This book radiates the kind of nostalgia that sits quietly in our chests. Each piece feels like an echo of scraped knees, bedtime stories, and the unspoken language between parents and their children. It explores the fragments we carrythose moments we think we forget but somehow shape us forever good bad and the ugly.

This collection honors the messy, roots of growing up.

This remind us that childhood isn’t just a place we leave behind it’s a place we carry forward, no matter how far we go.

This was a sweet read for reluctant readers! Whimsically written, it teaches kids the lesson that every action has a purpose - no matter how devastating it may have been.

This was a very quick, fun read. It is a magical realism story told in verse about a girl growing up and learning about relationships with friends and family and how everything that happens affects our lives and the lives of others in ways that we can’t even imagine. This book was a departure from my usual genres but I enjoyed it and I think you will too. Thank you to Net Galley and West 44 Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What I find most ironic about my reading of If You Find This Letter by Ona Gritz is that I was genuinely rather bored with it when I started reading. Much as I understand the deep need to have stories that explore themes of loneliness and parental constriction, I truly just didn't feel all that invested in Dani's story at the beginning. And then, somewhere between the pages of a book, all of that flipped on its head.

This story, the letters passed between time, is perhaps one of the most beautiful verse-novels I've ever read. I've only cried while reading a handful of books and, while I know I'm in a depressed mental state at present, I was genuinely surprised when I realized I was tearing up while reading this. It's a good tearing up, though, because this is one of those stories that just really pulls at your emotions. It's the kind of story that helps readers to ground themselves in the understanding that the world is experienced through individual perception, that we never truly know a person's motivations without having a conversation.

The girl in this story is thirteen, navigating a world of overprotective parenting and friends who seem to be growing up just a little bit faster than she is. There are themes of loneliness, too, permeating the lives of multiple characters in truly interesting ways. It's the kind of book that makes you think a little harder, without even fully realizing it. And at its core, this book is very much an introspective emotional center. For that, it's definitely one that I think younger kids could seriously benefit from reading.

A fast-paced novel in verse with a touch of magical realism, this story immediately pulled me in. The main character discovers a letter tucked inside a book in an antique store—written by a girl her own age. When she writes back, she soon realizes the girl lives in the past. What follows is a gripping, emotionally rich narrative exploring themes of coming of age, connection, and coping with tragedy. The verse format was a bit challenging to read on Kindle, but I’m excited to see how the final published edition turns out.

I enjoyed this book. Dani is feeling left out with her friends because of her mother's strict rules. And the way she connects with the writer of the letter she finds in the book is genuine. They both have similar backgrounds and feelings. It's a fast paced read and the novel in verse gives it a nostalgic feel. I loved how the majority of the story was written in letters...it made me feel like I was Dani reading/writing the letters myself. This is definitely one that I think a lot of girls will enjoy and I like that it's a hi-lo so it can be enjoyed by all ages.

A beautiful novel in verse. I loved everything about this book. The characters are relatable, well written and there’s just enough mystery and magic. The story builds beautifully and I loved everything coming together in the end. I could have spent hundreds of more pages in this world, absolutely beautifully done.

I was not aware that this book was in verse but it made it a very easy and fast read. I do believe this book would be amazing for reluctant young readers. Which I think is sometimes overlooked. Reluctant readers don’t want young stories, they want relatable ones and this one hit that perfectly.

For me I felt a little bored at first it seemed to drag a bit and when the letter exchanges started to happen I really became obsessed and in love with the letters and Mimi and Elle. Their friendship was very genuine and sweet. There was also a magical element that made the story even more heartwarming. The small twist made it exciting. All in all I think some would really enjoy this story. This was different than my usual reads and I found it to be refreshing.

Thank you netgalley and West 44 books for this Arc read in exchange for this honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rosen Publishing Group, West 44 Books, and Ona Gritz for the opportunity to read If You Find This Letter in exchange for an honest review.

If You Find This Letter is a middle grade novel written in a poetic verse style. The novel follows thirteen-year-old Dani (short for Daniella) who has an overprotective mother and has also started being shunned from her friend group. When Dani enters an oddities shop, she finds an old book. Inside is a letter! The letter is written from a girl names Mimi, and Dani, not wanting to share her name, writes as Ella (part of Daniella, so not a lie) in response. She finds a newfound friendship she didn't expect and greatly wants to meet Mimi in person!

When some of the content in Mimi's letters doesn't seem to make sense, Dani begins revisiting and analyzing the content, and there is definitely something strange about the person behind the letters. When Dani figures out just what that is, she certainly has some choices to make that will affect the path of her future.

There is a point where the reader is given just the back-and-forth of the letters without any interlude, and then there are aspects where the reader is given a few snippets of the goings on in Dani's life outside of waiting for a response to the letters. This does help with pacing, as no one needs to see that she is heading to the store again to respond; we know. This novel is interesting as it also features a mom who has a prosthetic leg, so seeing her experience with that as a mother offers some nice representation. I mentioned the overbearing mother, and this is true for many parents, but it also shows the unconditional connection between a mother and daughter, emphasizing the importance of family and the value of communication.

Having formerly read Gritz's Take a Sad Song and The Space You Left Behind already had me in the mindset of knowing that If You Find This Letter would be yet another enjoyable read. And let's take a moment to enjoy the whimsical beauty and power of the cover. Gorgeous and meaningful! This is a great novel for middle grade readers.

If You Find This Letter by Ona Gritz is a quiet, emotionally resonant read that leans heavily on reflection and memory. The story unfolds gently, focusing on grief, connection, and the power of words left behind. Gritz’s writing is tender and thoughtful, giving the book a heartfelt, almost intimate tone. While the pacing is slow and the narrative is understated, readers who enjoy character-driven stories and themes of loss and healing will likely find this a meaningful and touching experience.

This is such a sweet, emotional, and accessible story. The main character's emotions are not only shared with readers, but conveyed in a way that allows readers to feel what she's feeling. I loved the mystery element to the story, which drives the plot to the very end. Highly recommended for young readers in search of a book that will keep them guessing what happens next!

Enjoyable, quick read by Ona Gritz! This novel-in-verse is the perfect hi-lo book for middle grade readers. It reads mature without any inappropriate content, but is still very relatable for tweens. Featured themes are friendship, loneliness, growing up, disabilities, and grief. The story moves along at a good pace and the magical realism elements make it unique! As a middle school teacher, I’d use this book to teach character development, conflict, relationships between main and minor characters, figurative language, and theme. Minus one star for me because I found myself wishing there was more with Miss Liza. For playing such an important role in the end, I felt like her introduction was forgettable. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A novel in verse with time traveling letters, this book was a quick but heartwarming read.

Having only just enjoyed a Hi/Lo middle-grade novel-in-verse from this publisher, concerning a girl cosseted by an over-protective mother (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8251275134), here is a second book where all those details apply. This time it's not because the girl is damaged, but the mother – celebrating a birthday, the girl who was to become our heroine's parent and a noted classical violinist, ended up minus a leg after a road accident. Due to that Danielle is under strict curfew and cannot go far enough from home to feel at liberty. Her friends seem to be turning against that restriction, now they've found boys, and Danielle feels second-best. So it's amazingly timely that she stumbles upon a vintage goods store, opens an old book at random, and finds a letter from a fan of the book suggesting they write to each other.

And there I feel the summary has to end – I could mention a lot more, but don't feel it vital. It would help my purposes, though, for it makes this a distinctive read, the way this gets so close to the plot of -------- and holds back from mirroring it for too many pages. Looking back at the full story from the (very satisfying) end you see how much is unexplained and potentially nonsense, but while reading it the crux of the matter is cleverly performed. It helps that I always seem to enjoy fiction delivered via the medium of letter, but that's certainly not all we get here. We get lively characters we can enjoy and root for, a small element of this being a love letter to old New York, and some very outre recipe suggestions (my input – chocolate brazils…).

A healthy four stars – the same as the other book I mentioned, with this perhaps the more intriguing and accessible read, however divisive the genre trappings might perhaps prove to be.

