Book: Truly Tyler (2021)
Author: Terri Libenson
Genre: MG, Contemporary/Graphic Novel
Companion Book to: Invisible Emmie
Opening lines from the book …
Sometimes I look around the cafeteria at lunch and wonder why everything is set the way it is. Why the jocks sit near the front. And the Science Club kids sit in back. And the manga kids sit near the ice cream freezer. Why the volleyball team sits near the windows and the orchestra kids sit near the tray conveyor belt. Which, by the way, is kinda unfortunate.
WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS BOOK…
1) While Tyler is definitely the main POV in this book, there’s always another POV. And this time it’s … Emmie! I loved being back with Emmie!
2) I also enjoyed some resolution to the Brianna/Sarah jealousy (mostly on Brianna’s part). And of course, it gets complicated because suddenly Emmie starts to question her friendship with Sarah. Sarah might be just a little bit too unique for the middle school crowd. But don’t worry, it works itself out.
3) Again, since this book is mainly in Tyler’s POV, we do get to meet Tyler’s family. He feels like he’s being left out from his older brother’s life, but they eventually connect. I really like how the brother helps Tyler see beyond the basketball. And then there’s the dad. And his dad new wife who is always cutting in on their phone time! I like how, by the end of the book, even a clueless dad gets some redemption.
4) There’s a fun double story with the graphic novel that Emmie and Tyler are working on. It’s neat to see how that comes together.
5) And finally, we have to talk about Joe Luongo. If you remember from the first book, he’s Tyler’s friend who made all that trouble over Emmie’s letter! What a troublemaker. But I like how this book deals with such a character. We get to see a little more into the mind of Joe through Tyler and even with Joe’s lame interactions with Sarah. I actually felt a little sympathy for this character with this book!
FINAL THOUGHTS
I enjoyed this latest book in the Invisible Emmie series. I particularly liked having Emmie’s POV once more. And it’s fun to know more and more of the characters. It’s like being back in middle school again! 😉
YOUR TURN…
Have you read this book? What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
Note: I’m posting this for Greg Pattridge’s Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday…
Of Maria Antonia 
I enjoyed this one and your review reminded me why. I hope to see more from these characters in future books. Thanks for featuring on MMGM.
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You sound very enthusiastic about the characters of the book–that says a lot about the author!
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Glad you’re enjoying this series and having Emmie’s POV again.
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You capture the fun of this book perfectly! It didn’t click for me as well as some of the others in the series, but it’s still a delightful read, and I appreciated remembering it through your review. Thanks so much for your thoughts, Maria!
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