I loved this story. Once I got started it was hard to put down. Clara lives on a small hill on an island where everyone knows everyone. Clara is an ordinary girl, but with one thing out of the ordinary and that is she has a memory gap from last summer. She can not remember what happened. When a new girl comes to town she starts to form a friendship. When her memories start to come back slowly she must face her past and learn to move on with her life. The twist at the end of the novel really took me by surprise. I really did not see that one coming!

This could have been amazing but I was so dissapointed by it. It started of so promising. Honestly, for a long time I thought this was going to be a four star, the only thing missing were character motivations. However, then a twist happened and I didn't like it. I mean, it could have been something really impactful but it was so rushed and characters changed like the flip of a switch. It just ruined the first half for me as well. I don't know ... This could have been so good and important but it just fell flat.

First off, this is a beautiful and powerful story. Be prepared to be transported to an exotic island where we meet our main character, a young girl named Clara. She faces many trials while dealing with memory loss, and being “different” than any one else in her town.

Important topics are prevalent through this book like loss, community, and unique minds.

I feel like there aren’t many middle grade books that tackle hard subjects like this and When Life Gives You Mangos does a spectacular job.

I gave it a 4 out of 5 stars.

Hands down would recommend everyone to give it a try.

This is a brilliant and delightful MG novel that I’m recommending to everyone even if you don’t usually read Middle Grade. Once I started it, I couldn’t put it down. (I’m here writing a review at midnight because everyone needs to read this when it comes out in October!!) I had to know more about Clara and what happened to her the previous summer. That plot twist was WILD! I didn’t see it coming at all but it was so, so well done. The characterization was just as amazing for a middle grade novel; I really felt like I knew each of the characters personalities. The beautiful friendships between Clara and Gaynah & Clara and Rudy were so well done. Friendships can be so hard to replicate in a novel especially ones that feel authentic, yet, Getten does this perfectly with both of them. I related so much to Clara & Gaynah’s relationship as I’m so incredibly close to my sister (they’re cousins but close enough).

Drawing on her own experiences of growing up in Jamaica, Getten creates an incredible atmosphere in the community that makes the reader feel like they are right there on the island. I loved learning about daily life on the island through the eyes of 12 year old Clara especially the part where she mentions how the island that tourists call “exotic” is just home to her. It really makes you reevaluate how you view places you have visited in the past. This was a heartwarming novel that highlights the power of friendship and strong, resilient girls.

A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

"Review 10/10☁️. I truly truly loved this book! Anyone looking for great middle grade reads should pick up this amazing own voices story on October 20th when it comes out! Thanks @net gallery and @ randomhousekids for my eARC!
I found everything about this book wonderful💚 The island setting is one I don’t often see and was beautiful depicted. The writing hooks you from the start so you’re instantly invested in the characters and their day to day lives. You quickly learn that the main character, 12 year old Clara, has suppressed memories from the past summer. Her memory problems cause a strange ripple in the village dynamic and the mystery of it has you flying though the story to piece it together. I read the book in two sittings! The twist not only surprised me but made me love the story even more💗. One of my new all time favorite middle grade reads!"

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

This is a really delightful novel, set in Jamaica and centered on a young girl named Clara. I loved reading about a place so different than my community. Sycamore Hill is full of characters that draw you in, particularly the “witch doctor,” Eldorath. I will be recommending this to my patrons who enjoy friendship stories, as well as books set in different places.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eArc of When Life Gives You Mangos for my honest review.

All I can say is the twist at the end is worth everything. This book was definitely more than I expected. The initial scene introduces us to our narrator Clara, a young island girl. There is intrigue about a new girl that's come to the island because new people don't EVER come to Sycamore unless they are there to catch a glimpse of Clara's uncle Eldorath better known as the witch doctor, the man who saw ghosts.

This tale seems like a straight-forward story of Clara's summer of friendships, family, betrayal, and bullying but everyone seems to be tip-toeing around Clara's inability to remember what happened last year. All she can remember is that so many things have changed. She used to enjoy surfing and playing in water and now she is plagued with overwhelming fear around it. Her close relationship with her best friend/cousin Gaynah has suddenly changed and she can't understand why Gaynah is so mean to her now. Her inability to remember causes her friends to tease her, her parents to whisper behind her back and the tight-knit community to call for her to get help.

Clara feels so isolated and angry because all she wants to do is eat mangos and play pick leaf with her friends like they used to. No one seems to understand her until she makes friends with the new girl Rudy who's come to visit from America. Rudy has a yearning for adventure and an over-the-top imagination. It's just what Clara needs to help her feel "normal" again.

This story tackles themes of friendship, grief, family dynamics, religion and trauma. The author does a wonderful job layering the character development. The twist at the end made me want to go back and look for all of the clues that I missed and how I couldn't have guessed what was right before my eyes. The author connected many of the pieces neatly for us at the end of the book and I almost wish she hadn't. It's one of those books that could've been read multiple times to discover what you initially missed, now with the ending in mind. All in all, I would recommend this book.

