Blended

Blended

By Sharon M. Draper

33 ratings 48 reviews 40 followers
Interest LevelReading LevelReading A-ZATOSWord Count
Grades 4 - 8Grade 4n/a449971
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.
Publisher: Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books
ISBN-13: 9781442495012
ISBN-10: 1442495014
Published on 10/29/2019
Binding: Paperback
Number of pages: 320

Book Reviews (42)

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I could rate this book I would a 10000000 this book was amazing I loved how she faces being mixed/blended in different ways! I read this book in the 5th grade and I loved it. I couldn't take my hands off of it. So if anyone out there hasn't read this book now, like right now!

Tottaly my favorite book. Theres an unexcepted twist at the end! I want to read Out Of My Mind. Its by the same author, right?

Yup!! You should for sure read Out of My Mind :)

Hello! i'm Wolfie and I'm going to tell you about Blended! It's a story about a girl named isabella and her parents have different skin colors. they get devorced and she switches houses with them every week. Issabella loves piano she practices on a casio. soon in school somebody threatens her friend and the whole school talks about it. if you want to know more, read the book! And i have one more thing to say. instead of not seeing color see it. Admire people for who they are, because they are unique.

standup speakup standup speakup

I really enjoyed reading this book, and would absolutely reread it. Isabella, the main character, is a mixed 11 year old who is almost 12 who struggles racism, enormous, beautiful kinky hair, and her parent’s divorce problems added to the weight on her shoulders. When a terrifying act of racism strikes in Izzy’s school, Isabella starts witnessing even more racism, like in the mall and when tragedy strikes later I. The book. Izzy also faces a form of flattering racism where people comment on her skin tone, or when someone tells her, her beauty must come from her white side. The book includes some beautiful imagery, tying in how Isabella loves to play her piano. I think this book is very enlightening and shows us what the world is really like. I can relate to a lot of Isabella’s experiences being a darker girl with divorced parents and a love for music. I would rate this book a 4 and 3/4 out of 5 because I would’ve liked to see Izzy accept her white side a little bit more in one pint of the book. Overall this is a great book, and I recommend it to mature 9 year olds or 10 year olds and above.

I loved this book! Isabella is dealing with her parent's divorce and racism. She switches from parent every week. Her mom is white and her dad is black, so her skin tone is "blended". But she and her friends are facing racism, which sadly is still happening. But when she and her step brother are driving to her big piano recital and something terrible happens, this may be the worst thing that has happened to Isabella. It was a bit violent, so I would recommend it to ages 9+ and make sure to have a discussion with a trusted adult if you need to talk about it. Over all, 5 stars!

This book is about a girl named Isabella who is dealing with and who has a best friend named Imani who is also dealing with racism. This book was very interesting, and it also was heartbreaking in many parts of it. Sadly, racism is an issue that people still deal with today and this book showed what the main character, Isabelle, had to go through. Isabelle's parents are also divorced and she struggles going back and forth. Her parents also have trouble agreeing with each other, and sometimes Isabelle feels like she's two people. This book is really good, and I rate it 5/5. I recommend it to people who enjoy reading books about problems that are still present in today's society.

This book is about a girl named Isabella who is dealing with and who has a best friend named Imani who is also dealing with racism. This book was very interesting, and it also was heartbreaking in many parts of it. Sadly, racism is an issue that people still deal with today and this book showed what the main character, Isabelle, had to go through. Isabelle's parents are also divorced and she struggles going back and forth. Her parents also have trouble agreeing with each other, and sometimes Isabelle feels like she's two people. This book is really good, and I rate it 5/5. I recommend it to people who enjoy reading books about problems that are still present in today's society.

I really like this book! I have read it twice, once just from a friend (@sirireads thank you!!!) and also because it is on my Battle of the Books list. It is a great story about the hardships of an 11-year-old girl with divorced parents, a white mom and a Black dad. She struggles a lot after her parents get divorced, but she learns to love her new families. She loves playing piano but *spoiler alert* on the way to a big piano recital, her brother gets pulled over and accused of robbing a bank. The police officers are being really rude to her and her brother, but after they decide to let them go, one of the officers "accidentally" (we will never know if it was an accident...) shoots Isabella in the arm. She also gets a concussion and has to go to the hospital, but in the end this accident is what helps her parents stop being rude to each other, even though they are now both engaged. This is a great book!!

This is an awesome book, I read it in sixth grade but definitely could have read it earlier, so I would really recommend it for any age. It is very good, but kind of sad and scary at times!!! Loved this Book!!!

I have read Out of My Mind, great book but very sad at times. I am looking forward to reading this book, and I think one of my well read school friends (you know who you are) is going to lend this to me. Can't wait!!!

EEK! Blended is such a good book and one of my favorites so far! (I have a lot XD) I think the author took really big steps as some chapters or pages could be offensive or racist but I think this book is still really good! I recommend this to fans of Out of My Mind and Fish in a Tree! (Other favorites :P)

I have read both of those books that u suggested legendsneverdie and ill say they were both good too.

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