I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I found this middle-grade book to be a fun little read and there were twists and turns even I didn't see coming. Kids will really enjoy it.

Clara lives on an island in the Caribbean in a small town called Sycamore. On the hill where she lives everyone knows everyone. They're family whether they are related by blood or not.  So the entire hill knows what happened to Clara last summer. Everyone knows, everyone except Clara.  For some reason, she's blocked out the events of the previous summer, and no seems to know what exactly to do to help her.  

The hill is all aflutter with talk of the new girl in town, Rudy.  And though at first she thinks they'll have little in common, Rudy and Clara become fast friends.  She tells Rudy everything, about the annoying neighbor boy Calvin, about her hermit uncle, and how her cousin, who used to be her best friend, has suddenly become so annoyed at everything Clara does.  

This book was such a fast read, I didn't want to put it down.  Clara is such a charismatic, engaging character, I wanted to figure out her truth with her.  I never saw the big reveal coming, which was a thrill.  My only complaint is that I wanted more from the story.  Getten's characters are well written.  Common themes of friendship and family, loss and grief make the story relatable for her audience. I thoroughly enjoyed Clara's story and look forward to more from Getten.

Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for a honest review. 

This book grabbed my attention when I first read the synopsis. It had me intrigued to figure out what the mystery that happened that made Clara lose her memory. I was not expecting the truth of the matter and the plot twist that was revealed honestly surprised me! I am glad, because not many plot twists get me anymore and this one was done in a way that was perfect for the story. This story involves so many different pieces of the puzzle that are laid out so intricately that the puzzle isn't solved until the author shows you the solution. Excellent work! The writing and atmosphere were great and I enjoyed every minute I spent with Clara and her friends. I would recommend this book to any middle grade reader or older.

I so enjoyed this debut! It was truly transportive and showed the author’s beautiful talent with words. Especially in the Iast five chapters or so, I just couldn’t put it down. I definitely plan to read more from this author as she continues to write!

I wanted to like this book because the subject is one that there are few books about. I just couldn't get into it, though

This story, written by debut author Kereen Getten, truly blew me away!! From the beginning we understand that something happened to 12-year-old Clara last summer, but that she cannot remember any details. She lives in a small, cozy village in Jamaica where everyone knows everyone, including the blind neighbor (who all the kids avoid because she puts them to work around her house) and Clara’s uncle (who has a mysterious past that has lead the community pastor to refer to him as a witch doctor). All these details brought life to the story and made me feel as if I was there. But lately, Clara and her best friend, Gaynah, seem to constantly be arguing. Clara is angry with everyone — like a loose canon for no apparent reason. And why does she seem so terrified to go into the water?

A new girl visits from New York and she’s so down-to-earth, helping to lighten the tension at all the right times. Her openness allows Clara to take risks she might not otherwise take and it’s a relief to see her finally have someone on her side, so to speak. But none of this, I repeat, NONE OF THIS prepared me for the plot twist that practically made me gasping aloud while sending chills all over my body.

I don’t re-read many books, but I’m quite certain this one will be a re-read in 2021 — possibly as a read aloud with my own children. I just love it when a middle grade book is only a little over 200 pages, but still provides such well-developed characters and engaging plot line. The story has themes of friendship, community, grief, religion, family, and trauma. I can’t wait to see what Kereen Getten writes next! My thanks to Netgalley for approving an Advance Readers Copy of this book so that I could provide my honest review. I’m very happy to recommend When Life Gives You Mangos for the middle grade crowd!

It won't come to as a surprise to you that I love this. Taking place in a small town in Jamaica(?) it hits all those topics that young kids are exploring. Friendships and growing up. I also wasn't expecting it to be a bit magical! And that plot twist you didn't see coming. Perfection.

In a mango-sweet new middle grade novel, Kereen Getten, tells the story of 12-year old Clara.  Clara lives in a small seaside town in Jamaica.   Clara loves living on the island.  She loves eating fresh ripe mangos and running around in the rain.   She has a secret hangout where she spends time with her best friend.  There is just one thing.   Clara has a gap in her memory about what happened last summer after a hurricane.   

This was a moving novel about friendship and family.   Clara learns about connections and misunderstandings.   She develops a new friendship and sees an old one evolve.  There is a lot of drama and tension in the small town but even so, the townsfolk care for their own.  There is a good message of being open & understanding and trying to mend rifts.

This book was so sweet and atmospheric and I'm thrilled to have had the chance to read it.

We follow Clara, a 12 year old girl whose life has turned upside-down recently - while surfing was once her favorite hobby, she is now terrified of the water. Plus, her best friend won't stop being mean to her, and she can't remember things that happened last year. As the story unspools, she makes new friends with a girl visiting the island from New York and discover more about herself and the community around her. 

This may all sound a little vague, but I think this book takes some exciting turns and has some lovely surprises in store. I love how closely this book looked at anger and how it can be challenging to control it at times, especially from a young girl's perspective. Girls' anger issues aren't often dealt with in middle grade and Getten does it so well here. I also love her small island community's atmosphere and how it's insularity and intimacy are both a beautiful thing and a horrible thing. If you love books with a strong sense of place, this one has oodles of atmosphere to spare.

The characters in this story also were so lovely. They had texture, dimension, and life that made them pop right off the page. Clara is well-drawn, but so is her best friend Gaynah and the new girl in town, Rudy. It made moments that relied on the complicated dynamics between these characters so much more interesting because we knew them well. And the fact that the author was able to convey these characters so well is such a short novel is a real work of art.

The only thing that I wish had a bit more dimension is Clara's relationship with her parents. I loved the way their dynamic was talked about and how they struggled with how to help her. But I felt when their relationship did take a turn, it was a little abrupt.

