Summary: A Million Views
Brewster Gaines is a loner obsessed with making videos, and his number one goal is to go viral on YouTube. For his latest video idea, he recruits a new kid in his class, Carly. But soon, Carly brings a friend, Rosa, and before Brewster knows it, he has a team of seven kids working on planning, filming, and editing his new project. At the same time, he starts to notice cracks in his family, even as he realizes that people and friendship matter more than lofty goals.
The Good
This is a quirky, funny book about a niche interest: filmmaking. I much preferred it on audio, and I laughed out loud multiple times during this one. I think kids who are big on making videos or into social media will enjoy Brewster’s story. There’s a lot of information about what goes into making films, from scripting and storyboarding to post-production and I was amazed by how much the kids in this story know about the process.
There’s also a hint of mystery with Rosa, who funds Brewster’s project by investing $5000. What kind of kid has access to this kind of money? Why has no one met her family? Why is she even so invested in the film? The author slowly shows us more about her motivations and it adds an extra layer of depth to the story
I loved that the kids all find a kind of family through this filmmaking hobby and that nearly all of the characters have a surprising twist about them throughout the story. Brewster’s home situation made me sad (his dad is away a lot and is maybe cheating on his mom, but she doesn’t seem to care?) and it’s jarring to think about the various dysfunctional family setups many kids have to deal with — even if they’re not outrightly abusive.
The Not-So-Good
My only two issues with this one is the slow pace and the fact that I didn’t love the author’s resolution of Brewster’s family issues.
“This was about making a movie trailer and overcoming the obstacles along the way. The main character always kept going, and his unlikely friends helped him. Even with, and maybe because of, an uncertain situation at home where the family was divided, Brewster continued to make the trailer for his fantasy movie in an attempt to get a perfect million views. I liked the plot line, I thought it was fun and engaging.”
Dante M., 7th grader
Content Notes
Here are some specifics to know about the content.
Content Warnings
- Death: None
- Sexual content: None
- Violence: None
- Language: None
Diversity
- Gender: Brewster’s sibling, Jade, identifies as nonbinary and goes by they/them
- Ethnic: No specific references to characters’ ethnicities, although the cover reflects some diversity
Recommended for ages: 10+
Good for Kids Who Like:
- Funny stories
- Books about filmmaking
- John David Anderson’s The Greatest Kid in the World
- Friendship stories
Publisher Details
Publisher details | Penguin Workshop |
Author: | Aaron Starmer |
Illustrator: | N/A |
Publication date: | August 1, 2023 |
Audiobook? | Yes. Libro.fm |
Page count: | 304 |
Cover artists | Designer: |
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ilovebooks1464 says
This looks intriguing…