If You Read This by Kereen Getten

Abstract

Reviewed by: If You Read This by Kereen Getten Kate Quealy-Gainer, Editor Getten, Kereen If You Read This. Delacorte, 2022 [176p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780593174005 $16.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780593174012 $9.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 4-6 Three years have passed since Brie's mother's death, and Brie is still struggling with not only her grief but also the growing chasm between her and her father. Her twelfth birthday offers them a chance to reconnect when it's revealed that her mother, who loved to take Brie on small adventures, left Brie a series of letters that will supposedly lead to a secret, special place, and the first instruction is to get Papa to take her to grandfather's house. Papa makes the arrangements but, to Brie's pained disappointment, sends her off with other friends and family. Hurt, dejected, and reckless, Brie keeps trying to follow her mother's clues but ends up putting a dear family member in danger. As in her previous novel, When Life Gives You Mangos (BCCB 11/20), Getten backgrounds her story with a joyful, authentic Caribbean setting that pulls from the beauty of the environment and the solid connections between Brie's family and her community. Wrestling with fading memories of her mother and her growing frustration with Papa, Brie is a sympathetic heroine, finally reaching a point where she angrily rebuffs others' expectations—especially regarding her acceptance of her father's behavior. That realism is somewhat undercut by the swift turnaround in Papa's actions and a revelation that seems distinctly out of character for him. Still, it makes for a deservedly happy ending for Brie, and readers will be glad to see her finding the place her mother left to her and forging a path forward. Copyright © 2022 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois