[8/8/23 - Read this again after so long. I can acknowledge it’s not flawless as it has some stereotypes and stilted dialogue, but it still holds so much charm. Spirited Away meets The Proud Family. Monty is literally the best, and I still love sweet, little Patrice. One of my favorite books.]

I have read this book exactly 12 times (it will probably be 13 soon). I didn't know I could fall in love with a book. I connected so much with Patrice's personality. Patrice was an adorable character (soft-spoken, intelligent, and sweet), but Monty was a gem, or better said—a guardian angel. I often joke that everyone in life needs a Monty. Someone who unconditionally supports you and wants the best for you!

"I told myself that the next time I saw something beautiful trying to survive in the middle of trash I'd do what I could to protect it, to make sure it grew and that nobody messed it up. So, I guess you're my flower."—Monty (pg 129)

I bought Standing Against the Wind a few years ago, so I could reread it at my leisure, and though I know how the story ends I still have the same heartwarming feelings every time I read it. The innocent preteen romance, Monty, and Patrice's development keep me coming back for more. Yes, in the background, Patrice lives in a rough neighborhood, has absentee parents (dad's a deadbeat; mom's in jail), feels so grateful to her aunt that she takes cares of the whole family on her shoulders and narrowly escapes a sexual assault.

But even with all those realistic and heavy things, the story is light-hearted. It's not one of those all-consuming, depressing "get out the hood stories". Yes, Patrice does want to leave but the focus is on her intelligence and resourcefulness to win a scholarship to a black academy.

Overall, it's a bit hard for me to express why I enjoyed this book so much without just gushing out rainbows. I really need this to be made into a live-action movie or better yet an animated movie ( I always get a Ghibli vibe from this). ( )

Patrice is shy, studious, and out of her element in Chicago, where she moved with her mother after having grown up with her grandmother down south. When her mother goes to jail for identity theft, Patrice lives with her Aunt Mae, taking care of the apartment and her younger cousins, and dreading the walk to and from school where she runs a gauntlet of rowdy, loud kids. Her two rays of hope are an opportunity to qualify for a scholarship to an African-American boarding school and her new friendship with Monty, a boy she's associated with the loud kids but who has taken a protective interest in her. Coretta Scott King New Talent Award.

This book is about a little girl who has big academic dreams. She wants to go to a good university but she can't afford it. So, she does outstanding academically and gets a scholarship to go to boarding school because she believes she can get a better education there. She goes through many hurdles to be able to attend boarding school and this book talks about all the difficulty she is having. She only has one support system which is a boy who she became very close with.Everyone makes fun of her hair because its always standing up. I got a little bored with this book because it wasn't attention grabbing. It was basically the same throughout the whole thing. Nothing really changes, no climax, no suspense.

Book talk:
Honestly, Patrice has so much she could complain about. Certainly I know many people who complain about their lives who could never compete with Patrice. Why is she living with her aunt in Chicago? She had a good life with her grandma, living down south; well, that is, until her mom came and got her and took her back to Chicago.
UNFINISHED ( )

I enjoyed this book and really liked the characters. Patrice, the smart girl who must essentially raise herself, and Monty, the tough guy who turns out to be smart and kind, form an unlikely friendship. Their relationship grows through the strory and the reader is rooting for them to succeed. My main complaint about the book is that is isn't very deep. These characters all have deeper issues and while it is nice to suspend reality and watch things happen in a storybook manner, it also isn't very believable. I liked the book but I'm not sure it will stay with me for long. ( )