Posted on my goodreads account: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3508196067

Thank you to NetGalley for an eArc of When Life Gives You Mangos for my honest review.

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Trigger warnings for: On page death, natural disasters, PTSD, death of a friend, death of a family member

I am a sucker for middle grade stories about friendship, family, and community. And Kereen Getten's debut novel does not disappoint on any of these fronts.

Clara is a girl dealing with flashbacks to a summer that she cannot remember. Everyone around her doesn't say a word about what happened last summer, and Clara slowly becomes isolated from her friends and has a new fear of water.

Word around the village is that there's a new girl in town, a girl name Rudy that loves to use her imagination. I love the moments between Clara and Rudy, their adventures around the island. I feel that as she is getting stung by her former best friend Gaynah, Rudy is a great person for Clara to spread her wings with.

There's a sense of mystery around Clara and her uncle, the village recluse that is said to be able to see ghosts and also a witch doctor. I love where the story went with those two, and I felt it was a nice take on the story. I feel that I'll need to re-read the story to get the little hints left by the author.

The community in the village is so strong. Clara's parents often hold dinner parties with everyone in the village. They sing, dance, and enjoy each others company. Clara also has her surfing, which because of her fear of water, she hasn't done at all.

The surprise towards the end of the book was really fun. I was not expecting this but it worked so well. The ending, with the village getting together to clean up after a storm, when Clara realizes what has happened last summer with the help of her Uncle, was just so, so good.

Clara and Rudy's friendship and the village community made the story so much more than just a contemporary exploring the relationships we make and loose. I felt like I was on the island with Clara, hiding away in her dugout and making up stories with Rudy.

Basically, please read this novel!

The beginning of this book had me a bit puzzled, but the big twist was worth it. Clara can't remember last year's hurricane, but everyone else in town can. This book was part mystery, part fantasy, and very intriguing. I think a lot of middle grade and even YA readers will like this one.

The writing is beautiful and the character growth of Clara throughout the story is very well-done. This is a great middle-grades novel.

The cover of this book is what initially drew me to it and I expected a breezy summer read. Instead, this book hit me right in the heart. At first, I wasn't too engaged in the story but I did wonder why Clara had memory problems and why the whole town was constantly arguing about her. As the story goes along, things become clear and there is a twist I did not expect. I think I'm going to go back to the beginning of the book to see if there were any subtle hints because it went right over my head. I expected something completely opposite but I liked the direction it went. This book is about family, friendship, loss, grief and I thought it was so beautifully done. Though this book is targeted for middle-grade it's a must read for any age group. I can see this one becoming popular once it comes out.

Thank you to the publisher and to netgalley for the advanced copy!

This is such a fun book, packed full of important messages regarding trauma, bullying, and grief and loss. Clara is a 12 year old girl living the island life. She spends her summer playing games with other island kids and hanging out with her best friend. We learn, early in the book, Clara is having some difficulty remembering events from her past. Toward the end of the book the reader learns the cause of the memory loss and it's just the perfect twist ending to this immersive book!
Prior to the end though, we follow along as Clara learns things aren't always what they seem. Clara teams up with a new friend, Rudy, who teaches Clara to challenge what she's always been taught and find her own answers. I really enjoyed my time with Clara and could almost hear the ocean waves as Getten's writing is so descriptive and wholly immersive.
Overall, I finished this book in one sitting. I couldn't put it down. As the reader becomes more familiar with Clara's world, it's really difficult to leave it with so many questions unanswered. I recommend this to anyone who's looking for a feel-good island book with a little mystery thrown in. You just can't go wrong with this one.

This was such a beautiful story about friendship and family! The emotional attachment to the characters is so strong that you won't want to leave them. Fantastic read!

This started off a little slow, and I wasn't quite engaging with it, but the plot picked up quite a bit when the twist was revealed--like other readers, I went back to the beginning to find subtle signs of the twist within Clara's life on the island, her friendships, and her memory loss.

This book is diverse not only in terms of its geography and culture, but also in the way it depicts trauma and anxiety along with coping measures.

This was a very engaging, seemingly straightforward book about trauma, phobias, and coming to grips with the past, but then there was A TWIST, and it did not at all go where I was expecting. I didn't dislike it at all, though [minor spoilers] it added a magical realism twist to the world of the novel that I wasn't expecting. I loved the character development here and the way conflicts were quickly resolved--it was not a breezy read by any means, but the central message was one of community support and solidarity. I particularly loved the "new girl" Rudy--a better friend I could not imagine--and Clara's uncle. Definitely recommend to younger as well as adult readers.

This book was not at all what I expected! I'm always looking for diverse characters and settings for the books my own girls read, so the description and cover of When Life Gives You Mangos really caught my eye. Clara's story captured my interest from the beginning -- two best friends who aren't getting along, their parents caught up in their day-to-day lives, and a mysterious new girl visiting their Jamaican village. I honestly didn't see THE TWIST coming, and then I frantically swiped back to the beginning to see all the bread crumbs dropped along the way. I think this one might be best as a read-aloud for my children.

As I opened the pages of this book, I stepped into the small village of Sycamore and Clara's world. I was immersed in the lives of Clara, her family, and her friends Gaynah, Calvin, and Anton. It's summertime and the highlight is an American girl (Rudy) has come to the island. Her presence brings the promise of excitement, mystery, and adventure and summer is off to a great start....or is it? Unfortunately, Clara is experiencing memory loss and can't remember what happened the summer before. And there are other unexplained gaps such as Clara (who used to love to surf) not wanting to go near the water, leave alone surf, and she is plagued by strong emotions where counting doesn't always help. The village welcomes the reader as we are introduced to Pastor Brown, Uncle Eldorath, Uncle Albert, and the miserable Ms.Gee. I was swept along as Clara embarked on new ventures with Ruby and life in the village meandered along. All the while, Clara was alternately sad and angry about her best friend Gaynah not acting like the friend she used to be, and the unknown of what happened to make Clara lose her memory is something that looms as large as the "elephant" in the room. By the end of the story, all becomes clear. This is a story of friendship, loss, family, and community. Even though everyone responds to Clara in their own way, no one gives up on her and her issues. Through traveling along with her, her family, her friends, and her community find understanding, acceptance, and hope. This is a book that will stay with you long after you've read it as you ponder the question of when life gives you mangoes.....what will YOU do?

A story of grief, forgiveness and moving forward.

Beautiful setting on an exotic island full of the carefree lifestyle of island life and the dangers of nature that can change the landscape and lives in an instant.

Clara doesn't understand why her best friend is being so hateful. Nothing is the same since last summer when something happened that makes Clara forget the past. All she knows is that there is a new girl on the island and her best friend doesn't seem to like her anymore.

As the story progresses the reader becomes aware that the island holds many secrets. Why will no one let Clara's uncle participate in the community? Why does Pastor Brown think Clara needs healed? Why can't Clara go in the water anymore?

This story has the carefree feel of a summer day but as the story progresses it is clear there is more happening than the reader sees on the surface.

This is a perfect story for readers who enjoyed The Thing About Jellyfish, The Hurricane Child, or Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World.

4.5 stars

Another hard-hitting middle grade I loved-are we surprised?

(Thank you so so much to Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.)

The synopsis mentions friendship and grief, two things I love to read about (especially in middle grade), and it's shelved on Goodreads under mental health, so the setup put my expectations high. For the first half of the story, I had a lot of questions about characters' actions that affected my experience, but I loved Clara's character from the beginning. I love how she carries so much anger and she doesn't know why, but she's such a good person (her family members call her special, but not in a demeaning way; they believe Clara is an exceptional and unique person, and she definitely is). This story is doing something amazing for the middle grade audience by normalizing the feeling of anger, and just because you're angry, it doesn't mean you're wrong or bad or broken.

Members of the community try to "fix" Clara and are sometimes genuinely awful to her, and while her parents want to help her, they never buy into the idea that their daughter is broken or terrible. They admit when they're wrong and do what they think will help her, and they're extremely supportive. Clara's relationship with her parents (particularly her father) is one of my favorite things about this book.

All of the questions I had at the beginning of the book were answered about 75% of the way through, and I think the author's setup is absolutely brilliant. There is a moment that shook me to my core, and it was executed with perfection.

Community is also a central theme in this story, and I love the evolution of the theme and the Sycamore Hill community. It's a wonderfully fresh take on Maycomb (the town in <i>To Kill a Mockingbird</i>), and the setting is so easy to picture. There is an undeniably summery atmosphere that brought back strong memories from when I was Clara's age.

Another major theme is the importance of processing trauma and doing it at your own pace. Clara's PTSD is very well-done, and while ignoring trauma for too long is not good, forcing yourself to process it before you're ready can also be damaging.

This is definitely for an older middle grade audience since there is some pretty heavy stuff, especially towards the end, and I honestly feel like adults would like this and connect to it as much as younger readers. To me, that's the mark of an excellent middle grade. I will read everything else Kereen Getten releases; this is an incredible debut novel.

Are you looking for a MG book that’s short and packs a punch? Look no further than When Life Gives You Mangos by Kereen Getten.
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Clara lives on a gorgeous, vacation-destination island, but to her it’s just home. Clara is your average 12-year-old except for the fact that she can’t remember anything that happened last summer after a hurricane and she’s afraid of the ocean when she used to be a surfer. Clara spends her days arguing with her best friend and cousin, Gaynah, more and more lately. When a new girl comes to stay, flashes start coming back to Clara. Can she remember what happened or will last summer stay hidden in her mind?
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This was not your average middle grade book because of one very big shocking twist that I did NOT see coming and I even knew there was one in the novel thanks to a friend who read & reviewed it. So many students are going to be blown away by this story about friendships, loss and healing. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. Every library needs this on 9.15!