Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book, as this book has already been published, I will not share my review on Netgalley at this time.

When young scientist Juniper nearly drowns in a creek where her sister had died two years before, she experiences an event that grants her magical powers. Her new abilities enable her to let living things grow and even bring things back to life. This is her chance at getting her sister back, but soon Juniper has to admit that “some things can’t be fixed…not even with magic.”

This book isn’t mainly about magic. It is about grief. And to give someone magical powers who is grieving is never a good idea. But magic linked to emotions, especially grief, can do more harm than good. And so it shows with Juniper and Artemis.

Amber Morell did outstanding work in letting Juniper feel her loss but ultimately accept it as a part of her. We know today that grief is a process of our brain adapting to a world without the person we lost. And that takes time. The anger and panic Juniper experiences are all signs of the still-existent grief she is facing. Her healing process - her adaptation - is incomplete. But she needs more than just therapy. She needs people who show her who she is without her sister. A person who deserves to be loved, have dreams and be happy again. Having a butterfly as a symbol of that grief was a brilliant choice. It’s a bold metaphor for Juniper’s metamorphosis throughout the book, making it much more fulfilling to see her coming out of her cocoon.

This debut novel is wise, emotional, and full of metaphors. I loved every minute of it.

Twelve-year-old Juniper Edwards came by her scientific mind naturally through her parents. Studying insects is a family affair, capturing and cataloging them a hobby. When Juniper's sister dies searching for the endangered Palos Verdes Blue butterfly, the twelve-year-old cannot help but pick up the hunt. A near death experience for Juniper results in newfound abilities, magical ones that give the young girl hope that she can change things. Will these new realizations help the girl heal from her loss or cause more heartache?

Dealing with the loss of her sister, Juniper turns to science for comfort. Her parents handle the loss of their daughter in different ways as well, with none of them recognizing the grief in a public way. Juniper ends up turning to magic, grasping at any way of changing the life the family now lives. Overall, none of the adults in Juniper's life do enough to help her with her grief. I am not sure how realistic this is, though some real-life families would deal with grief by hiding from it. Juniper herself does not feel three dimensional, as she is portrayed in her single minded view of using science to solve her problems. I am not sure I would recommend The Alchemy of Letting Go to young readers because the author spends a lot of time on trying to hide from or use unrealistic means to deal with the loss of a loved one.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy by NetGalley and the publisher. The decision to read and review this novel was entirely my own.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in return for an honest review.

I have gone back and forth on my thoughts on this book. I like the emphasis on science, particularly the focus on butterflies, but I didn't love that Juniper seemed to not be more than the stereotypical girl who likes science and nothing else. I also really liked how this book looks at grief and the struggle with wanting to see our loved ones who have passed away, but Juniper needs some therapy, especially after her own experience at the nature preserve. So there were a number of things I liked about the book, but some I'm undecided on.

What tropes, vibes, and themes does this book include?
Grief and learning to let (as the title says!), friendship, and understanding differences in interests/opinions are Okay. As for the vibes, it gives off magical realism dipped in science.

Who should read this?
If you have a knack for science, this might be the book for you, since it is a heavy element (haha). Also, those interested in light magic. It might be handy in helping a child (or an adult) process their grief after losing a loved one, as this is the central theme of the book.

What ages are appropriate?
Children ages 9-11 would enjoy this book.

Trigger Warning: death and reference to dying, mild violence, necromancy.

Review with minimum spoilers:
Twelve-year old Juniper is going through the grieving process after her older sister died two years prior. But her scientific understanding of the world is challenged after she acquires new magical abilities and meets the two magicians next door.
I went into this book not knowing exactly what to expect, and it did throw be for a loop at the start when Juniper meets her magician neighbors Artemis and Soren, who open up a whole that can of worms called alchemy. I was expecting lots of science mixed with magic, lots of weird alchemy things from the medieval times, but it fell flat in that department. Magic there was, but it really felt unrelated to the alchemy I was promised at the start. [The only bit that did feel relevant to alchemy was when Juniper creates a new body for her sister at the middle of the book. (hide spoiler)]
As for the characters -- the children, at least -- they all felt a little boxed into their interests and personalities. Juniper is heavily into science, Mateo into poetry, Chelsea into art, Ingrid is your typical teenage girl. When I was twelve (and as a teenager) I had a variety of interests ranging from video games to cooking to photography and so on. They all felt a bit two-dimensional.
All in all it was not a bad book at all, and I enjoyed reading it, but it is a much better fit for a younger audience.

