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.

What a wonderful job at exploring grief and loss. It was very emotional and I am so happy to have read it.

This book was so good! I really like the general idea of it, it was very creative. It was super fun to watch the main character learn to deal with her grief and grow as a person after the death of her brother.

A bittersweet tale of twin sisters. One who has passed away, and the other who has to face the grief and loss of losing their sibling. A story for perfect for middle readers who are looking to feel their feels while learning how to process emotions during difficult times.

Sweet middle grade novel on the bond of twins, the grief surrounding the death of a child, and a child's fragile relationship with a parent. Lilly and her mom have been faced with the death of Anders, 11-year-old LIlly's twin. Mom struggles to leave her bedroom and can't face doing the daily routines that she once did with her two children. But Lilly still has time with Anders - playdates, silliness, and serious talks. How long will this last? How will Lilly help herself and her mom move forward in the face of this loss and sadness? Great read for middle grade readers and the adults in their lives!

Lily is a twin, but her brother Anders died a few months ago. It's okay, though, because they still spend time together in the overlap, where their two worlds meet. Lily just wants to make it through one last summer with her brother, but the overlap seems to be shrinking. This is a sweet moving story about grief and coping with loss. Pair for When Sea Becomes Sky.

This book was well written, really moving. It is a great way to show how kids deal with grief in their own way. There’s not enough books that deal with grief from the kids perspective that is for kids. I highly recommend this book to anyone struggling with closure.

This book was out of this world! I highlighted so many parts of it…little nuggets of wisdom to share with my students who might be going through hard times with friends or otherwise grieving in some way. The main character was so relatable and the actions and events felt very real. I will definitely be sharing this one. Thank you so much to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read this advance copy.

I absolutely adored Anica Mrose Rissi's middle grade about the hard, conflicting emotions of grief and summer. In terms of voice, I found this beautifully written and well-structured book to have a very modern classic feel that reminded me of some of my favorite books as a kid but with a very contemporary feel. An efficient and quick read, it tackles deep issues around processing and moving on through grief. It was also a beautiful, poignant book about the connection of twins and the power that new friendships can bring. The quaint island Maine setting was also a huge plus, and brought to life in the gorgeous writing.

It's been a while since I read such a great book that had me crying while reading. Anders and Lily are inseparable twins until Anders dies (from cancer). Lily has to go on living, and in her grief she still talks to Anders outside by their tree. I am going to keep a copy on hand for any student who is grieving someone and needs to see in print how you can move on and still never forget that person.

4.5 Stars


Wishing Season is one of those books that at first may seem a bit niche, but actually will appeal to a fairly wide audience. That’s because it’s not just about twins — author Anica Mrose Rissi explores multiple relationships throughout her novel. And it’s those relationships and how those relationships help Lily move through her grief that make this book so strong.

For Lily, losing her brother is like losing a part of her body. Anders has always been there. It’s always been the two of them. And when he dies, Lily doesn’t know what to do. But then, Anders isn’t really gone. At least, not for Lily. And that makes all the difference. Until it doesn’t.

Rissi’s multi-layered approach to exploring grief and its many stages creates a narrative that feels true. There’s a sort of “rightness” to Lily’s actions and reactions that weights the book. But there’s also a brightness that lightens such a heavy topic.

Wishing Season is a contemplative read that moves fairly quick and will particularly resonate with readers who have experienced some kind of loss of their own.

The seasoning of magical realism begins in the first chapter of Wishing Season by Anica Mrose Rissi as Lily gets off the school bus ten minutes past the usual time. Her body language when she waves at no friends and braces herself as she heads to her front door is observed and commented on by two watchful birds. One says she’ll be all right; the second one wonders.

Lily’s twin brother Anders has died leaving Lily and their mother caught in the grasp of grief. The mother withdraws into her own sorrow, leaving Lily to figure out her own way of coping. Wishing will not change anything, but finding Anders in a special place near a tree gives her a chance to communicate with this person who has shared her life since before they were born. In the place where he has gone, he seems not to feel the loneliness she feels at being left behind. Their twin arguments, jokes, and discussions continue almost as usual, except that Anders has a limited space to be. Lily becomes panicky as this area continues to shrink and the times she can find him there become shortened and more unreliable.

The book is a touching and realistic look at grief and the life changes that it brings. It is a well written account of a caring community that helps, but with the understanding that the real adjustment comes from those bearing the loss.

I read the book in an advance reading copy furnished by Net Galley and HarperCollins/Quill Tree. This good read for those experiencing grief or for friends wanting to help those who are in mourning is available for pre-order now or purchase on June 27.

Lily is eleven years old and just lost her brother to cancer, but continues to see him and talk to him near the same tree.

This is a very well-written novel about loss and grief that in many ways worked better than YA novels that I've read exploring the same theme due to the author's restraint. We get the story through Lily's point of view and process, she is very independent, determined and even dealing with guilt and secrets, she tries to hold it all together alone. There are many stages of her emotions, even aggression, but I loved the choices of the author and all the scenes that slowly bring her growth to us.

A very beautiful and emotional book to be experienced more than spoken about. The stages of grief are presented in a very subtle and creative way.

Explores themes such as loss of a sibling, death and grief, acceptance, finding the strength to move on by going through one's path of grief, opening to people or parent, dealing with bad friendships or new good friendships, finding a purpose that is meaningful to the community, and an earlier growing up and maturity.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

this was such a beautifully done story about loss and grief, it deals with topics that at some point everyone will deal with. The characters were what I was hoping for and I could understand what was going on with them. They were well-written and I enjoyed getting to know them. The story was so well done and I'm glad I went on this journey with them. Anica Mrose Rissi has a great writing style and I can't wait to read more.

"Lily wanted to scream. She wanted to kick things and argue and fight this. She’d stage a protest. She’d go on strike. She would start a petition to stop it. She would not take it lying down. But there was no one to shout at, no place to appeal. She could glare at the boundaries and yell at the sky, but they wouldn’t be moved by her pleas and frustration. They did not care what was fair. She couldn’t bargain, trade, threaten, beg, or negotiate her way out of this. She didn’t have a single solution."

This was such a heartwarming book about loss, grief, and new beginnings. Lily lost her twin brother, Anders, to cancer but both have found a way to stay in touch. When Lily goes outside, Anders will appear and they talk. As time passes, he appears less and less and seems detached. Anders tells her he might not be able to stay and to find new friends. Lily realizes her grief has encompassed everything lately and that she needs to move on. She knows Anders will always be a part of her. Is she able move on?