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Always, Clementine
From the author of I, Cosmo comes a humor-filled, heart-tugging tale of a genius mouse, secretly freed from a lab, who's in search of a real home—and a way to free her old friends.
Clementine is different from other mice: she can calculate the speed of light and she dreams in Latin. The scientists say she's a genius and put her through test after test. Clementine is proud of being a good lab mouse, but she's lonely. Her only snatches of friendship occur during her late-night visits with a chimpanzee named Rosie. When a compassionate lab technician frees Clementine, the mouse discovers an outside world full of wonders: Brussels sprouts, games of speed chess, television fame, and a chance for a real home. But for Clementine, it's not enough to be free when she knows that Rosie and the other mice are not. This tender, lively adventure story, narrated in letters from a mouse to a chimpanzee, shows us that goodness is something we have to define for ourselves—and that courage and wisdom aren't proportionate to size.
Clementine is different from other mice: she can calculate the speed of light and she dreams in Latin. The scientists say she's a genius and put her through test after test. Clementine is proud of being a good lab mouse, but she's lonely. Her only snatches of friendship occur during her late-night visits with a chimpanzee named Rosie. When a compassionate lab technician frees Clementine, the mouse discovers an outside world full of wonders: Brussels sprouts, games of speed chess, television fame, and a chance for a real home. But for Clementine, it's not enough to be free when she knows that Rosie and the other mice are not. This tender, lively adventure story, narrated in letters from a mouse to a chimpanzee, shows us that goodness is something we have to define for ourselves—and that courage and wisdom aren't proportionate to size.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published September 6, 2022
About the author
Carlie Sorosiak
16 books293 followersCarlie Sorosiak is the bestselling author of I, COSMO, as well as two novels for young adults, IF BIRDS FLY BACK and WILD BLUE WONDER. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram at @carliesorosiak.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
October 29, 2022
In a Nutshell: Loved the cover! Liked the story. Disliked the writing format. Good for kids.
Story Synopsis:
Where the book worked:
😻 That adorable cover art! If this were in a bookshop, I would have grabbed a copy for that cover alone!
😻 Clementine’s personality is charming and loveable, especially towards the start. She isn’t into fake humility but knows where she stands in mind as well as in size. When she stated Rosie to be "as bright and lonely as myself", my heart went out to her.
😻 The book makes a strong comment against lab testing of animals in the story and in the author’s note. The story content isn’t brutal on the page (so sensitive kids *might* not have a problem), but the events are clear enough to highlight how animals are misused and to call for a change in testing methodologies.
😻 While the topic is serious, there are plenty of funny scenes to keep things light for kids. Of course, I am sure how they will feel about Clementine’s passion for Brussels sprouts! 😄
😻 Kids who love chess will love to see Clementine’s ability with the sport (as is hinted by the cover.) While it is a tad farfetched, it is reminiscent of Ratatouille’s ability to cook up yummy delicacies in the movie. At least Clementine has the justification of being genetically altered.
😻 There are some interesting secondary characters. Pop and Gus stand out with their caring approach towards animals. Can’t forget Hamlet, the other lab mouse.
😻 The pace is quite quick, as must be in children’s fiction.
Where the book could have worked better:
🙀 The epistolary format doesn’t lend itself well to the story beyond the first few chapters. All the more as Clementine isn’t writing anything but “thinking” letters to narrate to her friend. The book would have worked better in a general first person narration.
🙀 The book gets repetitive and boring in between. (This could be put down to my age. Kids might still have fun throughout.)
🙀 Certain aspects of Clementine’s knowledge are at odds with each other. This could be put down to her altered DNA, but it felt too convenient how she knew some complicated things and didn’t know other basic information.
I had picked this up expecting some similarity to the Humphrey the hamster series. However, this fails to live up to the cutesy charm of Humphrey’s anecdotes, though both Humphrey and Clementine are equally adorable. Of course, one might also recollect Stuart Little—the other famous mouse, but the writing style is very different and Stuart’s anthropomorphism creates a disparate experience. The vibes in this one are more like The One and Only Ivan than any rodent story.
