Sorry For Your Loss by Jessie Ann Foley

Sorry For Your Loss by Jessie Ann Foley is my latest read and absolutely one of my favorite books that I have read this year.  This is such a powerful book about grief and trauma, how it affects us, and the things we can do to start to heal.  This is a story that is going to stick with me for a long time, a story that I won't soon forget.  This is a novel about the devastation of losing a loved one, the different ways in which we deal with it, but most importantly the hope that can surface when we can find peace.  I just can't say enough good about this beautiful novel!

Sorry For Your Loss is the story of Pup, the youngest of eight Flanagan children.  Being the youngest, he is often overlooked by those around him, especially as the family is still dealing with the death of Pup's older brother, Patrick, from just a couple short years ago.  With Pup about to fail his art class, his eccentric teacher gives him one more shot at redemption.  When he absentmindedly snaps a picture of his brother passed out on the roof, he sets into motion a budding love for photography and more importantly a chance to start healing as a family.  Through the portfolio he starts building for an art competition, Pup gracefully captures the grief his family still feels, but also the ways in which they can overcome this grief and find peace with the loss they have all suffered.   

 

 

From Amazon: 

From Printz Honor winner and Morris Award finalist Jessie Ann Foley comes a comitragic YA novel that will appeal to fans of Jandy Nelson and Jeff Zentner.

As the youngest of eight, painfully average Pup Flanagan is used to flying under the radar. He’s barely passing his classes. He lets his longtime crush walk all over him. And he’s in no hurry to decide on a college path.

The only person who ever made him think he could be more was his older brother Patrick. But that was before Patrick died suddenly, leaving Pup with a family who won’t talk about it and acquaintances who just keep saying, “sorry for your loss.”

When Pup excels at a photography assignment he thought he’d bomb, things start to come into focus. His dream girl shows her true colors. An unexpected friend exposes Pup to a whole new world, right under his nose.

And the photograph that was supposed to show Pup a way out of his grief ultimately reveals someone else who is still stuck in their own. Someone with a secret regret Pup never could have imagined.

Winner of the 2020-2020 North Star YA Award

Named to YALSA's Best Fiction for Young Adults list

 

That Weekend by Kara Thomas

Kara Thomas is an automatic read for me.  If she has a new novel coming out, I'm going to read it.  That Weekend is her latest novel and it lived up to all of my expectations.  Thomas is a master storyteller.  She creates novels that will keep you on the edge of your seat as you try to figure out the plot twist that you know is coming.  If you are looking for a fast-paced mystery, That Weekend will surely fit the bill.

 Claire is excited to spend prom weekend at the lake house of her best friend's grandma.  Claire and Kat, along with Jesse, Kat's boyfriend, are going to get away from all the drama that prom is sure to bring.  But when a camping trip goes terribly wrong, Claire is discover on the mountain with no memory of what happened and two missing friends.  Claire will try to piece together what exactly took place over that weekend and the reader will be left grasping at their own theories as the discover the truth behind what really went down on that mountain.  

 

From Amazon:
 

 "A bold and expertly plotted page-turner." --Courtney Summers, New York Times bestselling author of Sadie

From the author of The Cheerleaders, comes a thriller about best friends on a weekend getaway that goes horribly, dangerously wrong.

THREE BEST FRIENDS, A LAKE HOUSE, A SECRET TRIP -- WHAT COULD GO WRONG?

It was supposed to be the perfect prom weekend getaway. But it's clear something terrible happened when Claire wakes up alone and bloodied on a hiking trail with no memory of the past forty-eight hours.

Now everyone wants answers--most of all, Claire. She remembers Friday night, but after that . . . nothing. And now Kat and Jesse--her best friends--are missing.

What happened on the mountain? And where are Kat and Jesse? Claire knows the answers are buried somewhere in her memory. But as she's learning, everyone has secrets--even her best friends. And she's pretty sure she's not going to like what she remembers.

Flight of the Puffin by Ann Braden

I'm way behind on getting a couple of book reviews done, so here we go.  Flight of the Penguin is a middle grade novel by Ann Braden. This was an incredible story about the power of kindness.  I loved Braden's previous novel, The Benefits of Being an Octopus, so I was really excited to read her latest.  It did not disappoint!  It is such a heartwarming story that shows us what can happen when we start showing the world a bit of kindness.  We learn that our past doesn't have to be our future.  Through kindness we can change the life of a stranger.  This is such a wonderful novel and one that I am sure will bring a smile to your face.   

 

From Amazon:

One small act of kindness ripples out to connect four kids in this stirring novel by the author of the beloved The Benefits of Being an Octopus.

Libby comes from a long line of bullies. She wants to be different, but sometimes that doesn’t work out. To bolster herself, she makes a card with the message You are amazing. That card sets off a chain reaction that ends up making a difference in the lives of some kids who could also use a boost—be it from dealing with bullies, unaccepting families, or the hole that grief leaves. Receiving an encouraging message helps each kid summon up the thing they need most, whether it’s bravery, empathy, or understanding. Because it helps them realize they matter—and that they're not flying solo anymore.