Arc provided via Netgalley

Needs a sensitivity reader, enough said. I can't really even get into how cliche this story was. It's every teen book already written - Me, Earl and the Dying Girl, The Fault in Our Stars, Five Feet Apart, Everything, Everything...I could go on, but really just...ugh. I'm sick of these kinds of overly social packed stories that deals with every type of high school issue imaginable. It really should be just one or two, I get the complexity, but that should also be the reason for care in which subjects and "how".

Lots of discussion topics and connections with all types of students in these pages. I really appreciated the differences in the characters and showcasing how little things we do (even smiles) can have a big impact for others – both positive and negative.

Big fan of climbing so I was excited to read this book! Really good coming of age story that would be suitable for teens. W

Thank you to the publisher and the author for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a lovely coming of age story.

Paul is a bit on the short side; he doesn't seem to have many friends, and finds that his passion is hanging out at the local rock climbing facility.

Big, is just that...big. He's a big teenager, with a big heart. He takes Paul under his wing and Paul starts to find the good in people.

Lily Small, is anything but. She's a tall girl and black...in a white family (she was adopted).

A trio of characters who endure heartache and friendship - this book will stay with you long after you read the last page. Highly recommend!

I’m not at a young adult but loved this book, I had a hard time putting it down. A story of three high school students Paul, Big and Small. Paul is abnormally short and a subject of persistent of bullying. Big a large Hawaiian boy which a contagious smile and positive attitude. Small a very tall African American girl. I Loved the character development. I felt as if I got to know each character, and particularly fell in love with Big. A story of an unexpected friendship, the trials and tribulations of high school, mental illness, bullying, self-esteem and family. A book every preteen/teen or parent should read. 4.5/5 stars rounded to 5.

This book is about an unlikely trio of friends who face down bullies and their own fears. It’s told from the perspective of Paul, a freshman in high school who’s so short he’s often mistaken for a 10-year-old. When he’s put in a group project with Lily Small (the tallest girl in his class) and Big (a kid who’s as cheerful as he is large), Paul just knows it’s going to be a social disaster. He doesn’t want to do anything that’s going to draw attention. Paul isn’t always the most likable character, to be honest (though that’s juxtaposed with Big, who is just about the nicest guy in the entire universe!). Paul’s used to getting pushed around, so he tends to hide at the least chance of trouble. Of course, you can sort of understand his knee-jerk reaction—staying under the radar has saved him on many occasions. He also makes a lot of snap judgments and assumptions about other people (especially Lily). It was encouraging to see Paul grow in this throughout the book and finally start to make some changes in his thinking (and his actions). Since Paul is a rock climber, climbing is a big focus of the plot and it acts as a metaphor for his growth as well. It’s obvious that the author is a climber himself since there are lots of details about climbing included. This book tackles some difficult topics like bullying, and mental health, but it doesn’t feel like a book that’s overwhelmed by its issues. In the end, it puts the spotlight on kindness and taking the time to see the world from someone else’s perspective—both worthy themes.

***Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***

Paul is small and Small is tall and big is ... well ... Big.
The most important thing to know about this story is that it is a Beautiful thing and not in a dainty way, but in a big powerful and unexpectedly hopeful way. Characters face being alone, bullying and despair at their new situations, but friendship love is kindled amongst the teens who choose to battle against life circumstances together and I admire their bravery.
Thanks to netgalley for an ebook copy of Paul, Big and Small before publication date.
Rating- 4 stars.

David Glen Robb weaves a heartfelt, real-life look at bullying in high school. The characters in this book are people you can relate too, no matter who you are I'm sure you can find something in common with the people introduced in this book.
Paul Adams is the main character and the voice of the story. He is 15, 4' 10", and weighs 90 lbs.
Lily Small is a classmate of Pauls, but he remembers meeting her when they were 7, right before she punched him in the nose. She is very tall, black, and adopted.
The one thing they have in common is rock climbing.
Big is the nickname of a kind Polynesian classmate who is a big guy. He is infectiously happy and looks for the good in every situation.
Paul, Big, and Small are paired together for a group project and realize that they have more in common than they thought. They become friends and start to look out for each other at school. Lily and Paul team up for a rock climbing competition and discover that they work well together. Over the course of the story, the three of them discover some important things about life, relationships, and what friendship should look like.
While this story has a fun side to it with rock climbing and making new friends, there is also a much deeper side that addresses bullying head-on. All three main characters have experienced bullying and have developed coping mechanisms for it. There are some very sad parts and some over-the-moon happy parts. I loved this book and couldn't put it down. I think this is a book that EVERY middle and high schooler should read. It encourages people to look outside themselves and helps them see that we don't fully know what anyone else is going through.

C O N T E N T  W A R N I N G :  S U I C I D E

Navigating through the public high school system is harrowing when the institution you rely on cares more about law suits rather than caring for you. It’s understandable for Paul Adams to devised coping mechanisms to avoid harassment. Unfortunately, Paul is quite frankly an appalling character. He’s dislikable to the nth degree. It’s difficult at times to root for his well being when he is a bully himself and constantly criticizes others to boost his own low self esteem. The ways in which he regards others is disturbing. It also solidifies the misconception that young people have yet to develop empathy and meaningful identities.

In truth, following Paul’s first person narrative is exhausting and suffocating to read. The unrelenting stream of paranoia and misunderstandings lead me to believe Paul needs actual therapy. I’m not joking. There’s this unsettling vibe Paul gives off that resembles incels or what we regard as internet misogynists. I don’t expect Paul to be the wokest person in the world being this book is set in Utah but it’s uncanny how much Paul gets wrong. I would be embarrassed to utter anything he says when I was 15 not so long ago. In fact, there are many examples where he has a big brain and does some big thinks. Let me intercept with why this is not okay.