All in all, a good read with a powerful message. Recommended to tweens.
3.5 stars.
My thanks to Walker Books US, Candlewick Press, and Edelweiss+ for the DRC of “Always, Clementine”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
———————————————
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Facebook | Twitter
Story Synopsis:
Clementine is not your typical lab mouse; she is great at maths and astrophysics and loves showing off her intelligence to the scientists. When a sympathetic lab tech escapes with her (and one of her fellow lab mice) and delivers them to the mailbox of a local animal lover, Clementine isn’t sure what awaits her. She longs for the comfort of the lab, she is worried about what kind of person will find her, but most importantly, she misses her friend from the lab, Rosie the chimpanzee. Hence Clementine begins composing letters in her mind, all addressed to Rosie and talking about everything that’s happening to Clementine since her escape from their earlier confines.
Most of the entire story comes to us through these mental epistles from Clementine’s first person point of view and addressed to Rosie. (That explains the sign-off style in the title, “Always, Clementine.”) There are a few other missives along the way.
Where the book worked:
😻 That adorable cover art! If this were in a bookshop, I would have grabbed a copy for that cover alone!
😻 Clementine’s personality is charming and loveable, especially towards the start. She isn’t into fake humility but knows where she stands in mind as well as in size. When she stated Rosie to be "as bright and lonely as myself", my heart went out to her.
😻 The book makes a strong comment against lab testing of animals in the story and in the author’s note. The story content isn’t brutal on the page (so sensitive kids *might* not have a problem), but the events are clear enough to highlight how animals are misused and to call for a change in testing methodologies.
😻 While the topic is serious, there are plenty of funny scenes to keep things light for kids. Of course, I am sure how they will feel about Clementine’s passion for Brussels sprouts! 😄
😻 Kids who love chess will love to see Clementine’s ability with the sport (as is hinted by the cover.) While it is a tad farfetched, it is reminiscent of Ratatouille’s ability to cook up yummy delicacies in the movie. At least Clementine has the justification of being genetically altered.
😻 There are some interesting secondary characters. Pop and Gus stand out with their caring approach towards animals. Can’t forget Hamlet, the other lab mouse.
😻 The pace is quite quick, as must be in children’s fiction.
Where the book could have worked better:
🙀 The epistolary format doesn’t lend itself well to the story beyond the first few chapters. All the more as Clementine isn’t writing anything but “thinking” letters to narrate to her friend. The book would have worked better in a general first person narration.
🙀 The book gets repetitive and boring in between. (This could be put down to my age. Kids might still have fun throughout.)
🙀 Certain aspects of Clementine’s knowledge are at odds with each other. This could be put down to her altered DNA, but it felt too convenient how she knew some complicated things and didn’t know other basic information.
I had picked this up expecting some similarity to the Humphrey the hamster series. However, this fails to live up to the cutesy charm of Humphrey’s anecdotes, though both Humphrey and Clementine are equally adorable. Of course, one might also recollect Stuart Little—the other famous mouse, but the writing style is very different and Stuart’s anthropomorphism creates a disparate experience. The vibes in this one are more like The One and Only Ivan than any rodent story.
All in all, a good read with a powerful message. Recommended to tweens.
3.5 stars.
My thanks to Walker Books US, Candlewick Press, and Edelweiss+ for the DRC of “Always, Clementine”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
———————————————
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Facebook | Twitter
December 19, 2022
https://littlesquirrelsbookshelf.blog...
Always, Clementine is the sweetest book! An epistolary novel narrated through letters from Clementine to her friend Rosie a chimpanzee.
Clementine has been freed from a research lab by a concerned worker and finds herself in the home of Gus and his grandfather, Pop. They soon learn that Clementine is no ordinary mouse, she is exceptionally smart. The lab scientists are determined to get Clementine back to continue their experiments but Gus and Pop have a plan to save Clementine and her friends.