The cover of this book drew me in at first, and the summary on the back sounded intriguing. It’s a thoughtful story about relationships between family and friends. I really enjoyed the letter writing concept, and the budding friendship between Dani and Mimi.
While books written in verse aren’t usually my personal preference, this one hit its mark and made an impression. It’s a sweet journey for the characters, and I highly recommend it.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I'm not a big ready of 'in verse' books but I was intrigued by the concept of the story.
Dani is struggling as she finds her mother overbearing, as her mother was hit by a car in her youth and lost a leg due to it. Dani is starting to feel left behind and left out as her two besties have far less restrictions on them and therefore can hang out more often than she can.
One day Dani finds an old bookshop and in it finds a book, with a letter. Dani ends up replying to the letter and popping it back into the book and magically, the next day there is a reply. This continues for a couple of days until the universe decides that she, and her secret pen-pal from the past, have gained what they need.
The end resolves itself a little too fast for the trauma and habits involved but the story was nice enough.

This book was read by my 12-year-old daughter who is dyslexic and loves books written in verse. The following review is hers:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

If You Find This Letter was really good. Dani finds a book store with an old book and a letter poking out. The letter is asking for a friend from another 13 year old named Mimi. She needs a friend, but this could be a psycho. Even then she writes back and soon she gets a letter back in record time from Mimi. Dani also needs a summer friend. This book is short and I don't want to give anymore away. But it was so good. And the perfect pick-me-up book if you need one.

If You Find This Letter is a beautiful novel written in verse. Fans of middle grade books will really enjoy this.

If You Find This Letter was a great book!! I really liked how the book gave Back to the Future vibes with the main character receiving and writing letters to someone in the past.

I am always on the hunt for age appropriate middle grade novels to add to my classroom. I enjoy getting novels told in verse to share my personal love of poetry. This book had a prose feel most of the time, despite its formatting, but I think sporadically sprinkling the more poetic lines packed with meaning works best for middle grade. They can’t chew on a whole meal of deep symbolism, double meaning, figurative language, and nuance. This book is what I would categorize as magical realism, which I know many young people will enjoy. The themes of independence vs. safety, understanding that parents are people with many layers, and feeling left out of friendships will resonate with young readers. The premise was really unique and beautiful, including an exchange of letters that crosses time barriers. One minor plot point involving a young girl and her uncle battling AIDS reminded me a lot of one of my favorite books, Tell the Wolves I’m Home. This went too fast - I wanted to know more about the “magic” or whatever mechanism allowed for the events to transpire. That part, and the accompanying character who made the events occur, felt a little glossed over and I wanted to dive deeper and see more of the character. I would have happily spent another 50-100 pages in this world. Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the chance to preview this book!

A brisk but emotional read. I couldn't put the book down, finishing it a day. A could really relate to 13 year-old Dani's feeling of being left behind by her friends. It's such an awkward age, and kids do mature at different rates. It was wonderful to read a book that not only acknowledges this - but says it's okay to want to hang on to childhood a little longer. Both Dani and her "time-traveling pen pal," misunderstand what feels like rejection from friends, believe it's due to something being wrong with them. Happily, Dani realizes her mistake in real time.

This book also takes on the "butterfly effect" with a disability twist - which I LOVED. Dani gets it in her head that if she can prevent an accident in which her mom loses a leg, both she and her mom will be happier. Again, Dani realizes that her mom's accident is part of what makes her who she is.

A fun story that weaves authentic middle grade themes with a little magic and a touch of disability pride.

I really enjoyed this story! It was such a quick and interesting read, I got through it in one go. The time travel plot was really fun to follow and figure out along with Dani and the quickness of her realizing what she had done really had my mind racing.

What a lovely MG book. The main character Dani is going through it with her friends and mom when she discovers, what appears to be a letter from the past, it changes everything, in the best way. Dani is a relatable and engaging protagonist. It spoke about real issues with whimsy. Thoroughly enjoyed.

Thank you to Net Galley for an ARC.

I was looking for something sweet and light after reading a lot of thrillers and horror. 'If You Find This Letter' did not disappoint. While there was some anguish near the end of the novel, it never becomes too dark. The novel is told in verse, making it a quick read. Two girls find that they can communicate from different time periods through letters. The novel really takes off when Danielle realizes who Mimi is.
I liked how easy it was to "see" what was going on through Gritz's descriptions. 4 stars.

Enjoyed this read. Felt a little short, but also I know the publisher has very specific word count/length requirements. A great Hi/Lo title.

A lovely novel told in verse. Fun, magical and beautiful. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Thank you!