A very good and accomplished debut novel. Camilla died in an accident. Juniper her younger sister, cannot let go. She has to know the final secret her sister kept from her. A love letter only addressed to 'you' and Juniper is determined to find out who 'you' is. Along the way, she finds people and places that draw her into the world she didn't know. Through tears and laughter, pain and sorrow, she finally understands what it is to love and to finally let go. Recommended.

Engaging heroine faces her guilt & grief with an offbeat humour that prevents it from becoming mawkish. Clever, funny, poignant & with a very appealing bad boy to boot - it's well worth having.

The premise of this book sounded so interesting. I read the blurb and it captured my attention straight away. I also loved the idea of the happiness index cards and I've even started doing them myself so I can start concentrating on the positives of days instead of the negatives! 

Sixty-five days after the death of her older sister, sixteen-year-old Juniper Lemon discovers the break-up letter addressed to “You” Camilla wrote the day she died. Juni is shocked—she knew nothing of this You, and now the gaping hole in her life that was her sister feels that much bigger. She’s determined to uncover the identity of You and deliver the letter. Maybe that would help fill the hole, even if only a bit.

But what Juniper doesn’t expect is that in searching for You she will unearth other notes and secrets—and that may be just what she needs to sort out her own mess.
I fell in love with each and every character as soon as they were introduced. There's the bad boy next door trope but what I loved, is that Israel turned the trope round on its head and added so much more development to the character. I also loved how Israel conveyed the issue of grief and how Juniper deals with it but also how she embraces it and accepts that the grief is always going to be a part of her. Although some of Junipers actions in certain situations were wrong (and she was called out on it in the end!) I can understand where she was coming from and why she did those certain things. The character of Juniper had such a huge character arc and I was so proud of her at the end of the book; I wanted to cry!

One of the things that I didn't like about this novel was that we never actually find out who You is. I know the reason why the author didn't reveal it (the reason is given at the end of the book) but I just really wanted to know who it was and I finished the book feeling like it was incomplete because of it. However, it only took away a little bit of the reading experience for me.



"Pain... is like the good times: something that comes and goes. There's nothing you can do about that. The important thing... is to live each moment for what it is."

- Julie Israel, Juniper Lemons Happiness Index

 
The plot itself was very intriguing. I was kept on the edge of my seat all of the way through and it was brilliant how little snippets of information about each of the characters was revealed at different intervals of the book. We find out some of the characters secrets and it just made me love them even more!

Overall, I really did enjoy reading this book. Apart from not finding out who You is, this book was very fulfilling and I can't wait to own the finished copy!

Warning: contains triggers for death, depression and abuse. 

Disclaimer: this book was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Juniper Lemon’s Happiness Index is a look into death and how a person deals with the absence that person has left. It deals with how grief can be different from person to person, how it affects a family and how it takes over your whole life. Most importantly, it deals with getting past that grief and being able to move on with life again.

Julie Israel’s writing style is simple and easy to read. There is enough heart-wrenching detail that, in the hardest moments of the plot, you feel it in your chest but it doesn’t overwhelm you. I read through the book quite quickly because everything flowed nicely from one point to the other, and there wasn’t anything that took away from the point of the story.

It's about time YA contemporary feels this fresh. Juniper Lemon's Happiness Index is a smart, funny, well-written story with a beautiful take on loss, grief, and coping mechanisms. The characters in the novel are dealing with the death of Juniper's sister. It ends up being very poignant without feeling depressing or sad. The story is a fairly quick read with a unique structure. There is everything from grief, friendship, family, and love to mystery, drama, and secrets. This could be a very perfect summer read. Highly recommend everyone check this one out!

I am a massive YA fan - even though I am 28 - and I have read a lot of mediocre titles in this genre. This book is certainly not mediocre. It is fantastic! The characters are well drawn and engaging, the story moves along at a good pace and I couldn't put it down. I read it in 24 hours! If you're looking for a summer read that explores grief, love & friendship then pick this book up. I highly recommend it!

