Rating: 3.5 Stars

How do three sort of broken young people start to reassemble themselves? They make some bad choices, go on a road trip, and most importantly, they find each other and learn to open up about their losses.

• Pro: I wasn't sure about Izzy, but she grew on me. At first she seemed a little selfish, but as she opened up more, I discovered that she was also hurting. She did grow quite a bit from her experience, and I saw it happening, bit by bit, and each time, I was quite proud of all the progress she made.

• Pro: Ben, Oliver, and Izzy seemed so different from each other, but they all shared the loss of a parent in some way. Oliver's was probably the most devastating, but I like that Wittlinger didn't make Ben and Izzy's "losses" seem like non-events, because they weren't for them. The different degree of loss also gave the other characters some perspective, and helped them work through their issues. I like how it put that "in someone else's shoe" thing into practice.

• Pro: The portrayal of a father in the throes of grief can be quite meaningful to a child, who is in the same situation. Men are so often portrayed as "strong", and this father wore his grief on the outside. Sometimes we need to see things like this.

• Pro: The road trip was so wrong, but also pushed the characters in the right direction. It was an opportunity to see a different side of Ben and Izzy, as well as, finally see Oliver release all the pent up anger, fear, and sadness he had been hiding from his dad.

• Pro: Wittlinger's discussion involving Oliver's mother's suicide was handled in a gentle and considerate manner. They discussed the mother's existing mental health issues and her battle with them, while also standing behind therapy and medication as a way to deal with grief and depression. I know I appreciated this perspective.

• Pro: The ending was full of hope, and a story with so many heavy things needs to be capped off with a healthy does of hope. So, thank you, Ellen Wittlinger for that, and for the cute comedy bits in-between, which gave this story balance, and kept it from being too heavy.

Overall: A tender and heartwarming story of grief and loss, but also of connection and healing, which thoughtfully tackled some very big issues.

Izzy and Oliver's engaging characters make this riveting story one that I want to read again and again. Although I cannot recommend this book to my current students because they are too young for the content, I would highly recommend it to middle school students and beyond. The universal themes visited in this captivating story speak to all audiences. This is a book you won't want to put down!

I love a story about the “outsider” kid finding their place in the world, especially in a middle grade story. This story gave me three of these characters who were all broken and made “other” for sad (and even tragic) reasons.

It would have been easy for these characters to be one dimensional, but they all felt like realistic teens and preteens. None of their behaviors felt fixed to move the plot along; they felt natural. Izzy, especially, was so relatable in her starting middle school confusion and upset at everything and everyone around her changing so much.

This book would be wonderful for a middle grader dealing with any of the tough topics discussed: divorce, new siblings/partners for divorced parents, suicide, and grief. It shows that all of the characters deal in their own ways, but life goes on and things do get better. This was a quick, but so powerful, read.

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wow! This book had a lot going on from divorce to suicide of an aunt, and tattoos to bright yellow dyed hair. I enjoyed the writing style and wisdom the author shared with such heavy and light topics.

For wanting to be a stand-up comic, our main character wasn't so funny. I did really enjoy the ending, it took awhile to come all together but it did nicely.

In SOMEONE ELSE'S SHOES, the summer before Izzy's seventh grade year is coming to a close. Her house and world, usually filled with only herself and her mother, is now home to her uncle and younger cousin who are grieving in the aftermath of her aunt's suicide. Izzy is chafing at the intrusion, as well as the sting of her father's second marriage which seems to be pushing him further and further out of her life. Her only friends were away for the whole summer and came back completely changed. As if all of that weren't enough, her mother is dating a dentist with a tattooed delinquent for a son. What's a budding stand-up comic to do?!

I was glad I had read it, and it was definitely moving at times and had a great message. The main problem with it, however, is that Izzy was a pretty horrible protagonist for 2/3 of the book. It's difficult to read a book when you actively dislike the main character. By the end everything was better, but the lack of a connection made the book seem less moving. Overall, it was a good read, even if it had some significant flaws.