But ultimately, this is a moving and intimate story that I will think upon fondly. I could see myself recommending this to lovers of sweet contemporary stories with a bit of a twist.

Beautiful! AMAZING. My Jamaican heart was so in love with this book. It brought back so many memories and just filled me with such joy. It really made me miss home.

This book is splendid. Beautiful and haunting, it is a story of friendship and heartbreak and mystery and what it means to confront the truth of existence.

This book. THIS BOOK. Kereen Getten just took my heart on the tenderest of rides, and I cannot wait to discuss this one with you all for MG Book Club. 💔

I'm not gonna give too much away, because this is a book best experienced without knowing much about it, but if you are searching for a heartwarming & suspenseful story about friendship, memory, community, and forgiveness, WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU MANGOS is definitely the one for you.

Also! For my teacher friends! The main character in this book is 12 years old, but the book itself is written at a third grade level, so this is a fantastic book to share with struggling readers in upper elementary / middle school!

Oh my heart. Middle grade really makes my adult heart so happy. This story was so beautiful and the atmosphere was incredible. It's a ride too. Get ready!

5 stars!  This emotional and atmospheric middle grade is exactly what I was hoping it would be!  Struggles with friendship, self confidence, and secrets.  Loved it!  Highly recommend!

Even though this book was short and sweet, I really enjoyed reading it!

Clara lives on a small, island village, where she loves the people and the memories she's made there. Except, she can't remember anything of what happened last summer, and lately, her best friend, Gaynah, hasn't been treating her like a friend. This summer, however, fate has something different in store for Clara, starting with a new girl coming to the village.

I absolutely loved the setting of this book. I felt absolutely immersed and right there with Clara as the story went on. The writing was vivid but simple, without being choppy. I loved the middle-grade aspects of this book, specifically the imaginary/role-play adventures that Clara went on with her friends. While the plot may have lulled in some areas, the writing kept me invested in the story, and had me feeling something akin to nostalgia with the almost-childlike wonder and magic that was incorporated into the story so well.

When we find out what happened that fateful summer, I was incredibly shocked. While I had started to guess at the truth, I was genuinely surprised at what happened, and that was nice. The characters (especially the adults) are charming and so imperfectly perfect. I absolutely loved the way the book ended, and all of this isn't even to mention the gorgeous cover.

Overall, this book was a really solid middle-grade debut that I could not help falling in love with. I would definitely recommend it to other middle-grade readers who want to get wrapped up in Clara's small town, and the answers to the mystery that lie just at the edge of your fingertips.

When Life Gives You Mangoes was a fast-paced, exciting read. Clara's frustration with her memory could be keenly felt throughout the story. I enjoyed the POV of Clara, it reminded me of how foolish and yet wise children can be at times. Her inner monologue was clever and her personality showed through. The father-daughter relationship was beautiful; I'm a daddy's girl so I love seeing that reflected in literature. The family unit as a whole was well done, the support and love they had for each other was touching.

THE TWIST, my God I felt like I had to read the whole book over again when the twist came up. The mystery in When Life Gives You Mangoes kept me wanting to read the whole thing in one sitting. There was a lot packed into When Life Gives You Mangoes and it's a quick delightful read.

This was a enjoyable YA story, set in Jamaica, and tells the story of Clara, a young girl trying to navigate the recent demise of her friendship with her best friend. She is also trying to  figure out some family  secrets. The premise, the characters, the setting, all were engaging. Loved the themes of family, community, friendship and also how trauma affects us.
However, would have loved to see some patois throughout the story, as everyone spoke perfect English.

When Life Gives You Mangos is a sweet middle grade novel that follows Clara through one summer in her small island village. There is a new girl in town, and Clara wants to get to know her, but she is also struggling with anger issues and most frustratingly, she does not remember anything that happened last summer. The adults around her are either worried about her or angry with her, and we slowly unravel the mystery as to why. 

I don’t want to give much more away about the plot, but I will say that what I expected to be a fun summery romp actually turns into something quite poignant and touching. I loved the friendships, family relationships, and the whole small town setting. Although for Clara it is definitely a double-edged sword, I enjoyed the supportive feeling of the tight knit community. Clara’s perspective about her anger and anxiety were really well done, and I liked seeing the world from her point of view.  Overall, this is a sweet and emotional story about family, grief, and growing up. 

Thank you to NetGalley for the free review copy in exchange for my honest opinions.

🥭When Life Gives You Mangos by @kezywrites book feature🥭 

Once again I'd like to thank @hearourvoicestours for allowing me to be apart of a tour for such a fantastic debut novel by Kereen Getten! This novel follows twelve year old Clara who lives on a small island just living her life playing pick leaf, eating mangos fresh from the tree, and fighting with her best friend Gaynah. Everything is normal in her day to day life except for the fact that Clara has no recollection of what happened the previous summer and is constantly reminded and made fun of for it by Gaynah. 

This book was a really quick fun read for me, it really just grips you and you honestly cannot put it down, this reminded me so much of how I was when I was a little girl, with my short temper and constantly arguing with my friends for 
What was as probably a very petty reason. I had a lot of fun with this one and I think it teaches a very good lesson about friend ship and coming to terms with things that are not in our control. Oh and there is a TWIST that you seriously do not see coming. I was so shocked I audibly gasped. This is a fantastic 4 star debut and I cannot wait to see what other stories this author has to tell us.

A sweet story about a girl learning how to move on from toxic friends and people. I really enjoyed the coming of age element and the way the story discusses childhood trauma. It was subtle but I think a lot of kids out there will feel seen when they read this.