A truly charming YA novel exploring first romances, family mysteries, generational differences and more - with a healthy dose of The Beatles thrown in. A really nice, fun, easy Summer read that a lot of people will enjoy!

Thank you to NetGalley & its publisher for this copy in exchange for an honest review!!

This was a sweet sentimental read about the bond of family, first love, family secrets, & The Beatles 😉🫶🏼 It was a nice debut novel for the author, and I read at the end that she wrote it during Covid which seemed like it probably was a nice escape for her. I definitely hope it continues to gain an audience because it really was a nice read!

“Hello, Goodbye” is a young adult novel by Kate Stollenwerck. The book tells the story of Hailey Rogers, a fifteen-year-old girl who is forced to spend her summer helping her grandmother, Gigi. Although Gigi only lives across town, Hailey never sees her and knows little about her. But Gigi is full of surprises and family secrets. Throw in the gorgeous boy down the street, and Hailey’s ruined summer might just be the best of her life. Then tragedy strikes, lies are uncovered, and Hailey’s life suddenly falls apart. After unearthing clues in an old letter written by her great-grandfather, she takes off on a road trip to solve the family mystery with the only person she can trust. Order your copy and witness how in a forgotten Texas town, the past and the present collide—and Hailey is forced to choose what she truly values in life

Sometimes impressive books are way harder to write a proper review, to do it justice so to speak. Ah well... this was a well-layered book with pain and joy and difficulties. Just as in real life. Lovely to get to know Hailey
and her grandmother Gigi.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.

This was a great coming of age novel! The writing style grabbed me from the first page. It kept me entranced with the vivid descriptions. I absolutely love our main character. I love Hailey's banter with her father. It's sweet and very realistic. The book has many pop culture references. The characters’ lives were complex, but very relatable which made it even more enjoyable to me because I can relate to a complex life.

Hailey's summer is off to a very dreary start, with her best friend Livi is banished to summer camp with no means of social engagement, she now has to go and spend most of her vacation helping her grandmother. What seemed like a bore soon becomes an adventure with her grandmother, Betty and a handsome boy. When Gigi gets sick, Hailey feels as if her life is falling apart. Determined to find out the truth about Gigi and her family, Hailey is in for something more than she bargained for.

This was such a beautiful story, based around ya and historical fiction. I loved the relationship between Hailey and Gigi. This family centered novel will surely have you in tears.


Thank you so much for the ARC @netgalley @sparkpress and Kate Stollenwerck all opinions expressed in this review are my own

Although ya so not written specifically for me I loved this book. The characters were written beautifully and plot was well developed. Ireally enjoyed this read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. A lovely warm “coming of age” story. Really well developed characters and good writing style, this was a compelling and enjoyable read!

This coming of age story from author Kate Stollenwerck was a thoughtful and engaging look at family bonds and secrets.

Hailey is a likable character with a strong voice, and I enjoyed seeing her journey as she learns about family secrets and her own self.

A journey of self discovery for teenage Hailey.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sparkpress and Kate Stollenwerck for this advanced copy!

This coming of age YA novel was a very quick read. The writing was very simplistic and fantastical at times which made for an enjoyable story. It was by no means the best book I've read lately but I absolutely adored the message at it's core. We see Hailey spend a short time with her maternal Grandmother during the summer break. During this period, they develope an deep, amazing and loving bond, driving around in her Gigi's classic car Betty, belting out The Beatles. Stories are shared, relationships blossom, histories and secrets unearthed. This was just such a wholesome book about love and the bond that family can share. I think people today, both young, old and in-between, are very quick to immerse themselves in work and other things, letting precious time with loved ones pass them by. This story takes so many turns it is quite mad throughout but at the end of the day, it's a sweet tale of a girl, her grandmother and the past.

* Please research any trigger warnings before reading *

Title: Hello, Goodbye
Author: Kate Stollenwerck
Genre: YA
Rating: 5.0 out of 5

Fifteen-year-old Hailey Rogers is sure her summer is ruined when her parents force her to spend a few days a week helping her grandmother, Gigi. Although she only lives across town, she never sees her grandmother and knows little about her. But Gigi is full of surprises--and family secrets. Throw in the gorgeous boy down the street, and Hailey's ruined summer might just be the best of her life.

Then tragedy strikes, lies are uncovered, and Hailey's life suddenly falls apart. After unearthing clues in an old letter written by her great-grandfather, she takes off on a road trip to solve the family mystery with the only person she can trust. In a forgotten Texas town, the past and the present collide--and Hailey is forced to choose what she truly values in life.

I loved this! I think Hailey is a great character, and I loved seeing how her mind works and how she changed through the course of this book. The family dynamics were intriguing, and I really wanted to know what was going on with Gigi. I enjoyed the Beatles obsession—and the car. I just thoroughly enjoyed this from the very first page.

Kate Stollenwerck lives in Florida. Hello, Goodbye is her debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of SparkPress in exchange for an honest review.)

