This is a story of previous trauma and how it affects the main character of Clara. Set in a sunny seaside village in Jamaica, it was refreshing to read a story set somewhere that isn't the UK or the US, and I loved how the descriptions made it to easy to imagine everything about the places Clara lives. There's a mystery element that kept my hooked, and I definitely wasn't expecting such a twist! An emotional and tense book that's perfect for middle grade readers.

This was a very well written book and a great story.
I loved the setting and the community spirit within it The biggest twist was shockingly emotional
The story is easy to read and very interesting

This book fizzles with energy, and characters you want to root for.

Excellent story telling and her language is readable but very descriptive.

I love middle grades that provide another window into a culture different to mine and this is very evocative,

Clara is angry, she struggles as part of her community and stands apart from people after an event that happened a year ago.
This is what I would call a quiet book, not much happens, it's more about the community and how they are divided, but how they quietly help each other out.
It's about being different, being brave and also learning that letting go of the anger will help bring people back together.

One of my favourite books of the year I loved the story and imagery a fabulous read and one that everyone should read

Thanks to Pushkin for my eARC of this. I loved this story, and thought Getten balanced the different themes really well. There are some heavy topics but done incredibly gently. I think Rudy is brilliant and I loved watched their friendship blossom!

This was such a special book. I loved reading it and I found it so engrossing. It's marketed for children but I think it's approachable by anyone. it's really good and I loved It a lot.

Unfortunately, this wasn't my cup of tea. I wasn't pulled into the story at all, and I couldn't relate to the main character. Such a shame, because I really thought it would make for an incredible read.

Unfortunately I had to purchase a new Kindle device and could no longer access this book. I will come back and review when I read my physical copy in the future

This debut novel from @kezywrites is just perfect and such a heartbreaking but lovely read.

Set in Jamaica, it follows 12 year old Clara as she tries to navigate her way through tricky friendships, a controlling community and an unknown accident from the year before.
I loved reading about Clara and her life, I could have read another 100 pages. The book transports you to Jamaica with its beautiful descriptions and it made me go out and buy mangoes!

It is a perfect balance between appearance and reality with the extremely unguessable twist adding to its amazing narrative. A story of love, friendship and all the complexities between them and growing up, I would say it is a must read for any middle grade readers.

I was lucky to receive a Netgalley Arc of Kereen Getten's Middle Grade Novel When Life Gives You Mangoes and published by Pushkin Children's. I had a feeling that I would fall in love with this book and so to support Kereen and buy a physical copy which in the end was the right move. When Life Gives You Mangoes is a stunning Contemporary Middle Grade Novel about a young girl called Clara who lived in Sycamore who can't actually remember what happened last summer. All she knows is that her island gets terrible storms in the summer and can remember everything else but not what happened last summer. This was such a mesmerizing book and as a reader you could really feel for Clara and her situation and this was due to Kereen's beautiful writing and it made me cry a lot during reading it. And the twist was so gobsmackingly good and a powerful one too so for all these reasons I had to give 5 stars.

This is an excellent book that really lets you into the mind of its narrator. You can feel her frustrations and fears, and you can't get help but get thoroughly caught up in the two mysteries - what happened with Clara's uncle in the past, and what has Clara 'forgotten' about last summer?
I loved how realistic Clara's young emotions are, and the wonderfully described setting really adds to the mood and feeling of heat and tension. I was impressed to see such deep and dark issues addressed, as well as such a shocking twist, in a book aimed at a younger readership.
I rate this book so highly I've added it to our Year 8 form time reads lists for next year!

I read this book in one sitting as I was gripped and wanted to find out what was happening. I found the setting of the book to be described beautifully. I found the twist of the book to be similar to a previous novel I had read but I enjoyed the way this was explored differently.

this is one of the best MG books I've read in a while!
Kereen Getten, tells the story of 12-year old Clara, who lives in Sycamore, Jamaica.
Clara loves living on her island, and enjoys her life, but she can't remember what happened last summer, and why she's so afraid of surfing, even though she used to love it.
This was an emotional novel that is a must-reads for children an adults alike!

That twist!! This was a beautiful, brilliant novel that I couldn't put down! Clara is a w0nderful character who really embodies childhood, and her relationships in this novel are beautiful and real.

But honestly - THAT TWIST!!

Ohh this book was so wonderful! It was beautifully written and the characters was realistic and loveable. Would definitely recommend!

I absolutely loved this book right from the start! It casts an intriguing spell over the reader, introducing us to Clara's tiny hometown in Jamaica and her struggles with her lost memories from the previous summer - what happened to her? And why is her best friend so horrible to her about it? This book is packed with wonderfully drawn characters and subtle messages about superstition, judging others, the cost of blame and guilt, and what it means to forgive not only others but yourself. It's a fast paced read with a tough emotional heart and a twist that will want to me ke you reread it immediately. It's a treasure of a book and perfect for UKS2 and KS3.

A stunning, assured debut.
Full of atmosphere and character, and a real heart-stopping moment.
I kept thinking of Rudy and Clara long after I closed the final pages.
Kereen! I need your next book!!

Emma Perry
Picture book author and founder of MyBookCorner

This middle-grade contemporary novel was just the quick read that I needed this week. Kereen Getten is a Jamaican Author from England and I adored the glimpse of her culture that we got in this debut novel of hers.
This story has everything that you'll need from a middle-grade novel. Friendships, mistakes, fights, learnings, adventures, and yes family bonding!
It's a short and sweet novel probably more suitable for a summer read than in these chilly times, but that's more my fault than the book's as I waited so long to read this wonderful ARC.

I liked the story. And the twist in the last part of the story? Woah! Didn't expect that at all! The twist was pretty cool and made the story that much more interesting.

One of the reasons I am not giving this a full 5 ⭐s is because of a trope that I don't subscribe to, i.e. mean or salty people turning into understanding, considerate people overnight! Nope, that's not realistic or true. Intrinsically grumpy people might monitor their actions to suit the situations but they don't turn into different people overnight! This book has that kind of an unrealistic portrayal of a few characters which didn't work for me.

Also, the way mental health representation was handled in this book felt a little bit icky to me. If my child is sick I probably won't wait around for the sickness to pass, will I give her time to heal? Yes, but will I also try my best to get her help in whichever way I could? You bet I will! That intent was missing from this story, and it didn't sit well with me.
But, overall this story was good and definitely deserves a one-time read at the least. The twist near the end especially made me want to re-read the whole thing again!

RRKReads rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
RRKReads Reading Sentiment: Borrow grade - Book worth borrowing from the library or trading with friends.

One of my favourite books of 2020. Beautifully written and ingeniously plotted. I wish there were more books like this for this age group. I would say one of the reasons it’s been so successful here (when we were open for browsing) is the cover, Because the girl on the cover looks slightly older, readers (particularly girls) respond really positively to it, it’s an aspirational cover (it helps that she’s also happy). It’s an incredibly clever design and, again, I wish there were more books for the 11-13 demographic that were designed with their readers in mind. It’s a real joy to sell this book.