The voice of Clementine is so funny, sweet and cute you can't help but fall in love with her.
Carlie Sorosiak has written a gentle book about the important topic of animal testing laboratories.
I loved that Clementine still had all the little idiosyncrasies of a mouse even though she had super intelligence and could understand humans.
Always, Clementine is a gorgeous tale of friendship, kindness and always trying the best that you can. It is an immersive story that is filled with enough suspense and danger to keep any child engaged.
This story will be an extra delight to chess players as Clementine is involved in a mega chess challenge.
My recommended age 8+
A book that will be enjoyed by children and adults alike.
*I received my copy from the publisher.
Always, Clementine is the sweetest book! An epistolary novel narrated through letters from Clementine to her friend Rosie a chimpanzee.
Clementine has been freed from a research lab by a concerned worker and finds herself in the home of Gus and his grandfather, Pop. They soon learn that Clementine is no ordinary mouse, she is exceptionally smart. The lab scientists are determined to get Clementine back to continue their experiments but Gus and Pop have a plan to save Clementine and her friends.
The voice of Clementine is so funny, sweet and cute you can't help but fall in love with her.
Carlie Sorosiak has written a gentle book about the important topic of animal testing laboratories.
I loved that Clementine still had all the little idiosyncrasies of a mouse even though she had super intelligence and could understand humans.
Always, Clementine is a gorgeous tale of friendship, kindness and always trying the best that you can. It is an immersive story that is filled with enough suspense and danger to keep any child engaged.
This story will be an extra delight to chess players as Clementine is involved in a mega chess challenge.
My recommended age 8+
A book that will be enjoyed by children and adults alike.
*I received my copy from the publisher.
October 5, 2022
If I’m being honest, I picked this book for its cover. The cutest cover of 2022. But, what was between the cover was even more delightful. I read this book aloud to my nine-year old twins and they loved it from start to finish. Vivid characters, funny and poignant well paced scenes. Finishing the final chapter, one twin grabbed the book with both hands and danced around the room saying it was her favorite story ever. I highly recommend this heat-warming tale to anyone who enjoyed The One and Only Ivan.
May 13, 2023
Bir an önce yayımlansa da okurken ağlamaktan içiniz çıksa :D
March 27, 2024
just adorable, cant wait for my niece and nephew to grow up enough for us to read it together 🥹
November 19, 2022
The perspective of a highly intelligent mouse brings a wonderfully joyous touch to the world, and Clementine's passion and hunger for knowledge is a great thing to read. The way the story unfolds gives you time to really feel an attachment to Clementine, as well as her friends Hamlet and Rosie.
A great read, very feel-good, easy to love.
A great read, very feel-good, easy to love.
October 17, 2024
So wholesome, so sweet!!
April 28, 2024
Always, Clementine
Overall Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (5/5) or 9.57/10 overall
Characters - 10
The characters in this book were amazing. They all had such unique and varied personalities that felt realistic and reliable. The interactions between the characters were especially stellar; it was clear that thoughtful consideration was put into how the communications between the mice and humans would go so they could understand each other better. I enjoyed that most of the characters reacted and changed throughout the story, due to the difficult events.
Atmosphere - 10
The atmosphere in this book was phenomenal. I truly felt like I could visualize all the scenes in my head with vivid details, which expanded my enjoyment tenfold.
Writing - 9
I loved the writing style in this book. The amount of sentences that were exclamative or questioning really helped to add extra emotion to the story, adding a way to subtly enhance the character's personalities as well.
Plot - 9
The plot was thoroughly entertaining, unique, and heartbreaking all the same. I felt this story had a good pace with enough points of high-energy chases, but still plenty of small moments and simple gestures.
Intrigue - 10
I was intrigued throughout the whole book. Getting to know Clementine's backstory made it all the easier to root for her and her mission to see Rosie again.
Logic - 9
This book was very logical. There was barely anything that felt out of place or exceptionally unrealistic in this story.