"And, as dumb as it sounds, it seemed like a lot of the white kids looked nervous to be around her. Not because they were racist, just because they hadn’t met many black people."

So racist is an adjatiave not a noun. There are practices we subscribe to that perpetuates certain stereotypes. Being afraid of the “angry black girl” is exactly that. Yes these students are being racist because they have prejudices. They can change their behavior but let’s call it for what it is instead of being a racist apologist.

"What? Lily’s dad? He was tall enough, sure, but he was, well, awfully white."

Here we go again making gross assumptions about the way family and race should be constructed. Try not to be so surprised especially when you want an interracial relationship with her, Paul? There are also too many times when Paul just doesn’t get that racism still exists. It’s almost laughable how ignorant he is to anyone other than himself.

"Physical contact with a female was primarily a theoretical, abstract concept for me."

So if anyone is familiar with incels, they may notice how these young men refuse to call women and girls those terms. Feeeeemalles denotes to a strict sex assigned at birth term and disregards different journeys into becoming a woman. This type of language strips the humanization from girls and women as well. In turn the statement is more about how Paul doesn’t treat girls as an equal but as this weird species to be wary. It’s not a good look.

"It didn’t seem like it should be coming out of someone who was clearly producing excessive amounts of testosterone."

Here we have a beautiful example of Paul mocking someone, albeit who harasses him, for not conforming to gender normative roles. It’s like he has no self awareness to see the hypocrisy of his words. When he himself doesn’t align to gender expectations, why would you be cruel to someone else?

"Lily was talking about the skinny girl, but that couldn’t be right. Sam was a boy’s name."

It just never ends with him. When I think he couldn’t be more frustrating he finds a way to prove me wrong.

Literally, there are dozens of examples where Paul exercises his big brain thinks. Whether it involves unfairly stereotyping others (calling names), turning a blind eye to others’ pain, choosing the easy way out, and generally being the worst it’s not wonder he has a hard time making friends. Who would want to deal with all this baggage? The romance is gross because Paul is involved. Just because Lily is nice to him doesn’t mean she loves him but that doesn’t matter because Paul is the main character. Judging by the story and how “nice guys get the girl” I fear that this narrative would just validate someone emotionally immature, hateful, and judgmental.

Sure, Paul gets a character arc, but really, he started at the bottom of the barrel and has evolved to being a semi-decent person. You shouldn’t get a pat on the back for not doing the wrong thing. Just because you don’t bully others, you shouldn’t get a medal for running away or doing nothing. There were many chances for Paul to help but he made a choice not to and gets upset when he had chances to step in. I know it’s hard when you’re in a compromised position. I’m not asking for more than a “hey look out!” or telling a teacher so they can make it harder for bullies to bully. Maybe I have more faith in teachers and peers, but he didn’t even try and assumed it wouldn’t work.

The rockclimbing as a metaphor is clever but then why dedicate so much time in school and homework. There’s a lot going on and Paul is not equipped to handle it. I’m not sure where we’re going with the story sometimes since there’s a ton of elements but it’s not cohesive. I can’t seem to piece a common theme so it feels like a string of unrelated events with Paul’s awful opinions interjected. To be fair this book is almost as bad as the 13 reasons why Netflix show but just barely better and doesn’t romanticize suicide. It’s just Paul is painfully stupid and is the single most frustrating hinderance. I recommend this book for fans of young adult drama and figuring out how to find control during a time that doesn’t offer much.

Thanks to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for this advanced copy in exchange of a fair review.

COVER REVIEW:
The dark red title contrasts too much and doesn’t look appealing from afar. I would lighten up the photography on the upper right corner so the darkest focal point is the title. It looks more ominous than it needs to. The orange sky is too exposed giving the light a blinding quality. The poorly photoshopped rope is distracting and I wouldn’t mind a vector or illustrated version. It’s an important element in the cover to signify the main theme of rock climbing. I think a white chalk title would have been better but it is what it is.

#PaulBigAndSmall #NetGalley

This book talks about some hard subjects. Its not just a book about friendship, its about bullying and sticking up for yourself. My favorite character was Big, I loved how positive he is, his ready smile and including everyone. This book is also aboit rock climbing and competition.

This novel depicts strong friendships, and presents many of its characters as three-dimensional. Readers will immediately fall in love with Big, and will root for Paul as he develops into the person we hoped he would. I feel the climbing gym is a novel setting, and that the physical and mental challenges inherent in the sport serve as a nice comparison (and contrast, depending on the circumstance) to the other hurdles the characters face.

** spoiler alert **

This book read like a book for middle school readers, although the characters are in high school. The only thing that makes it young adult is some of the topics that it covers - and this book covers a lot.

For starters, it covers rock climbing as a sport. It is very detailed into the world of rock climbing. It also covers (physical and cultural) differences, bullying, mental illness, cancer, suicide and first (maybe) love.

The characters in the book are diverse, which is a plus. Big is a big happy guy from Kauai. And as pleased as I was to see a character from Hawaii, I thought they made him say 'yeah' a bit too much yeah.

And it includes a climbing course called bildungsroman and the book itself is a bildungsroman. Isn't it ironic? Don't you think?

The book was an easy read even if a bit verbose at times. Overall a good story - would be really good book for someone interested in rock climbing. I also really like this book cover.

Thank you to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book.

I fell in love with the characters in this book, especially Big. The story is wonderful and is written in a detailed, realistic and expressive way. This book is perfect for teens to read in this day and age.. I highly recommend it.

I absolutely adored this book. It reminded me a lot of Freak the Mighty and the characters in that book. I like when characters who are all kind of nerdy bond together and together just a great team. This book is really a feel good book a really nice summer read!