I appreciate having had an opportunity to read and review this book. The appeal of this particular book was not evident to me, and if I cannot file a generally positive review I prefer simply to advise the publisher to that effect and file no review at all.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me access to the free advanced digital copy of this book.

This ALMOST worked for me, but it felt like something I had read a million times, with philosophy kind of thrown in. A cool concept, but unfortunately forgettable.

Fun, heartwarming, and a quick read. Perfect for middle grade readers everywhere, love that it has a focus on science.

Fun, witty, and engaging middle grade read which illustrates the importance of thinking for oneself. I have recommended it to our local library.

I recieved this book as a free eARC so I could read and review it. Thank you for the opportunity.

I know Dystopias, and kids fighting back against dystopias are a powerful genre, but the dystopian school in this one didn't quite work for me at the start. It's too glaringly evil (I mean, the acronym is STRIFE, and the trackers/watches are DuPEds...yeah. It just took me out of the story in an uncomfortable way, in contrast to, say, "The Giver", where the depth of the dystopia builds up more slowly, for both the reader and the protagonist. Yet, while the villians came very close to being comic style, twirling mustache villians, the philosophy parts and the nature of the resistance really were too sharp a contrast to allow the suspension of disbelief. I feel this book could have been improved had there been a bit of world building for the world outside the school-why was STRIFE such a big opportunity and big deal? Because, honestly, the fact that the kids stayed, and that parents presumably noticed changes in their kids but still sent them back and didn't warn others seemed a big miss for me,

Having said that, the contrast with the philosophy garden, and Ursula, the philosophy instructor, being able to guide Milo and his friends in how to keep thinking in a system that rewards only blind obedience, was excellent. And I am sure that readers who enjoy dystopian literature will enjoy this book. Content-wise, it would be appropriate for school and community libraries and for inclusion in classrooms,

The Philosophy Resistance Squad is a fantastic middle-grade read that is well worth your time. This is one of those books that I truly think that every kid should read. The story is about Milo who gets accepted at this prestigious school but comes to find out it is actually a nightmare. The instructors are brainwashing kids and basically sucking out their souls so they are lifeless worker bees. The part that makes this book so special is the philosophy part. It really is something. So Milo meets Ursula, a lady at the school who tends a garden. She teaches him about philosophy and questioning things. The dialogue is presented well in an easy-to-read format and should really keep kids engaged and hopefully, asking their own questions. I think it is so important for kids to question authority and to have critical thinking skills and this book really opens that door. Not only does it bring up some great questions about topics that should get the gears in kids' brains turning, but it also has really likable characters that you will want to root for.