Thank you so much to West 44 Books / Rosen Publishing and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

I loved everything about this book, it was so well thought out and created, I got absorbed into it instantly.

Ruthie lives in a very stressful home as her mom is a hoarder, anytime there’s something new she tries to give it away, to help someone else have it. She does it in secret not letting anyone know who gave it to them. I loved that she did that, she couldn’t change the situation, but as most of the stuff was new she was able to gift it to others that had a need for it.

I really liked Ruthie and Trey together, they were such a sweet couple, he was just a genuinely sweet guy who cared about her and wanted to make her smile (even if hers was awkward and weird at first). I liked that being around him gave her confidence, helped her not shy away from everyone and everything.

This book was so incredible, I really enjoyed it so much from the characters to the storyline. It dealt with mental health, the hoarding and effects it has on everyone involved. It dealt with medical conditions, hence Ruthie’s Vitiligo and her coming to terms with those changes. It had a sweet romance, complicated siblings relationship, and obviously some bullying by a jealous girl.

It’s a really detailed, realistic and entertaining verse book. It has so many elements and layers to the story and the characters that we meet within the story. I think it’s a perfect read for the teenage audience.

I really enjoyed getting to read this book, it had that concept that I was wanting and enjoyed in this type of book. The characters were everything that I was wanting and enjoyed the overall storyline with them. I thought Bekki Diefendorf wrote this well and was glad I got to read this.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rosen Publishing Group, West 44 Books, and Bekki Diefendorf for the opportunity to read Spotted in exchange for an honest review.

Spotted is a hi-lo novel told in a poetic verse style, making it easy to read, yet encompassing a large array of ideas.

The novel follows Ruthie, a girl who enjoys being invisible. She doesn't need people to notice her, especially when her home is filled with things. Her mother has a mental health disorder in which she constantly has to buy new things, and these are things that Ruthie doesn't need, and they only make her house full of clutter. She gives the items away to classmates just to get them out of the house. The only safe haven she has is her room, where everything is spotless.

When she notices a new white spot on her skin, she is diagnosed with having vitiligo, a skin condition where the skin loses pigment and becomes white. She worries that this will have people notice her. But it's not vitiligo that gets her noticed, but rather her giving away things. She may not know who she gave things to, but they remember her, and one is a boy named Trey, who thought the book she gifted was to make fun of her, but when he realizes she really thought he'd want it, he finds an appreciation that leads to a friendship, and possibly something more. Ruthie wants to have a friend, but she doesn't want people to know about her mom and the cluttered home she lives in.

This is a very wholesome novel for teen readers. It explores family dynamics and how our families are ultimately a part of who we are. Sometimes it can be hard to accept who our family members are, and sometimes we are embarrassed of them, but there is a lesson here about talking and acceptance, as well as learning how we differ from the ones we love too. There are also elements of the usual teen experience, both familiar and unique, such as relationship dynamics and learning something new about oneself. There are many people with vitiligo in the world and if it's starting to appear in high school, it might be a bit nerve-wracking. I appreciate how this novel approaches a unique topic and includes people with the specified physical trait, as well as people who have a purchasing or hoarding type of disorder that they can't really control.

Yet another great book from Rosen Publishing Group. I love everything they do, and I can't wait for their next book.

This book is written in verse style, so it was a faster read. That doesn't take a thing away from the story though. The words that were used conveyed the story in a clear, concise way.
The story has a boy / girl romance which is very rom/com sweet.
The serious topics are motivators for the story but don't ever get delved in to deeply as this is for middle grader audience.
Overall, this was a fun, interesting, quick read.
Enjoy!

Ruthie has grown up surrounded by the 'piles' her mum keeps in the house despite her sister moving out to be with her dad away from their mum's hoarding obsession Ruthis tries to keep to herself to not let anyone know how she's having to grow up.

That is until she meets Trey, a boy who notices Ruthie and helps her see, it's about a person's nature, how they treat you and not judge you.

I love the title for Ruthie being noticed after trying to just exist by fading into the background unnoticed and then for Ruthie, a circle patch of vitiligo appears playing into the title again too the dual use of the title very clever I also enjoyed the book being written in verse style too it flowed really well and kept me engrossed in the story.