Eleven-year-old Isabella’s blended family is more divided than ever in this thoughtful story about divorce and racial identity from the award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of Out of My Mind, Sharon M. Draper.
Eleven-year-old Isabella’s parents are divorced, so she has to switch lives every week: One week she’s Isabella with her dad, his girlfriend Anastasia, and her son Darren living in a fancy house where they are one of the only black families in the neighborhood. The next week she’s Izzy with her mom and her boyfriend John-Mark in a small, not-so-fancy house that she loves.
Because of this, Isabella has always felt pulled between two worlds. And now that her parents are divorced, it seems their fights are even worse, and they’re always about HER. Isabella feels even more stuck in the middle, split and divided between them than ever. And she’s is beginning to realize that being split between Mom and Dad is more than switching houses, switching nicknames, switching backpacks: it’s also about switching identities. Her dad is black, her mom is white, and strangers are always commenting: “You’re so exotic!” “You look so unusual.” “But what are you really?” She knows what they’re really saying: “You don’t look like your parents.” “You’re different.” “What race are you really?” And when her parents, who both get engaged at the same time, get in their biggest fight ever, Isabella doesn’t just feel divided, she feels ripped in two. What does it mean to be half white or half black? To belong to half mom and half dad? And if you’re only seen as half of this and half of that, how can you ever feel whole?
It seems like nothing can bring Isabella’s family together again—until the worst happens. Isabella and Darren are stopped by the police. A cell phone is mistaken for a gun. And shots are fired.
Blended
| Interest Level | Reading Level | Reading A-Z | ATOS | Word Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grades 4 - 8 | Grade 4 | n/a | 4.0 | 49971 |
Paperback, 320 pages
Published on October 29, 2019 by Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books
ISBN-10: 1442495014
ISBN-13: 9781442495012
48 Book Reviews
I LOVE THIS BOOK it feels like me and izzy have a connection
I have read this book in tears; not because of how sad Blended is, but because how Isabella acted toward her fears and challenges. Author Sharon M. Draper has written yet another heart-breaking novel. Young eleven-year-old Isabella's parents just divorced, and Izzy thinks it's because her mom's white and her dad's black. Grown up as a mix, she's always been called "weird" an "unusual." But now, when it seems like she has two identities and two different families living in two different worlds, the worst is yet to come. Isabella gets shot in the arm, and, for once, her two worlds merge into one happy, calm, and peaceful family atmosphere. Read Sharon M. Draper's book, Blended, because every story counts.
clearwater67about 1 monthI think just cause she doesnt LOOK LIKE her parents doesnt mean people should EVER JUDGE HER her mom ,dad have different cultures yes but deep deep down they love eachother tons and Isabella shouldn't have to switch identities every week or even anything she should just be herself( my names Isabella and izzy is MY nickname as well):):)- Exactly! Never judge a book by its cover, even if it does look like a boring book. Every story counts.
- clearwater67about 1 monthHave you guys ever read making friend where Daniel literally drew her friend from a magic sketch book!?!?and then she has a magic wallet and prince Neptune destroys the school and kisses danielle and then she gets grounded in book 2
mermaidomgabout 1 monthRecommend for 10+- Age shouldn't matter, as long as the audience knows what they should and shouldn't add to their speech and actions. This book should be recommended to anyone who wants to hear a heartbreaking novel. Every story counts.
- mermaidomgabout 1 monthDue to some of the language!
This book is amazing!! If I could I would do a 1,000 stars
I recommend this book to people who like drama and a little bit of romance.- I recommend this book for people who like action drama romance
This book is great! I read this book for a book club and it was amazing! I recommend this book who love drama,romance. This girl is mixed with her parents, and her adventures!
I love this book and how it shows true actions and physical things that could actually happen in real life and not just in the book. (Isabella/ Izzy) is the best character in my opinion. I recommend this book for people that like sometimes sadness, romance, and drama.