I have a hard time deciding whether this is actually a good book. It's unique, for sure. It's also very engaging and an emotional journey that will probably always remain with the person who embarks upon it. But it is also creepy in a way that is probably not intentional - there's a talking lemur whose presence in the narrative somehow feels unfriendly even though the character himself is not, and the theme of resurrecting the dead is inherently disturbing and hard to execute in a child-appropriate fashion. Something about this book doesn't sit right with me, but the story is unique and intriguing enough that I would be open to someone advocating for it and changing my general opinion.

A nice middle Grace read about how grief affects us all differently and how we cope with loss. My youngest grandchild cried at something the rest of us had not considered. She asked - if there were so few of these butterflies, why did they want to take one away from its family ? We were all worried about humans grief and loss, she was more concerned about the butterflies loss. The magic and science were nicely blended in the story but bringing her sister back (according to my grandson) had too much of a Frankenweenie vibe ?!

This book is a fascinating combination of science, magic, grief, middle-school friendships, family dynamics, and fantasy. It's also an imaginative page-turner—I never was quite sure where the plot was headed, and it often surprised me, which was great. The descriptions are vivid and the emotions ring true.. I think kids will love it!

THE ALCHEMY OF LETTING GO combines science, magic, and grief in beautiful ways. Juniper struggles to comprehend the loss of her sister, and through a journey that was the perfect combination of surprising and touching learns the power of letting go and how to keep on living. Amber Morrell has captured the heart of this story and of her main character, Juniper, perfectly and I can't wait to see what Morrell writes next.

This Review will cointain spoilers!!

I really wanted to like this book, but there were just too many things that bothered me.

First of all: What is the book about? Juniper is a 12 year old girl who loves science and misses her dead sister. She promised her to catch the rare butterfly. After an accident she discovered that she got magic and gets to know a magican and scientist that lives next door.

The story itself sounded promising. A young girl that loves science and magic? That's for me. But sadly it wasn't.

I needed way longer than I thought to get into the story and to be honest, I don't really know if I ever really got into it.

Juniper felt very unlikable for me and she was quite self-centered all the time. She didn't cared for the feelings of the people around her. Her way to grief was the only right one. One thing that felt kind of odd to me was that her sister was already dead for two years and her parents didn't take her to therapy. You could see the whole story that Juniper was struggling but the parents didn't seem to care about it.

Another thing that felt a bit odd was, that she got Ingrid back through magig (she got her body back but not her soul) and after some time, Juniper realised that the girl isn't really her sister because she doesn't like science and has different interests than before her death. The girl isn't her sister but even if she was, it wouldn't be surprising if she had other interests than before her death because she was dead for to years and would be 14 (at least I think).

This book promised a lot but it felt very flat for me. I didn't really liked Juniper as a main character and the story was a bit confusing at some times.

It makes me really sad that I didn't really enjoyed this story because it was an deput.

My rating is more like a 2.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Albert Whitman & Company for this EARC!

This lovely story does something that great fairy tales have been doing throughout the ages: it helps us explore death and loss by changing the rules of life as we know it—sometimes overtly, sometimes subtly, but always magically. As a big fan of the modern fantasies like A Monster Calls and Spirited Away, I love the way that The Alchemy of Letting Go effortlessly weaves otherworldly magic into the fabric of everyday modern life. Kids will find it relatable and yet wonderfully transportive. Maybe most importantly, this book creates a world where, without looking away from hard truths, young readers can think about grief and healing in a safe and healthy way.

Science-minded Juniper is determined to carry out her sister Ingrid's goal of capturing the rare Palos Verdes Blue butterfly after Ingrid dies. But when Juniper experiences a magical event, which leaves her with magical abilities, a new goal takes over--to bring her sister back.

This is a sweet story about grief and, as the title suggests, letting go. Through the course of the book, Juniper transforms from a science-obsessed loner to an accepting friend. The author creates a beautiful blend of science and magic with endearing characters and an engaging plot line. I loved how the sections of the book are broken down by scientific method (observe, question, hypothesize, etc.).

