When Brie turns twelve, she is gifted a series of letters from her mother, who died three years before. The letters lead her, her family, and her friends, on a treasure hunt that's all about family, sharing secrets, and growing up.

This book is very short and sweet. Brie struggles with her dad working more since her mum died, with feeling like he doesn't care anymore. Her mother's letters give them a chance to form bonds again, and it's quietly emotional in watching them try without understanding quite what the other needs.

The characters in this book are fun and vibrant - I particularly liked Nana! You can tell they all love Brie, but that they don't always know how to help her in that awkward tween stage, with grief or with family.

I would have loved for this book to be a little longer, to get a bit more of a chance to be shown the relationship between Brie and her Dad, but the framework of the letters does work well in giving the story starts and ends. For a younger, middle grade reader, this would be a something brief but exciting.

It’s Brie’s 12th birthday and she’s hoping for a new phone. She would also like her Dad to stay home from work to celebrate with her. Since her Mum died of cancer 3 years earlier, all her Dad seems to do is work to avoid spending time with Brie who feels he’s not interested.
Despite her uncle phoning her Dad he says he can’t leave work, so it’s left to Auntie Elsa to pass Brie a box left for her by her late Mum to be opened on her 12th birthday. Inside are 3 letters. One to be opened immediately, then another telling Brie to ask her Dad to take her to the ‘land of fairy tales’. Brie is convinced this was her Grandad’s house - a house of colour and dreams some 3 hours away. But despite asking her Dad and telling him it was her Mother’s wish Dad maintains he can’t have time off work.
With the help of her best friends Femi and Smiley Brie prepares a banner and an argument listing the reasons she should go.
Brie’s loss is immense, intensified by thoughts that she is a disappointment to her Dad in the one thing he seems to worry about - her school reports.
It takes a while for both of them to open up to one another and start to communicate and understand one another.

I'm not sure that I completely understand the term 'quiet book' but if it describes a book whose action is more in the changing mind and emotions of the main character rather than a fast moving plot then that is definitely the way to describe If You Read This. Once again Kereen Getten has managed to create an authentic and moving portrayal of a young person on that cusp between childhood and adolescence, filled with realistic friends and relationships and struggling with the biggest questions of all. The grief at the loss of Brie's mother is at the heart of this book but there's grief at the loss of her Father because of his grief as well and also a much more subtle point about the realisation that our parents are people. People who were once the same age that we are with similar hopes, dreams and problems. People who get things wrong and mess things up when they're trying their best to do otherwise and people who can be embarrassing and disappointing at times and who let us down because they have their own issues going on, although this doesn't reflect on their love for us or for our love for them. Readers of Rebecca Stead, Sarah Pennypacker and Karen Foxlee will love this book and it's an important addition to a growing group of sensitive, subtle titles for young people.

This book deals with loss and grief and how to come in terms with it. Part melancholic, part courageous, I was totally immersed into it beautiful and heart rendering story. Couldn't put it out of my mind even after I finished it within a short period of time.

I loved this book. I read it in one sitting. It gave me P.S. I love you vibes but with a very different twist. I was so intrigued by the letters left by Brie's mum and it was bitter sweet to see how her relationship with her mum developed even after her mum's death. I think it was also important to see how her relationship with her father and the other members of her family changed over the course of the book. I would highly recommend this book to the children in my school and will definitely be purchasing it to put into our book corners.

It's Brie's twelfth birthday and she is conscious of the fact that, for the third year, her mum is not there to celebrate. Her mama always made life special, including treasure hunts, going on adventures together, and also leaving a breakfast menu under her door the night before her birthday. Since her mama's death, Brie has been leaving her breakfast menu request under her Nana's door; however this morning, she can't smell anything so heads to investigate. Her nana is quick to persuade her into a frilly pink dress before ushering her into the back garden where her family and friends are waiting for her. In fact, everyone is there except her papa who is at work ... again. Amongst the presents, there is one from her mama: a small box containing three letters with clues for one final treasure hunt that will lead her to a very special place.

