I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"If you asked her a question, be ready for a very loud truth."

This is a short and sweet feel good coming of age summer story. Matt is a boy just about to enter highschool who is completely besotted with a girl nearby named Lia. It is frustrating how long it takes Matt to stand up for himself (and Lia), but only because I was rooting for them the whole time. There is some great writing which seperates Lia from the standard "quirky girl" trope. I loved her description of being as "predictable as a slot machine". I wasn't too sure why everyone at first thought the sermons were so controversial- it was just about really accepting everyone. It would have to be a pretty conservative place to have people literally leaving the church as he was preaching. I just wished there was a bit more closure for the ending.

“The Girl in My Treehouse”, by S.A. Fanning, is a sweet coming-of-age story, featuring a shy, awkward and very endearing boy and the brave girl who awakens him to his identity.
I loved Matt’s voice, his shyness and how he matures through the friendship with Lia. Some episodes related to Matt’s personality are almost painful to read but so vivid.
Lia is an “old soul”, perhaps too mature sometimes for her age, but her vitality is contagious. She’s a brave girl, the sad picture of parental neglect.
The joy and sense of adventure and discovery with the incursions to the pond and through the woods, living in the treehouse, and the wedding party are all part of Matt’s maturity process and are wonderful to watch, as are his tense interactions with the other boys and his father.
The relationship between Matt and his mother is endearing; preacher Higgins is a great character, too.
I read this captivating story pretty quickly because I was so excited to see how things would turn out for Matt and Lia. I didn’t mind the open ending – as a matter of fact, I loved it – but it would be great if there was a sequel so that we could see what happens with now confident Matt.

I received this book for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley

Fun yet very deep and meaningful in certain areas. Definitely going to recommend.

Matthew is just an ordinary boy enjoying his summer then Lia comes along and they share a magical summer! They do all kinds of things. Swim in the pond. Take a canoe from Mr. Higgans and take it to the middle of the pond. Then they participate in a lesbian wedding. I give the book 4 stars. I’d definitely kept my interest and it was a quick read. Enjoyed the book!

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the arc of The Girl in My Treehouse.

Matt has always been on the sidelines. No matter how much he practiced baseball he never got any better, no matter how many times his 'friends' teased him he never said anything back, no matter how many times his dad insisted he do something he never said no. That changes when Matt meets Lia, he learned the importance of having his own confidence and standing up for what is right.
I really like how this book doesn't even mention Lia's skin colour until a different character notices it, Matt doesn't consider Lia any different from him until his 'friends' mention it. I also really enjoyed Matt's growth in this book, you can really see him coming into his own which can be so dangerous in small town America. Higgins also proves to be a great character, showing just how much grief can change a person, and for the better not just the worse.

This book brings up important issues that need to be discussed and I think it does so in a way that makes sense for teen readers, it's perfectly on track for someone around Matt's age to read. If a bit hopeful with how quickly some of the character's change but it leaves the reader with hope that things can change.

What a beautiful book - but so bittersweet. It's a book about so many things - teenage friendship, first love, standing up for yourself and figuring yourself out, but at the same time - about a town that's not ready for change, for acceptance, for accepting people who are even a little different. And it's about change - how it happens at a very personal level, one day at a time.

If you already read this book and loved it and are looking for more similar reads, I thought Angie had a similar vibe to this one.

This was a very slow book, which is what many readers mention in their reviews, but I absolutely loved it being that way. To me, it felt like that one summer we've all probably had, when we were at the border between childhood and adulthood, when time moved ever so slowly and everything that happened made an indelible impression on you, made you who you are. For the main character, that's meeting a girl named Lia. A girl so special, so different, yet unafraid to be who she is, that she shakes his entire worldview and helps him discover his true self.

As a love story, it's very casual and chill. Since the main characters are both young teens (14-15ish), it's really innocent, and it focuses more on the emotional, formative experience that our first romance usually becomes for us. But the romance is not the only thing the story centers on.

Another core thing is values - changing values, acceptance of others in communities, religion, despite small town conservatism. Matthew's town isn't quite ready for the things that happen, but the story is one of progress, and it's hopeful. I wouldn't want to spoil it for you, so I won't explain more - but it's definitely worth a read.

This book ever so gently and ever so subtly celebrates diversity and tries to open your eyes to how the times are, or should be, changing. The love story is incredibly bittersweet, and once you finish it, you'll realize you've always known that this was how the story would go. But it's a good story. And it leaves you with a full heart, and a hopeful mood. I greatly enjoyed it.

I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.

It was an OK book to read.. I do recommend this book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Net Galley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is a beautiful little novella. I can thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who wants a quick read that has a bit of everything - race, love, lgbtq+, coming of age and acceptance.
It follows a shy boy who has befriended the new girl on the street who's a bit different in the stuck in the past American town. Through her, he begins to see that things aren't moving forward in town, that people are unaccepting of different or mainstream.
And her openness gives him the courage to stand up and call people out. To be friends with whoever he wants and tell people NO!
This length of this story didn't stop the author, Peter Fanning, from doing an amazing job at world and character building.
This was a wonderful, wholesome story, that made me cry....twice. Rude!

Great coming of age story. Captures those teen years so many of us experience as we come into our own lives. Characters are authentically portrayed and believeable. Teens and adults will enjoy this book. Good read.