Middle grade readers everywhere will fall in love with this book!

An approachable middle grade book! I was immediately drawn in by the science loving Juniper and her parents. This book approaches childhood grief of another child, in this case a sibling, in a practical way and also a magical way too. This book will appeal to anyone interested in STEM, and those that are more abstract and artistic with the magical elements. Grieving by way of magic and using it as a coping strategy was great but I would have loved to see therapy mentioned as well.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC!

This is one of the best middle grades I've read in a long time! I loved how the story incorporated both magic and science, it gave it such a whimsical feeling! I also loved how it had an important topic as well-grief. It was very easy to relate on that topic. Of course, I also loved the friendship between Juniper and Mateo, middle grade friendships are some wholesome and lovable. I will say, juniper's character wasn't written the best and sometimes she seemed one dimensional but overall, a really good story.

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Juniper's parents are entomologists, and she and her sister Ingrid shared their passion, especially for adding a rare and endangered Palos Verdes Blue wild butterfly to their collection. After Ingrid's death two years ago, Juniper is obsessed with fulfilling what she sees is a task for her sister. When a stone shimmering with green light appears in her pocket after she almost drowns at the same place her sister met her death, Juniper finds out that magic is real. A new boy at school, Mateo, also knows that magic is real, and warns her against investigating it, but new neighbor, Artemis Alderdice, next door entices her into their world of science and magic by telling her that they know a spell that will bring Ingrid back. It seems fairly successful, and no one but Mateo seems to remember that Ingrid had died, but the reanimated Ingrid isn't quite the same. When Artemis reveals her own evil plans, Juniper knows that Mateo might be right. But how can she change things?

Readers who like books that center grieving, from Lawrence's Fire on Headless Mountain to Guterson's The Einsteins of Vista Point to Patterson and Grabenstein's Best Nerds Forever will find Juniper's magical coping strategies interesting.

It's sad when people die, but every body dies. The idea of bringing the dead back to life should appeal to no one. Also, Juniper clearly need to work through a lot of issues with a therapist but doesn't seem to be seeing one, although it was refreshing to see that her parents weren't paralyzed with grief.

Actual Rating: 2.5/5 stars

The Alchemy of Letting Go on paper is the exact kind of book that I love to review and recommend. It was sold to me as middle-grade fiction with a relatable portrayal of grief and a 12-year old girl with a strong science-interest in the lead. Grief + STEM + a hint of magic: sign me up!
Unfortunately, the execution of this book let me down, and although the book does nothing “wrong”, from the perspective of an own-voice sensitivity reader and reviewer, I cannot give this story more than 3 stars.

The Story:
We follow Juniper Lane, a 12-year old entomologist-to-be, who “caught the bug” from her scientist parents and older sister Ingrid, who was fascinated with the local endangered butterfly population. Since Ingrid tragically passed away 2 years ago, Juniper has picked up her research. An incident during one of her fieldtrips leads her to discover newfound abilities that blur the line between magic and science. Juniper tries an experiment to change things back to the way they were, but the results aren’t what she expected.

What I liked:
I really liked the combination of magic and science featured in this story. Early on in the story, things begin to happen that Juniper cannot explain. She turns to what she knows; her scientific mind, to try to make sense of these events and treats the magic as an experiment in a new science subject. Many middle-grade magic stories are about the protagonists learning to “control their emotions” in order to control their magic. I loved seeing a different side in this story; one of a girl who’s already very rational in her approach, learning that it’s okay to show and feel her softer and more emotional side.
Mateo as a side character in particular helped as her counterpart, and I loved their accepting and supportive friendship.

What I didn’t like:
There are 2 things that a middle-grade book about grief must nail in my opinion; a relatable portrayal of our protagonist and their grief, and a positive/helpful/supportive representation of the adult figures in their lives. For me, both were lacking a little.
The first is mostly due to Junipers character, who I found very unlikable. She’s extremely flatly written; her only character trait being that she likes science, which we’re told about 2x every page. She’s also very single-minded in that and has little regard for the feelings of others around her. It made it difficult to emotionally connect to her, when even something so personal as the magical search for the sister she misses so much, is seemingly nothing more than an experiment to her.
Some of the biggest misconceptions us STEM-girls/women face is the stereotype of the “emotionally stunted kid without a social radar”. Having our protagonist fall into many of these traps doesn’t seem like a great portrayal for a children’s novel. Granted; Juniper is called out on her behaviour, but isn’t shown to learn from it on page.
The same argument can be made for Junipers parents as the relevant adult figures in her life. They’re shown as similarly cold and rational and don’t offer any healthy support or help. This is crucial to any good middle-grade grief for me: we have to teach our kids that it’s okay to seek (adult) help in these situations.

