really invest in their story, then I will put up with a lot of silliness. Not an infinite amount, but a lot.
I always like it when the adults in a YA book are portrayed as more than props or obstacles, and Emily's parents are wonderful characters. I also thought it was realistic that the teens latched on to their instant connection, but that it didn't mean their relationship had instant depth. Emily, normally empathetic, couldn't see how desperate Sam and Riddle's situation was. People complain about "insta-love" in YA novels, but I thought their relationship was something different. The author spent more time on the love between Sam and Riddle, and I liked that.
And the last thing that I really loved about this book was that it took many different characters, making small but good choices, to save these boys. That made the multiple points of view worth it. Except for getting the bear's point of view. That was just silly.
I really liked this, and I'm glad I kicked off the new year with it.
( )
  Harks | Dec 17, 2022 |
In one sense this is a typical poor boy (Sam), with a dysfunctional family, meets well-to-do girl (Emily) from a normal one. Their meeting happens in a church during Emily's solo, and the two seem to bond; however, the criminal father goes on the lam taking his two boys away from the only happiness they have ever known and they get stranded in the wilderness while Emily tries to deal with the loss of her friend and attention/obsession of another boy. The ending was a bit too sappy/predictable for me. ( )
  skipstern | Jul 11, 2021 |
fiction (teen or adult). This was written for teens (judging from the reviews on the back) but it would satisfy any adult. Grab some tissues and enjoy. ( )
  reader1009 | Jul 3, 2021 |
this wasn't terrible!! thanks, book club!! the writing style was a bit annoying at times and it was melodramatic to the max, but it was mostly about teens so that's forgivable. it was super compelling, regardless, and I'll read the sequel next. ( )
  kickthebeat | Nov 1, 2020 |
“For him and his brother, he now knew, that music was real. Becuase all you had to do, really, was be willing to use your imagination. And listen.”


Okay so I read this years ago (I was maybe in 7th grade) in my school's library and I remember loving it to bits that I just needed more. And 7th grader me at that time was still reading Geronimo Stilton books and I remember being surprised at how much I enjoyed it.

I was touched by the relationshipSam had with his brother, Riddle. I simply loved the character development here and the writing style was one that got me intrigued and got me to love this book despite me not being fully dived into the genre yet.


I am not sure is this is a suitable read for YA or Middle Grade because I just simply cannot remember.. . but this is definitely something that readers who are looking for a family based and contemporary based plot will enjoy.


Full Review: http://wp.me/p8IxRn-4H ( )
  themoonwholistens | Aug 31, 2020 |
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For Gary Rosen... who is always there. And for Max, Calvin, Madeline, and Alex... who are my inspiration.
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The days of the week meant nothing to him.
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Raised by an unstable father who keeps constantly on the move, Sam Border has long been the voice of his younger brother, Riddle, but everything changes when Sam meets Emily Bell and, welcomed by her family, the brothers are faced with normalcy for the first time.

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