This graphic novel about a thirteen-year-old that just moved to a new city was able to take me back to how I felt when I was her age. Even though I can't relate to some of the big issues she has to deal with I remember how hard it was to make friends, deal with our parents or simply find a way to occupy our summer. This book was absolutely lovely and the characters are relatable no matter how old you are when you read this.

This is a quick, easily understood read. Harriet is an accessible imperfect character. She's deeply flawed. Lonely and prone to embellishment. Real. The story is a simple one but well conveyed both by the text and the art.

#SincerelyHarriet was a great book about one summer in a girl's life. We see glimpses of something that is wrong with the girl, yet aren't aware of the issue until later in the book. She comes to find a wonderful friend in a lady that lives downstairs by herself. I think my students can relate to the approach the main character took to her summer reading list (she was reluctant). Unearthing the invisible illness of the main character and learning about the son of the lady downstairs enabled me to see a different perspective of those illnesses. This is definitely a book that I will purchase for my classroom library. Thank you #NetGalley for copy of this book to read and review.

This was an absolutely beautiful exploration of living with an invisible disability - a chronic illness - and the effects it has on mental health and one's relationships with others. A compelling read that I will reccomend to readers of all ages.

This was a great graphic novel. The illustrations were beautiful and so detailed. I love how the story unfolded and was in no real hurry to show itself. I also love how it dealt with themes of chronic illness, fitting in, and feeling alone. Will definitely be recommending it.

Anyway, the year is 1990 and it's hot in Chicago, where Harriet Flores has just moved with her hardworking parents. Because of their jobs, they are rarely home so Harriet spends her time writing to her old camp friends and hanging out with her downstairs neighbor Pearl.
As the story develops we slowly realize that Harriet is sick - she falls down a lot, she wets the bed, and (here comes the spoiler!!!) we eventually find out that she has Multiple Sclerosis. Her parents moved to Chicago to get her better medical care, and her camp "friends" are not really her friends - just a couple of girls that went to camp with her, and it's heavily implied she had a crush on one of them.

You see, to cope with her illness Harriet makes up stories. Well, actually, she lies. She lies because she assumes no one will understand her and how she feels - until she realizes that Pearl has a grown up son who suffered from Polio and she begins to write to him through her diary because she feels she is someone who might understand her.

PS: as a teen librarian I love that Harriet's parents enroll her in a creative writing program at the library's teen room! YAY TEEM ROOM!

If this book had actually been about what the synopsis said it was about, I might've liked it more. Unfortunately, the chronic illness angle was overshadowed by the rather glaring personality disorder of the main character that was never addressed.

To begin with, I'm confused as to why the author chose to use such an obscure disease for her protagonist. So that we could have something dramatic like a brain biopsy? I don't know. The average person in the US has a 0.1% chance of developing MS. Only 2-5% of those show symptoms before age 18. So the chance of Harriet having MS is super small to begin with... especially given that she's of Hispanic origin (MS is most common in Northern Europeans). Of all the chronic illnesses that kids can suffer from, why pick one so obscure that only an infinitesimal number of readers will be able to directly relate to the condition?

The problem with focusing on the MS, though, is that it overshadows what was really messing with Harriet's life: her lying and near obsession with two girls she met at camp. She basically stalks them from afar and doesn't seem to realize that her behaviour isn't normal or appropriate. (I almost wondered if she was on the autism spectrum, since she didn't seem to "get" people very well and didn't have any friends her own age because kids thought she was "weird".) She makes up hurtful stories about the people around her (the mailman is evil, the landlady is a murderer, etc.) for no reason that I could see. I think the author was trying to show that she was creative, but she came across more mentally ill than anything. Addressing these problems would've been far more interesting than forcing the parallels between Harriet's MS and the landlady's son's polio, especially since we never get to meet said son.

I don't know what the unrequited-crush business that was mentioned in the synopsis was all about. Was it the celebrity heartthrob she read about? One of the girls she stalked after camp? Or her landlady's grown son? I couldn't really tell. It wasn't important to the plot, in any case.