This book was so good on so many levels I don't know where to begin.
I loved all the characters. I was totally immersed in their lives and was emotionally involved.
I loved the relationships. Grandmother and granddaughter. Mother and daughter (times 2). Father and daughter. Friends. Boyfriends. They were all well developed and interesting.
Family history. I loved how the author used each character's viewpoint to view their history. Sometimes I think we forget that we don't have the same experiences and background as those around us.
This was one of the best books I've read lately.

What a beautiful book this was. I laughed, cried, and longed for what was next. The characters were so well developed and I truly felt heartbroken at moments. I loved the historical aspects and the family history. There was so much story involved and that's what I loved most!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this book.

I loved the premise and thoroughly enjoyed the story! Fifteen year old Hailey expects to have the worse summer ever after agreeing to help her grandma, Gigi, a few days a week. As each visit goes by they grew and bonded over Beatles songs and books. Family secrets are discovered and we ride along with Hailey as she seeks the answers.

*ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Wow... As I sit in tears from finishing this book, I don't even know where to begin. This one started a bit juvenile as we are introduced to Hailey, a 15 year old girl who has been semi-forced to spend time with her grandmother during her summer break. It felt a bit like being inside my younger sister's head, but Hailey was relatable, sweet and spunky so I was intrigued and kept going. Then, the story begins to feel coming-of-age as Hailey warms up to her 'Gigi' and starts to see how much she can get out of a summer together, including time with a crush from school who lives down the street. I felt warm young-love fuzzies and could not put the book down! The thread tying everything comes to an amazing, emotional, raw and powerful climax towards the end of the book as you learn more about Gigi than even her own daughter ever knew - I don't want to include any spoilers here, but just know I could not stop the tears from flowing the last quarter of the book! Coming-of-age with a dash of the power of historical fiction, this was a real surprising treat for me and not what I expected at all from the first few chapters. 8/10!

15-year old Katie is convinced her summer is ruined when she’s forced to spend a few days a week with her grandmother but there are lots of surprises in store for her. It turns into a summer of growing and learning for Katie - learning about family secrets, learning about a different generation, learning about relationships with friends and boys, and finally learning about historical events.
___________

This is the sweetest book! It’s so refreshing to see a teenager portrayed as a good kid. Katie is bummed about the initial arrangement with her grandma but she quickly learns it’s not going to be so bad. Her grandma is cool. She reads and naps and loves ice cream and has the coolest car around. But she also has some hidden family secrets and knows she needs to share them with the next generation before it’s too late. I loved the relationship building, the storytelling and the historical piece that was very unexpected. While Katie turns 16 in the book and begins her junior year in high school, I’d be perfectly comfortable with my 13 year old reading this one. It’s clean, well written, and a great lesson on family and history.

A perfect holiday read. But if a slow start but worth sticking with it as it does get better and you’re soon gripped.

I thought I knew what I was getting myself into when I started this but, but boy was I wrong. There were several points in the book that I did not see coming. I was left speechless, overjoyed and in tears. I enjoyed every moment of this story and the portrayal of all the characters.

This is a heartfelt, generational family YA coming of age story and I fell in love with it. Ya fans, and teens will enjoy this one!!

Hailey is 15, and is told by her parents that she has to go stay with her grandma Gigi and help her out this summer. She just knows that this is going to be the worst summer ever. When she gets there, she realizes that her grandma is way cooler than she expected, and that they actually have lots in common. They end up developing a really awesome bond, and it was so sweet. They read books, they listen to The Beatles. She also makes friends with the cute boy next door. He's a football player at the high school, he's such a nice guy, and could they possibly have feelings for eachother? Hailey learns about her family history and how important it is to be close with the ones you love.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own. Comes out August 2.

This was the sweetest story about a 15 year old, Hailey, who is forced to spend her summer helping her grandmother Gigi out when her best friend is unreachable at a summer wilderness camp. Hailey’s sure this will be the most boring summer of her entire life, but her expectations go from zero to one hundred quickly when Gigi ends up being . . . well, cool. She loves the Beatles, has a beautiful old convertible named Betty, and will even read Twilight in exchange for Hailey reading The Great Gatsby. Hailey gradually starts to learn some family secrets, and with a little help from the resident heartthrob Blake Anderson, Hailey embarks on a quest to learn the truth about her ancestral roots and Gigi’s past.

I loved this book. Hailey annoyed me a bit in the beginning, but she grew on me as time wore on. Blake is probably the most endearing a high school football star could be and served major Austin Ames vibes from A Cinderella Story.

Some themes that readers might enjoy: running, high school romance, the Beatles, holocaust recovery, Bonnie & Clyde, generational roots, tense mother-daughter relationships, Twilight, The Great Gatsby, and nice football stars.

Read if you liked: Something Wilder, Little White Lies, or Paper Towns

Thank you to Spark Press and Net Galley for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!