Enjoyment - 10
I might have a bit of recency bias, but this is currently the best book I read this year (2024) and I don't say that about just any book. This book made me cry, I was that emotional - all because of the intense connection I formed with the characters and how **real** they felt. I would especially recommend this book to fans of The One and Only Ivan, due to the similar topics of stopping animal cruelty, and I, Freddy, due to them both having highly-intelligent rodent main characters. :)
Overall Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (5/5) or 9.57/10 overall
Characters - 10
The characters in this book were amazing. They all had such unique and varied personalities that felt realistic and reliable. The interactions between the characters were especially stellar; it was clear that thoughtful consideration was put into how the communications between the mice and humans would go so they could understand each other better. I enjoyed that most of the characters reacted and changed throughout the story, due to the difficult events.
Atmosphere - 10
The atmosphere in this book was phenomenal. I truly felt like I could visualize all the scenes in my head with vivid details, which expanded my enjoyment tenfold.
Writing - 9
I loved the writing style in this book. The amount of sentences that were exclamative or questioning really helped to add extra emotion to the story, adding a way to subtly enhance the character's personalities as well.
Plot - 9
The plot was thoroughly entertaining, unique, and heartbreaking all the same. I felt this story had a good pace with enough points of high-energy chases, but still plenty of small moments and simple gestures.
Intrigue - 10
I was intrigued throughout the whole book. Getting to know Clementine's backstory made it all the easier to root for her and her mission to see Rosie again.
Logic - 9
This book was very logical. There was barely anything that felt out of place or exceptionally unrealistic in this story.
Enjoyment - 10
I might have a bit of recency bias, but this is currently the best book I read this year (2024) and I don't say that about just any book. This book made me cry, I was that emotional - all because of the intense connection I formed with the characters and how **real** they felt. I would especially recommend this book to fans of The One and Only Ivan, due to the similar topics of stopping animal cruelty, and I, Freddy, due to them both having highly-intelligent rodent main characters. :)
October 15, 2022
ALWAYS, CLEMENTINE
Carlie Sorosiak
I picked this up because of the cover, it is just so very cute. A very smart mouse is trapped in a mailbox so takes advantage to write to her friend the monkey who is still in the lab.
I go against the grain here and didn't care much for the communication method of short missives to relate the story of the book.
2 stars
Happy Reading!
Carlie Sorosiak
I picked this up because of the cover, it is just so very cute. A very smart mouse is trapped in a mailbox so takes advantage to write to her friend the monkey who is still in the lab.
I go against the grain here and didn't care much for the communication method of short missives to relate the story of the book.
2 stars
Happy Reading!
November 9, 2022
Charming story told by the mouse clementine, heartwarming and definitely cute.
October 20, 2022
cried and cried.
December 3, 2023
15 yaş altı çocuk/genç yetişkin herkesin çok severek okuyacağını düşünüyorum. çok hızlı okutuyor kendini
June 17, 2024
Yazarın diğer kitaplarını bu kadar beğenmemiştim, ama "Sevgiler, Clementine" in farklı bir havası var. Beni çok duygulandırdı.
February 6, 2023
"Here's another thought, Rosie: if someone is telling you what you have to be, then you might miss the opportunity to be what you are."
The story of Clementine the lab mouse and her best friend Rosie the chimpanzee is so beautiful - beautifully written and so special. It takes the form of letters Clementine is composing in her head for Rosie, telling all her adventures since she was freed from the lab.
The humans who help Clementine are a delightfully eclectic bunch, the best kind of people.
A book that highlights the good that we all have inside us; we just have to look for it and make sure it shines.
The story of Clementine the lab mouse and her best friend Rosie the chimpanzee is so beautiful - beautifully written and so special. It takes the form of letters Clementine is composing in her head for Rosie, telling all her adventures since she was freed from the lab.
The humans who help Clementine are a delightfully eclectic bunch, the best kind of people.
A book that highlights the good that we all have inside us; we just have to look for it and make sure it shines.