Izzy is very interested in comedy, perhaps because her own life is anything but humorous. Her parents are divorced, and she rarely sees her father, who lives a distance away and is busy with his new wife. Her mother is a bit stressed, and dating Izzy's dentist, Dr. Gustino! Her Uncle Henderson and young cousin Oliver are living with her after the death of her aunt by suicide. Her uncle, a musician, can barely get out of bed, and Oliver misses both of his parents and acts out frequently. When Dr. Gustino must travel to be with his mother, who has fallen, his son, Ben, ends up staying at Izzy's house as well. Ben can't be left alone because he is angry that his mother left the family to move to California, and has been spending a lot of time with his Uncle Steve. Steve is a "bad influence" who works in an auto body shop, may smoke marijuana, and has taken underage Ben to get three different tattoos! Fortunately, Oliver takes to Ben and Ben responds well to the attention, spending time with the younger boy. When Uncle Henderson goes missing and hasn't told anyone, Oliver is beside himself. Izzy's mother is worried but doesn't have time to go look for him, so Ben and Izzy decide to run away with Oliver and look for him themselves. They assemble some money and supplies, hitchhike, "borrow" a car from Uncle Steve, and run into a number of typical road trip problems. Will their guess about Henderson's location be correct, and even if they find him, will it improve Oliver's life?
Strengths: Frequent readers of my reviews know that I am NOT a fan of sad books, and this is certainly sad. However, there have been a lot of sad books lately that are hopeful, engaging, and fun to read. This is one of them. Izzy has her moments of anger, but doesn't keep them to herself. Ben's father doesn't quite understand him, but he has his uncle to help him, and he's not a bad kid. Oliver needs more support than he is getting, but at least he has Izzy and his aunt. The best part is the road trip, and the details of that are what really make this book shine.
Weaknesses:This is not a great cover. Dark and rather 1908s like. Might take some handselling. I wish the cover had reflected the road trip. I'm still not a huge fan of dysfunctional adults-- how is it even an option not to get out of bed and do the best you can? I just do not understand this and am always a little angered by this portrayal of grief, but this is a personal reaction and not one my readers will have.
What I really think: Not sure how interested my students are in comedy, but they do like road trips, so I will probably buy this.

This book took a little bit to get into but as soon as I did, I was hooked. Seeing how these three sort of misfit kids wind up finding each other and going on an adventure was so interesting to read about. These stories were real and touched my heart, but it wasn't too heavy which is important in a book for this age group. Overall I really enjoyed the story, the characters, and their growth throughout this novel.

This book is about three characters who find their way together due to life's struggles. I know a lot of kids at the target audience range will find comfort with this book.

An interesting story of three kids who are all dealing with loss in varying degrees and in various ways. It shows how perceptions can change if we let ourselves get to know others. Good for middle grades.

I absolutely loved this book. I will be purchasing it for my classroom. It is a great story centered around a young girl and her family, friends, and extended family. It teaches so many life lessons, especially empathy! You will want to pick this one up for your classroom library!

Outstanding book! This pulls at every heart string and discusses a lot of real life issues in a way that doesn't overwhelm the story. I highly recommend this one to anyone who loves a good story, regardless of their favorite genre. I will cross post a full review on Goodreads and Amazon closer to the release date of the book.

This is a character-driven middle grade novel that delves into the complicated emotions of a seventh grade girl struggling to come to terms with the serious changes in her life. After her aunt commits suicide, Uncle Henderson and his son (grade 5) come to live with Izzy and her mother. Izzy is also dealing with the divorce of her parents, her father's new wife and baby on the way.... and to kick it all off, her mother is now dating a dentist whose son has a reputation for being aggressive and rude. Izzy is confused about how her relationships are changing at school, and why she isn't clicking with her friends anymore. This is a lot to deal with. Some may feel there are too many issues packed into this novel, but I disagree. Kids today seem to be dealing with far more complicated issues than I ever had to as a middle grader. Kids need to connect their own feelings to imperfect characters and witness the way they cope with problems, make mistakes, and become more resilient. This is why Izzy's story is so important. Her emotions are raw, especially when it comes to her aunt's suicide. This is handled with such care, I would consider this book as a read aloud for grades 4+ because of the opportunities for class discussion/response. I loved the way Izzy "coached" her cousin to share his grief even though this is something she hasn't been able to do yet. It's surprising what Izzy learns about herself through the new friendships that take shape, leading to a middle-of-the-night runaway situation that involves a "borrowed" car. Ultimately, this book is about empathy and understanding other points of view. I will definitely be purchasing a copy for our K-8 library.

