When Life Gives You Mangoes: ‘[A] dreamy evocation of a Caribbean childhood - with a surprise twist' The Times

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There are the themes of community, religion, friendship, grief, father-daughter relationship, family and trauma that I felt were aptly explored and explored in an authentic way. I loved the plot twist and what themes it explored with it… I can’t say much more, but the ending of this book was incredibly satisfying and perfect for the book overall.

Twelve-year-old Clara lives on an island that visitors call exotic. But there's nothing exotic about it to Clara. She loves eating ripe mangos off the ground, running outside in the rain with her Papa during rainy season, and going to her secret hideout with Gaynah--even though lately she's not acting like a best friend. I was BLOWN away by the twist at the end. I felt the author did a great job of having more than one thing to keep us interested to the very end. The twist at the end was the absolute best! A heartfelt and accessible debut about friendship, memory, and forgiveness.”—Tae Keller, author of Newbery Medal winner When You Trap a Tiger Thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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When a quirky girl called Rudy arrives from England, everything starts to change. Gaynah stops acting like a best friend, while Rudy and Clara roam across the island and uncover an old family secret. As the summer reaches its peak and the island storms begin, Clara's memory starts to return and she must finally face the truth of what happened last year. About This Edition ISBN:

Getten lures readers in. Readers occupy pretty much the same position as the island kids, puzzling over clues and gossip but unable to pry out the truth.”— The Bulletin, Starred Review Shortlisted for the UKLA Book Award 2022 ages 7-10 | October 2020 Debut of the Month | Shortlisted for the 2021 Branford Boase Award I love that the book was told from Clara’s perspective, it brought to life her inner thinking and personality. I loved how perceptive Clara was in talking us on this journey. Something happened last summer – something big – but Clara cannot remember what. She’s fallen out with her best friend Gaynah because of it, and Clara feels like she’s a problem that everyone is trying to fix.

LoveReading4Kids Says

Despite these unsettling mysteries, the superbly-evoked Sycamore Hill is a steady kind of place. In Clara’s words, “You live and you die here. No one leaves and no one new comes in. Sometimes that’s a good thing because you know everyone, and everyone knows you. Other times you get tired of seeing the same faces and want something new.” And then something new happens in the form of Rudy, a cool, confident girl from Britain who turns out to be Ms Gee’s granddaughter. At Rudy’s arrival, “the entire village is buzzing. This is the most excitement we have ever had,” and it’s not long before the girls strike up a beautiful bond. Soon enough, Clara is enjoying escapades her parents wouldn’t entirely approve of because “there is something magnetic about Rudy and her adventures.” I am generally not a middle school book reader but when I read the blurb, saw the gorgeous cover and the title was enough to send me reading Kereen Getten’s debut novel. When Clara finally confronts her memories of the summer before and we find out what happened, I really wasn't expecting the big reveal that we got and I was blown away, I'm pretty sure my mouth actually dropped. But what surprised me the most, was the supernatural element in this book. I thought that it was a contemporary but apparently it also has people who can see ghosts? I also really liked the small town feels we get in this book. All the friends know each other, and everyone knows everyone’s business. And just like in a small town, while everything seems deceptively out in the open, there are more secrets being kept here than we first believe.