An enjoyable sampler that gives a good impression and makes me want to read on. Will have to check the book out in full.

This sampler was so sweet. It was such a beautiful start to a book which I was left wanting more.
Nothing negative at all

.I couldn;t out this down.

If you have read Water for Elephants (it's not similar) but I got that vibe of neccesity and need and urgency.

iF AS AN ADULT IT WAS THIS EASY TO ENJOY A MIDDLE GRADE/ya BOOK THEN IT WAS CLEARLY WRITTEN WELL

Although this was a sample I was hooked from the start, i could not wait to finish this.
This book is filled with fairy-tale love, loss and growing up. The characters are so well created and you can identify with each of them as they go through this journey of life.

I want to read the entire book because I loved this sample and the style of writing.
It's one of those books I would have wanted to read as a child.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

don’t usually go for children’s books however, I was drawn to the beautiful cover and the warm, heartfelt and bittersweet blurb. The story is told from two POVs: Sila and Gio Gardino. Sila is a first-generation Turkish-American who lives in Albany, New York with her parents. When her mother is forced to return to her birthplace, she and her father struggle to live without her. Fighting immigration issues, and an empty apartment that was once filled with Sila’s mother’s presence their lives are changed when her father goes to fix an old truck belonging to Mr Gardino.

Gio seems to blossom in Sila’s presence after the death of his wife and together they learn to weather the storm of loneliness. I loved the way we as the reader were able to experience the emotions of the characters. It made them relatable and realistic. You felt as though you were experiencing what they experience without feeling like you were looking from the outside in.

Because this was a sample and not the whole book, I am unable to voice my thoughts on the book as a whole. I would love to read more, to discover what happens to Sila’s mother and if she is finally able to return to her family. The whole time, I just wanted to wrap Sila in a big hug and tell her that everything was going to be okay. Seeing her hurting was hard and I just wanted to make everything better.

This book was so charming. I loved that it touched on the reality of immigration issues, and the way it affects families. It showed that grief can affect others even when the person missing is still living and that companionship can be found in the most unlikely of places.

As a child, I would have devoured this book before displaying it on my bookshelf with pride. This is a great book for advanced young readers and teens and I highly recommend it. Had I had access to the book as a whole, my rating would be higher. However, for the portion, I was given I feel like three stars are fitting.