I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Phoebe struggles with her adoptive mother and her own emotions after discovering that her biological parents kept an older and younger siblings while putting her up for adoption.

The Phoebe Variations by Janet Hamilton is a powerful coming of age story that perfectly captures the confusion of trying to figure out who you are. Phoebe’s world is turned upside down just as she’s about to graduate high school. Her journey is heartfelt and super relatable. I loved how the author captures that in between space of girlhood and adulthood, where everything feels fragile and overwhelming, and yet full of possibility. I highly recommend this beautifully layered novel. I didn’t want it to end!

I love the work of Jane Hamilton and this book reminded me why. If you’re a fan, don’t miss it; if you’re no a fan, this book will make you one!

Seventeen-year-old Phoebe has always felt safe and loved with her adoptive mother, Greta. But when Greta suddenly decides it’s time for Phoebe to meet her birth parents, everything changes. The meeting is jarring, and Phoebe begins to question everything she thought she knew about herself, her family, and her place in the world.

The tension deepens when Greta agrees to foster two rowdy brothers for the summer and expects Phoebe to step in as their full-time babysitter. It’s the final straw.

With the fierce support of her best friend Luna, Phoebe takes off. She finds refuge at the chaotic but welcoming home of her other best friend, Patrick, where she quickly blends into his large family of twelve siblings.

The Phoebe Variations is a moving coming-of-age story about escape, identity, chosen family, and what it really means to grow up. Jane Hamilton beautifully captures the ache and resilience of adolescence in this quiet novel.

#ThePhoebeVariations #JaneHamilton #ZibbyBooks #ComingOfAge #FoundFamily

Beautiful writing and emotionally moving story about adoption.I related to this aspect of this story and enjoyed from first to last page.#NetGalley #libby

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me. Once I realized that Phoebe wasn't going to leave her friend's house I totally lost all interest in the book. Rambling, hard to keep track of characters, nothing compelled me to continue.

Lonely foster child Phoebe's life changes the day she meets a kindred soul in the local library, both gushing over "Jane Eyre." Phoebe living on the "wrong side" of the town, while privileged Luna has wanted for nothing. Becoming fast friends on a "soul" level, Luna runs the show while Phoebe is fine hiding behind her hair and glasses until the day she decides to leave her foster mother's home for good. Too full of pain and confusion about the family that gave her away and resenting her foster mother's attempts to have her forge a relationship with her biological parents and siblings, Phoebe runs away and starts to live her own life. Making some questionable decisions, Phoebe is now writing 50 years later about her now extinct friendship with Luna and how she has forged her own path for herself and her son.

I came away from this novel with more questions about the various characters than answers. The fact that Phoebe is writing 50 years later and remembering her life as a 17-year-old isn't really made clear until much later in the book. I found this overly long, wandering and rather pointless. If you like to read about the passage of time, memories and what a mother's love really is and you have a lot of time to invest in reading, then this one is for you.

The book's adoption aspect drew me in as an adoptive mom. The self-exploration and discoveries along the way kept my attention. This is a beautiful story, and I raced to the end to find out the main character's outcome. Well done! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

In the final days of high school in suburban Illinois, Phoebe Hudson became a new person. Set to graduate at the top of her class, knowing she was adopted but loving her mother (no matter how strange her behavior), and firmly entrenched with a best friend, Luna, but suddenly nothing is as it seems. She even cut all of her hair off. Jane Hamilton’s The Phoebe Variations explores these days from Phoebe’s point of view years later, and as a result, there is the uncertainty of memory and reason of age mixed in. In fact, there is a lot more musing than action, so readers who need a plot heavy book may be disappointed. Personally, having grown up in suburban Illinois in a similar time (1970s), and currently working daily with high school students, I found a lot of truth and much to enjoy in this book. Hamilton rambles at times, but not unlike an old friend recalling past events, and her witty sense of humor shines through.