Juniper Lemon may have an unusual name, but she's a pretty average teenager. This instantly makes her likeable, and her situation means we want things to go positively for her.
A sweet exploration of friendship and coming to terms with who you are. Juniper is lost at the start, and Israel depicts the family dynamics in the face of a tragic loss well. I loved how, slowly, we got to watch Juniper re-engage with the world around her and even in grief there were funny moments.

Juniper recently lost her sister, and now all she can see is reminders of her sisters life - even her friends at school are a constant reminder. But when Juniper finds a letter simply addressed to "You" it sets her on a path riddled with secrets which might shed a little more light on her sisters life. Because Juniper must find out the identity of the person her sister needed to message so badly, and maybe if she can this might make things just a little more bareable for Juniper too.

This book cleverly deals with loss. I particularly like how the author captures the almost obsessive behaviour grief often brings out in people (Juniper has a Happiness Index which helps her cope), but even more so how well they show that grief manifests differently for everyone. This is an important book for young people, or anyone really, feeling the struggle. I also really like some of the themes throughout - there are so many little secrets, twists and turns within this book; I mean the whole concept is based on a mysterious person! But the eventual conclusion ties all of those secrets up so well.

I did find Juniper quite random. She is hilarious as a narrator, but also quite erratic. I couldn't ever decide if this was an utterly brilliant way of capturing someone's inner thoughts or just a bit confusing - but I liked it I think!

Overall, a good read which intelligently deals with love and loss. It is relatively predictable, but you won't care because you'll be hooked on Juniper before you even notice!

Juniper Lemon’s Happiness Index is a moving YA novel about loss and friendship, about having secrets and knowing what to do with other people’s. Juniper Lemon is lost without her older sister Camilla. She writes a daily Happiness Index in her sister’s memory and doesn’t know how to get through to her grieving parents. When she discovers a mysterious letter written by her sister to “You” on the day of her death, Juniper starts on a path to try and solve this mystery, protect her own secrets, and find a way of keeping Camilla close as the days keep going on.

The novel has a vibrant cast of characters, following Juniper as she makes new friends and deals with old relationships in the light of recent tragedy. The way in which Juniper realises she has brought people together around her is particularly powerful and leaves a lasting message about the importance of connecting with other people even—and especially—when terrible things have occurred. The mysteries and secrets unfold in a satisfying way whilst all being relatable issues and ideas to a teenage audience and there is a wealth of understated detail, but it is the characters who really shine through and their emotions are what makes the book important. In particular, the highlighting of different points of view—how thinking you’re helping somebody might not actually be the help they need, for example—is significant, showing how Juniper’s actions are well-meaning but can have negative consequences too.

Uplifting yet not cloying, Juniper Lemon’s Happiness Index will appeal to anyone who enjoys YA books that balance friendship, love, and serious issues, with a tinge of mystery and ambiguity.

I loved this book. I didn't want to put it down, I just wanted to know what was going to happen next. It's easily one of my favourite books I've read this year.

After losing her sister, Juniper is finding it hard to face certain people at her school, Lauren and Camilla were friends and then there's Heather and Kody too.

When she uses Camilla's bag and finds a letter addressed to a boyfriend or girlfriend Camilla had, Juniper takes it upon herself to find out just what her sister was keeping from her.

Frustrated at herself for not saving her sister and seeing flashbacks to the July 4/5 accident where Camilla was driving and filming at the same time resulting in the car crash accident which killed her, Brand sees her smash up the ceramics department and helps her by taking the detention punishment and helps Juniper dumpster dive for her lost index card from her collection of past events.

Juniper spends the course of the book trying to piece together the life her sister kept hidden from her and along the way finds out secrets of her closest friends which wrecks and repairs relationships.

The unique part of the book aside from the mystery romance her sister his from her, is the fact that she keeps a physical record of the most important memories from set days in a modern day where we mostly rely on technology, I liked that. It was also a promise she made to her sister she continued despite her being gone. Which shows her loyalty and connection is still strong.

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!