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.