The writing seemed verygood. Not sure what couldn’t elevated this more but I tried several times to get into it and each time put it down.

At the outset of this book (not a spoiler), an adult version of narrator Bee is thinking back to her sister who she says is dead, and that the first dead girl she encountered was her young neighbor Sally. The book then goes back in time to the summer of 1985 when Bee is 12 and she and her 11 year old sister Audrina meet the new kids across the street, Max and his four year old sister Sally. The rest of the book goes through the next year or two of their lives, all told as the adult Bee is thinking back to her young self.

Despite what the opening reference to two dead girls may suggest though, this book is not a mystery or a thriller, though there certainly is some suspense wondering what happened to Sally when she disappears, and what is going to happen to Audrina. But really, this is a coming of age story, about sisters, parents and daughters, fitting in, secrets, loss of innocence and more. And having grown up in NJ just a year younger than Bee, the little 1980s details are perfect as well. It’s a quietly sad book, but the writing is so excellent, very impressive for a debut novel. I will definitely keep an eye out for whatever Karen Winn writes next.

Special thanks to Penguin. Group Dutton and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

At first I thought, hmmm another child disappears around family and friends, but when I started reading, I really enjoyed it. The characters were fleshed out, it held my interest and the writing was superb.

I read this book in 3 days, I know that's not saying much, but I ha be a different doctor appointment very day.
I would recommend you pick this one up!

Oh I forgot it was set in the '80's, so a lot of nostalgia for me. 4 solid stars.

The prose of this book was so compelling, and the characters kept me wondering what would happen next. It was an absorbing read that I am still thinking about.

What a great twisty tale!
It is set in the 80s so there was definitely a nostalgic feeling to it.
Sally, a 4 year old, disappears from a day at the lake with neighbor siblings and no one can figure out what happened to her. There is navigation in the family surrounding the tragedy, There was a great deal of detail in the lives of the families that I really enjoyed. A solid quick read.

I found this coming of age story difficult to put down.
The mystery took a back stage to the family storyline, but in the best of ways.
Thank you for the e-galley and the introduction to this author.

OUR LITTLE WORLD by Karen Winn is a coming of age story about two little sisters that you will never forget. The novel takes place in the 1980’s in a small idyllic New Jersey town. The two sisters, Bee and Audrina, are equal parts love and envy, and their relationship fractures when a local girl goes missing. OUR LITTLE WORLD illustrates how we are marked by our youth and experiences and their lingering consequences.

Coming of age story about how people attempted to move on after tragedy. Heartbreaking and moving all at once, will be buying a copy of this one. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Our Little World by Karen Winn is a tragic tale set in New Jersey in 1985. It's a beautiful story about the sister dynamic between Bee and her younger sister Audrina during a summer when the sister of Bee's friend goes missing. I enjoyed the little details that put you right into the time period of the mid 80s. As someone raised with only brothers I liked reading about the sister dynamic. This is a book you'll remember long after you've finished reading it. Read and enjoy!

Bee Kocsis is about to start seventh grade. Her life revolves around friends, fun at Deer Chase Lake, and now the new boy next door Max.

Bee’s younger sister, Audrina, is easily liked by everyone. Bee has always felt like she was in her shadow. The relationship between Bee and Audrina has always been strained, but it is put to the limits after Mac’s sister, Sally, goes missing at the lake.

Our Little World tells the story of two sister, secrets and how a small town moves on after devastation.

I thought this was a great coming of age story looking at the relationships between sisters, children and their parents and navigating complicated friendships at the age of 12. Bee was probably one of the most selfish characters I have read in a while and I screamed at her more than once. A beautiful story of love and friendship even in a time of suffering.

I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion

I put this book down at 30% in. I just found myself struggling to pick it back up. I'm not sure if I was just in the wrong mindset, or the story just didn't appeal to me. I still find myself wanting to know what happens, so I'll pick it back up someday.

It took a while to get into this for me. Even though it was very slow paced, it was well written. I would definitely read more from this author. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

Round down to 3.5. I found this book slow-going; while I completely understand 13-year-old anguish and perplexity over being thrust into adult experiences, it seemed as though Bee (main character) turned over the same thoughts repeatedly.

Examining the relationships of sisters is worthwhile and well-done, at least from the perspective of a mother of two daughters. Still… I didn’t really care for either of the sisters, and their parents certainly weren’t intriguing. Perhaps that’s the point - just normal, every day, uninteresting people… but that’s not a lot to base a book on.

There were surprises. Well done.

I chose Our Little World by @kbookwriter! I chose this book because I love family dramas and it’s set in my beloved home state of New Jersey.

Borka (Bee) and her sister Audrina are looking forward to a summer of fun with the neighborhood kids. They have new neighbors, Max and his little sister, Sally that they have gotten close with. One day while swimming at the local lake, Sally goes missing and the whole town searches for her. Everyone’s emotions are heightened and people are quick with judgment. Besides the great tragedy of Sally, Bee and Audrina are growing up and subsequently growing apart. They each have their own friends and interests. Bee is jealous of Audrina and takes her big sister role of caring for her to an extreme. Audrina just wants to be a normal kid and pushed Bee away. Their parents are both acting strange and it’s just an odd time in the Kocsis family.