I was incredibly excited about reading If You Read Me, having loved When Life Gives You Mangoes (anybody in school will tell you that and I've made no secret about the 'Mango' chats we've had) and I wasn't disappointed! Set in Jamaica, the warmth of the island radiates off the pages and the adventure Brie has is both powerful and moving in equal measure. I sobbed and smiled my way through the book and the ending ... well, it's safe to say I hugged the book!
Brie is a wonderful main character who is clearly trying to find her way in the world without her mama who she was obviously very close to. we get hints of her mama's larger than life character which I think is more evident as she feels that her father has forgotten about her, prioritising his work over his daughter. He comes across as distant and removed, an outsider even when Mama was alive and still that way even though his daughter needs him. Although Brie doesn't always get things right, she is a strong character and we see some of her mama's feistiness as the book progresses. The treasure hunt gives her one last adventure with her mama and something she will remember forever.

Brim was the other character I loved. The sound of his house made me love him before I'd even met him; a place that was built with love and obviously holds special memories for Brie and her family. When we meet Brim, he appears to be suffering from Alzheimer's and has been moved into a home but obviously isn't happy. I particularly liked his conversations with the girls when he felt they were talking over him - he may be forgetting things but he was determined not to be ignored! The relationship between Brie and Brim is a special one.

Don't be fooled by the size of this book. At 192 pages, If You Read Me is short but perfectly formed and I was surprised (why should I have been?) by how much Getten manages to cram into the pages (and how beautifully she writes). There's a warmth and tenderness to this book which explores grief in a sensitive way; the death of a parent, especially for a child, is an incredibly difficult thing to deal with and this book does it so well. Emotional, loving, heart-breaking and heart-warming, If You Read Me is a story of hope as well as remembering; it's a story of family and friendship, of coping with grief and learning how to live again. I adored When Life Gives You Mangoes and I love If You Read Me just as much - Kereen Getten is quickly becoming a writer with an exceptional talent for creating warm, thought-provoking books that will stay with you long after you've finished the final page and I can't wait to see what's next!

If You Read Me is due for release on the 1st September.

Thank you to Pushkin Children's Books and NetGalley for an advance reader copy of this book.

Kereen Getten has absolutely smashed it yet again with her newest, remarkable coming of age middle grade, If You Read This.

Unlike her previous book When Life Gives You Mangoes, this book is very linear and interesting to follow. You just find yourself dying to know what's going to happen next in this mystery type adventure following Brie's journey of self discovery. I'm so glad I was given the chance to read this book, and I seriously can't wait to see what Kereen Getten releases next.

I am so thankful to have gotten a proof copy of this book, thank's to Netgalley and the publisher Delacorte Press.
It tells the story of Brie, a young jamaican girl who is still very much trying to navigate her life without her mother who passed away a few years prior. As her 12th birthday comes up she receives a box full of notes, left by her mother that will soon lead her on one last mother/daughter adventure.
It was enchanting, discovering Brie's life, her country (which felt so vibrant). She's such a feisty and fun character even if she's still experiencing deep bouts of grief and as someone who lost a parent around that age, she felt very realistic. I think this book could maybe help a child in the same position to try and see things in a broader way and to open up to others about their pain and share that burden of growing up with less guidance and love than you were used to.

Overall a very warm book, that also highlights the importance of community and tolerance. Gorgeous!

If You Read This is a deeply moving and poignant coming-of-age tale by Kereen Getten, Dealing with themes of grief and loss, this story takes the reader on a journey of self-discovery alongside the protagonist, Brie, as she receives letters from her lost mother.

While If You Read This is very different to When Life Gives You Mangoes, there are clear similarities between the two. Not in storyline, but in the depth of characterisation, the rich depiction of life in the Caribbean and the intermingling of colloquialisms to enrich the language.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC - this book would be perfect for Year 6 bookshelves and beyond.

I loved this book so much. The characters were so vivid. I could visualise them all. This story deals with grief and family relationships so well.

This was such a beautifully written book that I couldn't put down, I read it in one very short sitting. It was a heart-wrenching read but also full of hope and courage. A very important book for chuildren especially those that have lost someone and are finsing it hard. A really good book