Sweet novel about loss and starting over. Great coming of age story.

This book was a whole lot to take in at once. Izzy, Oliver, and Ben are three great characters that definitely learn from each other as they undertake a massive journey, both physically and mentally. They are easy to relate to and learn from. They all learned life lessons and grew from each other’s strength, weaknesses, and knowledge.
The major drawback from this novel was the sheer number of storylines/issues discussed. From suicide to divorce, depression to feeling left out, guilt and babies, the list goes on and on. Wittlinger needed to focus on just a few of these issues to make an even more impactful novel. Izzy’s stand up routine seemed added in and seemed to take back from the story each time is was mentioned as it was more of an aside than a drive forward. The same for Oliver’s bullies and Ben’s father and uncle fighting. Although most storylines played well together, these were a few that took away rather than added to.
On the whole, I believe that most kids would enjoy this story and could learn a lot from Izzy, Oliver and Ben about grief and understanding. I really did enjoy this story and wish that I could see more of each of their lives. To me, it was the writing and focus that needed to be cleaned up a bit to make this a great and lasting novel.

Twelve-year-old Izzy has hit a rough patch in her life. Her parents recently divorced, and her father seems to only have time for his new wife. Izzy's mom has a habit of trying to fix everyone else's problems, and when her sister-in-law commits suicide, Izzy's mom decides her brother, Henderson, and his son, Oliver, need to come live with them. Izzy is tasked with helping out with her cousin, and having to put everyone else first has her feeling ignored and forgotten.

When another tragedy strikes, another person ends up staying with them. Ben, the sixteen-year-old son of Izzy's mom's new boyfriend, has to stay with them while his dad handles an emergency out of town. While Ben is a great companion for Oliver, he is yet another presence around to annoy Izzy. Even her two best friends seem to be growing up and away from her, leaving her all alone.

When Oliver's dad disappears and leaves him alone with Izzy and her mom, the kids know they must do something since no one else is. They set off on a trip to find him and bring him back, and end up finding friendship along the way.

At the end of the book, I was glad I had read it, and it was definitely moving at times and had a great message. The main problem with it, however, is that Izzy was a pretty horrible protagonist for 2/3 of the book. It's difficult to read a book when you actively dislike the main character. By the end everything was better, but the lack of a connection made the book seem less moving. Overall, it was a good read, even if it had some significant flaws.

Interesting themes of loss, grief, mental wellbeing, and changing family circumstances make this a book I can comfortably recommend both for its usefulness as a potential class reading book, as well as being a book that could deepen understanding for any young reader coping with grief themselves. ‘Someone Else’s Shoes’ covers a whole range of areas that would be useful for young readers to explore through fiction rather than being ‘taught’ about them in a more traditional sense. This is always a plus for any YA book to have. A focus on grief and comedy is also a nice, and unexpected, juxtaposition for this kind of a book. And, while the narrative wasn’t as enthralling as it could have been, this is still a quick, interesting and useful read. Worth getting hold of if the themes appeal to you or a young reader you know.

Izzy is my new best friend. This quirky, perky 7th grader is everything I always wanted to be as a 7th grader and beyond. She is a fresh, funny, honest, smart and down to earth person that I could hang out with all day.. Yet her story's circumstances cause her pain and confusion which helps her character and personality grow richer with each turned page. Izzy is joined by other equally dynamic and engaging characters and together they embark on the adventure of a lifetime that turns her reality upside down. Through this moving story of loss and emotional struggle comes the quiet message that hope and strength are found in unlikely places, often deep within ourselves. And sometimes the best way to get where you need to go is in someone else's shoes.

Loss affects people differently whether through death, abandonment, or divorce. The characters in Someone Else’s Shoes find that they can overcome the feelings of anger, profound sorrow, and denial by learning to understand and support each other.
Izzy and Ben try to help Oliver, Izzy’s cousin, find his father who disappeared. They take a journey that ends with their rescuing Oliver’s father and themselves. This story’s characters and plot are realistic. It is well worth reading, and I highly recommend it.

This story is about a girl named Izzy who is struggling with her parents' divorce and all the changes that are coming from that and then her aunt commits suicide and her uncle and cousin come to live with them too. It's got strong themes about family and loyalty and connections to people that go beyond family, as well as depression and taking responsibility. It would be an excellent addition to any elementary or middle school library.