The pictures are simple and clear, but I didn't really like them. The story's supposed to take place in the 1990s, which makes Harriet around my age (or at least in my generation). I can tell you that we did not wear our nighties out and about like clothing. I don't know what that was all about; it just seemed odd.

I was hoping for a graphic novel with a good story that addressed living with a chronic illness. I guess the book sort of succeeded on that level, though the chronic illness that grabbed my attention was not the one that was advertised. If the story had focused on Harriet's obvious mental issues, rather than her extremely rare neurological condition, I might've liked it more. As it is, I feel like I didn't get what I was promised.

After moving to a new city with her parents, Harriet is stuck sitting around their new apartment alone while her parents start new jobs. She is missing camp back in Indiana and writes her camp friends postcards about sightseeing in Chicago, even though she hasn’t gone anywhere. She starts to pretend that the mailman is sinister, that the third floor of the house is haunted and that the kind owner of the house, Pearl, is a murderer. Pearl though continues to try to connect with Harriet during her long summer, using books and stories as a way to relate to one another. As the book steadily reveals, Pearl’s son had polio while Harriet herself has MS. This book beautifully portrays a teen’s long summer and dealing with a chronic illness.

Set in the 1990s, this graphic novel depicts a Latinx family as they move closer to Harriet’s doctors in Chicago. The family is warm and lovely, connected to Harriet but not hovering or overly worried about her. The graphic novel uses warm colors, sultry breezes and just enough mystery about what the truth of the house could be to keep the pages turning. The focus on books and reading is conveyed through the eyes of a teen who doesn’t really enjoy reading her assigned books. Filled with diversity, there are lots of people of color as well as people experiencing disabilities in this graphic novel.

Harriet herself is a rather prickly character, so I loved when she faked reading The Secret Garden, saying that she didn’t really like the main character that much. Readers will develop a sense of connection with Harriet as her vivid imagination comes to life, even though she may have misled the readers as well as herself at times. There are few graphic novels that have characters with invisible disabilities who sometimes need mobility aids and other times don’t. This is particularly effective in a graphic novel and portrayed with grace and gentleness.

A quiet graphic novel for tweens and teens that is just right with some lemonade and pizza. Appropriate for ages 12-15.

A moving story about a girl with MS. It's difficult enough for Harriet to adjust to being a young teenager but then she also has to deal with her chronic illness and the loneliness she feels as a result. She forms an unlikely bond with her elderly neighbour who encourages her to express herself creatively and find her passion. Recommended for readers of all ages but especially children and young adult.

Harriet, who goes by Harry, is having a miserable summer. Her family just moved. Her parents are both working all day, and she has nothing to do but catch up on the dry summer reading for her new school. She’s very lonely, and she’s not being completely honest with herself. The only person who is around is the older lady downstairs, Pearl. At first, Harriet just thinks Pearl is weird but Pearl is patient and stories about her kids and the books the elderly lady shares with Harry may be just the thing Harriet needs this summer.

This is a quiet story. Harry is an unreliable narrator in many ways. Most will know from the blurb that she’s dealing with a disability that isn’t very visible (she has MS and is in denial in some ways). The blurb says she also has an unrequited crush, but I didn’t find that to be the case at all. She tries to deal with her loneliness and the things she’s left unsaid to her parents through writing letters to a person she’s never met who she thinks would understand her. That’s it. There’s a slow process of growth, but eventually there is growth and Harry admits she’s lonely and has some worries to the adults around her. There’s no huge big finish, but then again, how many real stories have a huge big finish? I kind of wanted a little more from the book, but on reflection I’m ok with it as it is. One of the things that I hear the most from teens is how lonely they are. Even the kids who seem to have tons of friends. It seems to be a universal teenage experience to feel lonely at some point at least. I think that even though this is a quiet story, it will resonate with many, many readers. The look at what it can be like to live with multiple sclerosis is another plus, as I can’t think of any other books for tweens or teens about that disability. There’s also a little bit of information about another kid in the past who had polio, but just a little. (There’s more in the author’s note than in the story.) And even though the book is technically set in the 1980s, there’s not much to set it apart from modern life except Harry doesn’t have a cell phone or computer to use when she’s alone. Recommended for any just about any tween or teenager who needs to know that others get lonely and feel weird sometimes too, and also those who want to better understand MS.

Notes on content [Based on the ARC]: No language issues. No sexual content. (There’s a tiny magazine article about an actor and actress kissing. That’s the only thing even close.) There are some trips and slips, but no violence.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I liked the artwork and the story is fine but I didn't love it. The drama is kind of boring and underdeveloped. I would have liked to see more of Harriet's past in Indiana. I wanted more character development so I could sympathize more with Harriet and not be so annoyed with her lying. If the author writes another book about Harriet i would read it; it might be interesting to see how she deals with a new school and making friends.

This story was really emotional. Nothing too dramatic happened, but some of the things that happened were really heartbreaking.

Harriet has Multiple Sclerosis. It isn’t revealed until close to the end of the book, but she has symptoms throughout the story. She drops things and stumbles sometimes, so I knew something was happening with her. She becomes close friends with a neighbour whose son had polio when he was a kid. They bond over this shared history with chronic illness.

One of the saddest parts of the story was when Harriet would send her friends postcards, pretending to do things in the city. She mostly stayed home, but she made it seem like she was doing lots of activities. The girls didn’t return her feelings, and told her to stop sending letters. It was so sad to see her be rejected like that.

This is an important story because it has a main character with a chronic illness, which isn’t common, especially in children’s books.

This was a sweet little story about a lonely girl. It's hard to see her feeling so down and lonely, struggling with her disability.
And I gotta love the ex-librarian neighbour who keeps showing books her way!
The ending felt real and hopeful and I do recommend this book to everyone who has felt lonely or just wants a sweet story.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this!
/ Denise

This is a beautiful graphic novel that shines a light on just how lonely teenagers can feel. I appreciate that it recognizes Harriet's illness but shows that she doesn't let that define her. It definitely left me wanting more.

I received an ARC from Lerner Publishing Group via NetGalley in exchange of honest review.

Sincerely, Harriet is my first graphic novel of the year. It's also the first English graphic novel that I've ever read. I grow up reading lots of manga and if we're really going to do a comparison, there will be too many differences in too many aspects. Hence, this is probably going to affect my further opinion about this book. However, since this book is targeted for middle grade audiences, I'm trying my best to do my judgement based on this fact.

⇾ Starting with the most obvious, the drawing aspect. It's cute and simple and doesn't have a lot of details. I can definitely see why these type of drawings will works on younger audience. However, a few illustration is looking a bit vague, even for an adult like myself.

⇾ I understand what the author is trying to deliver with this book. Unfortunately, this only happened once I'm on the last few pages. The disabilities was not properly explained. If the message of this book is to increase awareness regarding these disabilities, I'd say that it's not perfectly done. I'm talking about how quick the doctor explained about it.

⇾ This book is targeted for middle graders, so I can understand the simplicity that comes with it, both on the drawing style, the writing style and the story line. However, in several parts, I found the story to be too jumpy and in such rush.

However, I enjoyed this book as my first graphic novel experience. It's a fun and sweet read, after all.

Moving to the new place is not always so easy especially when one has to deal with new environment, make new friends at school and the loneliness one may feel. Harriet also feels those things especially when she has to deal with her chronic illness: a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, longing for the friends she met in the summer camp, and plenty of things.

Those conditions later led her to be a pathological liar. She made up stories about the mailman, the neighbours downstairs and the haunted place in the third floor.

There was also Nicholas...somebody that Harriet found from her exploration in the third floor. Nicholas turned out to be an Afro-African guy who was quarantined while he was ill in the third floor during 1950s. Harriet at first did not know about it so she kept writing to Nicholas. There was also an old granny which reminded me of Maya Angelou in her old age. She finally became a friend with Harriet.

I'd recommend this book for people looking for sweet stories. Well, one may get lost like me in the beginning of the story but honestly, the story is sweet. My concern is to add several scenes which explain about the finding of Nicholas and how Harriet finally moves on...how she's able to change herself to a new better person. However, Harriet shows the readers different perspectives in living a life through grief, malice, loneliness, and the search of friendship. Her stories should be shared and enjoyed.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Sincerely, Harriet is an interesting book focusing on the difficulties that Harriet deals with after her family moves to Chicago in order to be closer to specialists for Harriet's MS. If you enjoyed Telgemeier's Ghosts, but want something for older kids and teens, this will be perfect!

Harriet is a 13-year old girl. She has just moved to Chicago with her parents, who work long hours. Harriet is lonely. All her friends are back in Indiana. Harriet hears strange sounds coming from the attic and thinks their landlady Pearl is a murderer. The story is set in 1996.
The author does not reveal everything right from the beginning, so you are reading ahead to find out what is going on. Later on we find out that Harriet has MS and Pearl's son Nicholas had Polio in the 50's. Pearl is a retired librarian and introduces books to Harriet. She is not very enthusiastic at first, but as time goes on she gets into reading.
I liked the way the author included these chronic illnesses into the story. And loved the way the love of reading good books were represented. The graphics were good, but I was not fond of the colors. Anyhow the colors did remind me of the 1990's.
Thank you NetGalley and Lerner Publishing Group for a free copy of this book.

Sincerely, Harriet is the sort of book I would have loved to read as a teen. The story follows Harriet Flores, a thirteen year old white Latinx girl who begins the book by writing postcards to her friends at camp. She isn't at camp, for reasons that become clear as the story progresses. Instead, she's essentially trapped in the two-family home her family shares with an older Black woman, who lives on the first floor. Harriet's journey is subtle but nuanced, and I adored this book. (Even though it made me cry.)

Some of what follows is a bit spoilery, so if you wish to avoid spoilers, please head off to read it now and don't finish this review.

Harriet lives mostly in her head. She struggles to complete her summer reading because she doesn't see herself in the books she's been assigned, like The Great Gatsby. We eventually learn that she's been home-schooled for the last two years and that she's entering public school in just a few weeks. It's a time of pre-transition, that anxious, but boring inbetween. Searle captures it beautifully with her soft and emotional style.

Harriet's loneliness is a character in this book. She has largely fictionalized her relationships with the girls to whom she's writing. She has a crush on one of them, and considers the other a friend. (This is not the case, as we learn later in a heartbreaking scene.) Her parents are gone all day and into the night, working. And she hears strange sounds from the empty floor above the apartment.

The story that unfolds is one of invisible disabilities, generational healing, and friendship in unexpected places. It's one of loneliness and comfort, of abandonment and family. It's about a queer, disabled girl figuring out who she is and how her relationships can harm or heal her. She hurts and hurts others, but she learns and grows, gives and receives love. It's absolutely lovely.

I received a digital copy of this book for review purposes via NetGalley.

Sincerely, Harriet is an honest look at the struggles of being not only a teenager, but a teenager with a chronic illness. Harriet is trying to adjust to her new life in Chicago but with her parent's busy schedules, it's turning out to be a very lonely time for Harriet. When Harriet's neighbor Pearl asks for her help in a project for her grandson, Harriet learns her son Nicholas contracted polio as a child. Looking for someone to understand what she's going through, Harriet begins to write Nicholas letters. When Harriet is finally forced to come clean to her parents about her returning symptoms and her fears of making new friends, it allows everyone the chance to come together.
I loved the representation in this book-Harriet is dealing with all the typical teen stuff plus her illness. I really loved that her mom works at a garage and her dad is a nurse-not the other way around. The photo album at the end was really fun and I loved the pictures of the parents as rockers. Excellent story, beautiful artwork- I can't wait to order this for the Library.
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.