Bye Forever, I Guess

This was delightful! So good in so many ways. I enjoyed the audiobook immensely… and next week I’ll get to read it again when my hard copy arrives.The story is fun and funny and so relatable. My middle school years are safely distant, more than three decades ago, thank goodness. But my memories of navigating that social world, with all my nerdy weirdness, are vivid. I could clearly identify with aspects of all these characters. It’s such a hard time in ways that can seem a little silly, looking back, but which are completely real to those living through it. And the saving grace of the social miseries is how good it can feel to find your people, the ones for whom you don’t have to disguise yourself. Living through Ingrid’s people-findings was joyous. And very funny - I mentioned funny??I’ve had the good fortune of having a few online interactions with Jodi Meadows, the author, as a result of participating in the yarn & fiber craft world of which she’s clearly a part. I loved the critical roles that spinning and knitting play in the story! Well represented 🙌 🧶Enjoy reading this gem, everyone! And to others who may, like me, be a caregiver of a person soon to be interacting online, let’s all copy the great examples set by the adults in _Bye Forever, I Guess_, encouraging responsible exploration within clearly communicated boundaries. It’s just that easy! I hope… 😬

This was such a fun, relatable book. Anyone who suffered through middle school feeling like everyone around them had the magical gift of talking to people while they were cursed to say nothing but nonsense will see themselves in the main character. The geeky parts were done so well (especially loved the accurate knitting/spinning details, in addition to the gaming!). One of my favorite MG reads in a while, and one I’ll definitely be recommending to tween relatives.