SPOILERS BELOW:
Finally, there’s a tricky trope used that I don’t think worked out the way the author intended. I’m generally not a fan of the “bringing-the-dead-back-to-life”-trope. The forever-ness of death is one of the scariest things to face in grief, and this trope undercuts it.
I understand what the book tried to do: to have this experience teach Juniper that bringing her sister back was impossible, and things wouldn’t be the same as before regardless. I don’t like the way it was done however for multiple reasons:
1. Juniper first realises that the girl she brought back isn’t her sister because “she likes other things than science now”. I’m a little baffled how the author thought this was a good idea. People change in 2 years’ time, and the way this was handled almost made it feel like Juniper would rather have the memory of her deceased sister than a sister who’s grown and expanded their interests. Not to mention the plot-hole that this sister was supposedly a representation of Junipers memory of her. In that case, she should’ve been the exact opposite, as they idealized version Juniper remembers her as.
2. in the end, Juniper accepts and lets go of the idea of bringing her sister back. Yet the magical not-sister still remains as a presence in her life and even becomes sort of a friend of hers. The message of “you might not get your sister back, but here’s a new friend for your trouble” seemed very strange to me.

Overall, I can see the beautiful butterfly at the core of this novel, but I feel it needed a few changes within the cocoon to work for me. It’s an enjoyable middle-grade magical adventure story, but as a story about grief I can’t quite recommend it.

Many thanks to Albert Whitman & Company for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

It was an entertaining read with a unique premise.

I liked how the opening drew me in smoothly with slow introduction of more than everyday-life elements.

I also liked that the emotional depiction of the young teens seemed well-done and believable.

The resolution was satisfying and a layer deeper than foreseen with a bit of a flavor of Philip Pullman’s “His Dark Materials”.

Occasionally adult authority figures behaved in ways I wouldn’t expect or which didn’t make total sense in response to events but it was a minor aspect that didn’t really distract from the overall book or plot.

There were points I felt that hearing the main character announce she wanted to be scientific were repetitive and didn’t drive the plot forward and could have been trimmed, or that outlook could have been woven more integrally into the plot to indicate better a sense of how someone with that inclination would approach or grasp things. It felt a little superficial without conveying what makes someone with those inquisitive and logical traits tick - maybe more like a preconception by a humanities major of a STEM focus being rigid and fact-based rather than insightful. But again, as a plot element, that aspect was not a large issue and overall the story and protagonist’s arc were interesting and satisfying, with a sense of thought and reflection having gone into the story for the reader to enjoy.

Kudos to the author!

A powerful middle grade debut about grief and friendship, interwoven with both science and magic. Thank you to NetGalley and Albert Whitman & Company for the eARC!

In THE ALCHEMY OF LETTING GO, 12-year-old Juniper is grieving the death of her older sister who, like Juniper, was a scientist. Juniper begins the story somewhat closed-off from her classmates and at times rigid in her thinking, but after encountering magic next door to her—and discovering magical abilities of her own—Juniper sets off on a quest to bring her sister back all while learning that science and magic aren't so different after all.

Juniper's grief was very relatable to me, as someone who also lost an immediate family member at 12 years old. I really liked the science woven throughout the story, and the tidbits of knowledge about butterflies and conservation. For me, the side characters were a highlight—Mateo was a great character, and I would love to hear more about his journey with magic! I also really liked Chelsea, and without spoiling anything, I'm happy about how her story resolved.

I'd recommend this story for science-minded MG readers or anyone grieving a loved one.

Thank you, Albert Whitman & Company, for allowing me to read The Alchemy of Letting Go early!

This was such a moving novel about grief and coping with the loss of a dear one. I loved the fantastical aspects of it and the way Junipers grows.

this was a cute middle grade read also with themes of grief. I really enjoyed the magical aspects and think readers will too!