I received a copy of the book from Netgalley to review. Thank you for the opportunity.
I really enjoyed the MG book as it wove together more complex themes with the youthfulneds of being a MG. The MC was a little dorky but true to herself which I felt gives a good message for young readers. It had very good writing in that it had a good flow and was aceessible also. The book brings up multiple complex themes such as half siblings, familial relationships, alzehimers and drug addiction. I liked that these topics were brought up in a sensitive and age appropriate way and I feel like this book could be used to discuss these themes in a more educational context also.
On the other hand, the MC is very focused on her own interests and goals which makes for a lot of reading on interiors. I think it's more personal preference as to whether you enjoy reading about this but I didn't really which drew the engagement away from the book for me.
On the whole, an enjoyable read.

Something I love about middle grade literature is that it’s not afraid to tackle the tough topics, but it still keeps that ray of hope that YA and adult books don’t seem to achieve.

RULE OF THREES, for example, deals with things like parental marital issues, affairs, drug addiction, Alzheimer’s, etc. and handles these issues carefully and effectively, but doesn’t feel weighed down by them. There’s moments of happiness and hope which are so, so important when dealing with an angst heavy story.

I have not read Marcy Campbell’s other work, but I may just have to try it out, after loving this one.

Perfect for fans of Beth Vrabel or NBC’s “THIS IS US”.

This is such a cute book. And I mean that in the best possible way. It's everything I love about MG fiction. When I say it's cute, I don't mean it's full of fluffy themes, because it isn't. It's actually really complex, and I love it all the more for that.

Maggie has just started middle school. One of her best friends is slowly pulling away from her, and sometimes she calls her grandma and finds that her grandma doesn't remember her. But it's ok, because she has the perfect family. It's just her, her mum and dad. That is until a half-brother she didn't know existed shows up on her doorstep, and her life turns upside-down.

Yes, there's a lot going on in this book. But it never felt like too much. The truth is, life is complicated. And it's complicated whether you're twelve or twenty or forty. It's unreasonable to expect middle grade fiction not to reflect the complexity of life. Kids need to see themselves in books, and I'm sure a lot of them will identify at least in some way with Maggie's story.

I love Maggie as a narrator. She's kind of dorky. She goes to Harry Potter summer camp and she loves interior design. She's not the most popular person in the world, but she has friends who she spends time with at school. She can also be a little selfish and concerned with her own problems, though ultimately, she has a good heart. Even though she's dealing with a lot, and is unhappy about it, she still manages to be a fun narrator and I found myself laughing out loud when reading.

At first, she struggles to come to terms with the fact that she has a brother and she isn't always kind to Tony. But it was really nice getting to see her figure out how to build a relationship with him and welcome him as part of her family.

I really love the amount of character growth Maggie experiences. Yes, she's still the same slightly dorky, design loving girl she always was. But she is forced to see that her ideas aren't always right, and that she can compromise and accept that perfection isn't always the goal.