I found this book fascinating. Karen really got it right with what it was like in NJ during the 80s/90s in New Jersey. Bee and Audrina’s sister rivalry seemed very genuine to me (as someone who only has a brother.) I loved the coming of age story as Bee explores boys and making new friends. She also makes some bad judgment calls that happens when you are her age and only think of yourself. I’ve seen some reviews that said this was a suspense novel, but it’s more coming of age when some added suspense. It was a great book club discussion!

Thank you so much to @duttonbooks for my gifted book. I really enjoyed it and I’m looking forward to many more books by Karen Winn.

“Bee” and “Drina”—sisters in every sense of the word. They love fiercely, they fight with mounds of guilt. Their upbringing is loaded with dysfunction. It’s the 1980’s, and this new author truly captures the essence, images and smells of the time—from Pert shampoo to rainbow flip flops, a game of spin the bottle, and adolescent development.

This is a coming of age story centered around sisterhood and a sensitive neighborhood mystery. From the very first page, I couldn’t stop reading — ghosts you say? Families are torn apart, “guilt” is practically another character and seeking help as a message is driven home. I loved it! The writing is executed well.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ECopy in exchange for an honest review.

Our Little World truly surprised me! Having read the synopsis and seeing the cover art, I assumed it would be a neighborhood set thriller, but instead I was treated to a wonderful slice-of-summer story that encompasses so much more emotion! Don't misunderstand, there are still plenty of surprises throughout, but I love that this story feels so plausible that it could happen in any one of our communities.

Being a child of the 80s, I absolutely love when authors incorporate retro references that evoke feelings of nostalgia. However, I often find that authors just shove these in randomly or that there are so many that it doesn't feel natural. Our Little World does a beautiful job weaving these elements into the story that feel organic and made it that much easier to really feel as if I were experiencing the story with Bee.

I was shocked to learn that this was Karen Winn's debut novel! The character development in this book is great and you truly feel like you can not only understand the children's motivations but can sympathize with sometimes making incorrect choices at a young age.

Thank you Net Galley for this ARC and the introduction to Karen Winn!

I really wanted to love this novel, but yaaawwwn.

After an abduction of four-year Sally Baker rocks a small town, we follow young Borka as she faces ethical dilemmas, struggles with body image and self esteem, and familial drama.

I didn’t connect with Bee at all. She irritated me and constantly overturned the same issues. Her decision making—while totally spot on for a 13-year old—drove me crazy.

I did feel like the abduction and aftermath was well executed and felt fairly authentic. I thought it was a little weird that we didn’t get many answers til the very end but the way the novel was written, I wasn’t even really looking for them (or maybe I just didn’t care at that point). I had an inkling throughout the novel about who had kidnapped Sally but I was way off base so I did like that.

I was more interested in Audrina’s story than Bee’s. I haven’t read much about diabetes, particularly in youngsters so that was a good storyline. I wish the foreshadowing of Audrina’s death had been better executed and there were points in story where I felt the suspense factor could’ve been played up.

All in all, this novel dragged for me. It was well written and fairly unique, but not one I would highly recommend.

Thank you to Dutton Books and NetGalley for the copy.

Title: Our Little World
Author: Karen Winn
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 3.8 out of 5

July 1985. It's a normal, sweltering New Jersey summer for soon-to-be seventh grader Bee Kocsis. Her thoughts center only on sunny days spent at Deer Chase Lake, evenings chasing fireflies around her cul-de-sac with the neighborhood kids, and Max, the boy who just moved in across the street. That and the burgeoning worry that she'll never be as special as her younger sister, Audrina, who seems to effortlessly dazzle wherever she goes.

But when Max's little sister, Sally, goes missing at the lake, Bee's long-held illusion of stability is shattered in an instant. As the families in her close-knit community turn inward, suspicious, and protective, things in Bee's own home become increasingly strained, most of all with Audrina, when a shameful secret surfaces. With everything changed, Bee and Audrina's already-fraught sisterhood is pushed to the limit as they grow up--and apart--in the wake of an innocence lost too soon.

This was definitely not a light and fluffy read. I found it pretty dark. Part of that could be that my younger brother was diagnosed with type one diabetes in 1988—about two years after Drina was—and the issues Drina had with her disease felt so, so familiar. Even leaving that out, Bee is not a happy narrator, and I felt that on every page.

Karen Winn lives in Boston. Our Little World is her debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of Penguin Group Dutton in exchange for an honest review.)

Our Little World by Karen Winn is a coming-of-age novel about two sisters, Bee and Audrina. When a neighbor girl goes missing at the lake one summer, the girls have to deal with stress within their community. Then Audrina gets sick, and Bee goes out of her way to help her little sister. This was a difficult read at times, but the writing was lovely, and I ended up enjoying this story. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

A debut novel full of nostalgia, family secrets, family drama, sisterhood, emotional trauma, anxiety, mental and emotional stress, and heartbreak. It is a sad novel - part coming of age - part mystery. Shows us how emotional stress can affect one's life. Novel centers around a close neighborhood in the 1980's, families that live there, and two sisters as they struggle to grow up. Winn is an excellent writer - excellent character development - good descriptive details. Good novel for book clubs. Will be following Karen Winn and waiting to read her next novel!