January 17, 2023
Really gorgeous book for year 3-6. A young lab worker with a conscience removes a mouse bred to be a genius, along with a rogue extra, and leaves them in the mailbox of a known-to-be-kind animal lover grandpa children’s presenter. Luckily he did exactly the right thing and everything falls nicely into place for this to become a wonderful story of using your best assets and trusting in good people to fight for justice! Plenty of tricky moments to keep you guessing, I love this as a read aloud from year 3/4, and up to year 5/6. Animals and chess, great combo for our kids currently.
May 16, 2022
Everything about the book is just so well done. The pacing, the emotion, the structure. Telling the story from the perspective of a rat who is in a lab really made me feel extra emotionally attached to Clementine. You can’t help but love all the good humans, too. And of course Hamlet and Rosie. I love this book, and I can’t wait for it to hit the shelves for everyone else to read.
P.S.: Any kid obsessed with chess should pick this up. The chess scenes were definitely my favorite.
P.S.: Any kid obsessed with chess should pick this up. The chess scenes were definitely my favorite.
September 16, 2022
I fell in love with the sweet cover and loved this story that made me smile and wish I could read something similar when I was a child.
The author is a talented storyteller and Clementine is lovely and clever.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
The author is a talented storyteller and Clementine is lovely and clever.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
August 7, 2022
My gosh, this is so full of heart and joy and love and just everything. Clementine is the loveliest thing in the world and I would love to meet her. The good humans of this story made me so happy. I loved Clementine’s thirst for knowledge and love for her friend. The whole mouse playing chess thing is such a cute thing. The messages about lab testing on animals is dealt with so brilliantly. My hope for the world is that it can be filled with the good humans from this story. The illustration of Clementine on the front of the proof makes me so happy. I loved the layout of this as letters - it made it feel so much more personal. I just wanna hug this book so much.
March 15, 2023
Very cute, It was a slow start for me but then I just couldn't stop reading! This books is a nice reminder that there are good people in the world. The idea of writing letters instead of chapters is so cute 😍 💓
November 22, 2022
this was a cute read. about how not everyone is the same. this mouse isnt like the rest but instead is a genius and its about acceptance and being proud of who you are. i liked how it used animals to take away the pressure of the human facrtor.
November 26, 2022
I'm a little verklempt after reading this book. Once again a mouse is so much more than a mouse. The story of a VERY smart lab mouse who escapes and finds her calling in chess, the journey taken is of self-discovery, self-love, finding family and missing home. It's also the author's plea to stop animal testing in laboratories. Always, Clementine will touch your heart; it may change you.
May 13, 2024
Henry (10 years old) gave this 5 stars! He said it was really interesting and he loved how smart Clementine is (just like Henry!) We read this together and really enjoyed it!
December 15, 2024
This was just cute in all the right ways.
October 28, 2022
Loved this book. Lots of issues raised - and not just about experimenting with animals in labs.
Memorable characters both human and furry.
It would make a great class read aloud book although there would be a lot of tears.
Memorable characters both human and furry.
It would make a great class read aloud book although there would be a lot of tears.
October 23, 2022
a sweet, engrossing read
October 30, 2022
Loved it. It has the best moral lesson
November 13, 2022
Very creative. Loved the plot. Always loved stories starting mice.
November 11, 2022
Katherine Applegate watch out, Carlie Sorosiak is coming for you in her ability to bring emotions to the life of animals in a way that pulls your ❤️ in every direction.
May 28, 2023
My goodness! This book is so wonderful. I gasped on page 258 and immediately began sobbing. On some level I knew there would be a happy ending but that didn't stop me from feeling like my world with Clementine was ending right then and there.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2024
The most gorgeously portrayed protagonists I've ever encountered. A beautiful voice for every character. Love the letter chapters and style. It's painted in such a quaint watercolor that truly makes you feel right at home and with Clementine upon every word that's read. I can't love this enough ! Recommended. A perfect gift. IM IN LOVE
Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews