THE SPACE BETWEEN LOST AND FOUND by the author of EXTRAORDINARY BIRDS hit me right where I expected to. Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for priding the arc of this poignant and powerful book.

Cassie's life does a complete 360 when her mother is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimers. She loses touch with friends or focus on art. When the caregiver is not present, Cassie helps her dad take care of her mom by catering to her whims of watching dolphins shows and eating Ritz crackers all while making sure she doesn't run off and get lost. Or worse. These fears drive Cassie to try to reconnect with her mother by taking a trip to swim with dolphins, which has been her dream and one of the entries on her bucket list. But Cassie soon realizes that her mother will not get better and the road to acceptance is a hard one.

Although I have never been in the position of losing a loved one to such a disease, I could empathize with Cassie. It's a lot for a twelve-year-old girl to go through and the topic is a heavy one. But heavy topic or not, this novel is important. There are families out there dealing with situations like the one in this book and it would be great to have something for kid's Cassie's age to turn to and feel like they're not so alone.

I won't sugarcoat it. This is a sad book. I knew it going in because I'd first been introduced to Sandy's work with EXTRAORDINARY BIRDS. I do remember writing in my review that I could not wait to see what else she had in store for her readers and let me tell you, I was not disappointed. She crafted a heart-string tugging, sad and hopeful book, and I am honored to be able to review another one of her books before their release date.

Cassie's mom is suffering from early onset Alzheimers. It has affected Cassie's schoolwork, friendships, artwork. She just wants her mom to go back to the way she was. She just wants her mom to remember her name.
One of the things Cassie's mom loves is swimming in the ocean and she once had an opportunity to swim with dolphins. Cassie hopes that if she can find a way for her mom to do that again maybe she will have a new memory, maybe she will remember her.
A sad story - the inevitable decline of Alzheimers happening to a mom with a younger child. Cassie was trying so hard. The book is a sold middle grade book. I felt there were things that could have been developed more fully - more with her art perhaps or more with her friend. It didn't seem fully realized to me.

This was a really powerful read. It is a well-written, family and character-driven middle grade novel. Cassie is dealing with a really difficult situation - her mother has early-set Alzheimer’s. Cassie is dealing with a mother who can’t remember her name, a father trying to hold the family together, and a best friend she’s forgotten. This is a sad but hopeful book. I’d hand this to children who enjoy realistic fiction who aren’t necessarily coercing a happy ending.

This story made me physically ache. Wonderfully written and so unbelievably sad. It outlines what it’s like to be a young child while dealing with a parent who is sick, which is no easy feat and is incredible heartbreaking. I’ve never been affected by dementia in my family, and this was really eye opening about the trials and troubles it causes for everyone involved. I hurt for this little girl and I cried like a baby. I love this book.