I received an ARC through NetGalley for an honest review.

This is a bizarre and magical story about relationships, magical creatures, imagination, and tangerines.

Told from the perspective of ten year old Gilly, alongside her best friend Oggy, this is an utterly enchanting, joyously lyrical, and uniquely inspired odyssey of what it's like trying to understand and relate to the unfathomably big concepts of love and loss when you are small and filled with wonder.

Beautiful stuff!

This is the most existential 10-year-old I've ever met. In all seriousness, it was so interesting to see this small village in the forest and all of its creatures and happenings through the eyes of Gilly. Having the book be her diary entries and what goes through her head when writing was really fun to read, if not a little messy and all over the place, which is to be expected when a 10-year-old is your main character. The narrator's voice was such a good fit for the character that I created in my head, and the pacing and tone were perfect. I enjoyed the adventurous aspect of the book and can see how this can be a favourite for some kiddies out there. A very interesting perspective and representation of some mental health aspects of some of the characters. Overall, this was a fun, whimsical and cute read, but it's not 100% my cup of tea.

I liked the way this book was written because it felt very authentic. The short, sometimes disconnected, thoughts felt realistic for a child's diary. I liked Gilly's relationship with Oggy and her misunderstandings of the other people around her. The description of the setting was fanciful and the animals in the forest sounded like fairytale creatures. I didn't realize this was part of a series but I'm interested in checking out the rest!

At first, Tangerines seems like a simple story told through a child’s eyes—but there’s a lot more going on under the surface. Gilly’s confusion and emotional messiness feel painfully real, especially as the adults around her dodge the truth. It’s frustrating, but also the point. The writing is sparse, sometimes poetic, and Casey Montgomery’s narration really sells Gilly’s vulnerability without overdoing it. The audiobook can feel a bit scattered, especially if you’re not listening in long stretches, but the emotional weight sneaks up on you. It’s quiet, sad, and surprisingly impactful—especially in hindsight. A thoughtful, layered listen. I personally found it quite poignant and hard to listen in places having recently lost my father.

Tangerines, this little cute book about a 10 year old girl who really wants to talk to her dad about important questions, like where are you and why havent you visited me in all these years?
Meanwhile she spents lots of evenings with her tangerines tree and her good bff, she dreams of being a writer thus everything she lives she writes it down in her journal, which we are currently reading.
It sounds so sweet, and actually I was pretty excited to read, well listen to this audiobook, but honestly I found it pretty boring, storywise, because although it felt like having a 12 year old telling you stories, kudos for the narrator that was a super impressive narration by the way, and the prose felt like that as well, it was an enjoyable experience, but the story fell kind of flat for me at least, just like slice of life journal, so even with everything good this book has, I wouldn't recommend it.
Thanks to Netgalley and the author for providing me a copie of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I selected this book because of the attractive cover and interesting description, but I didn't particularly enjoy it and finished listening to the audiobook at a faster speed.

The narrator's performance was good.

I can see how many people might enjoy it. It is very imaginative and the voice seems authentic, as if really was written by a ten year old. Would I recommend it to my students of that age? I don't know.

Gilly is a ten-year old with a creative soul. She lives on the edge of a forest inviting her imagination to soar. Her best way to embrace the stories is to journal everything in her diary. From her friendship with Oggy to looking for her dad, Gilly cannot seem to find her quiet. Her emotions are all over the place and writing her feelings helps to calm her mind and see clearer.

Listening to this book was difficult for me. It proclaims that it was written as a ten-year old, but to me, the randomness and lack of realism made it feel like a brain dump. Many of the ‘facts’ written in the journal are just wrong, and as an adult, I can discern the truth; however, reading it as a child, there are so many misconceptions which are passed as truths that children just wouldn’t know. The innocence of reading it from a child’s perspective is sweet, but it was really hard for me to follow, from monkeys at the wedding to tangerine juice having healing properties. It may have been more engaging if I were reading and seeing the diary aspect of it, but overall, it was a really hard book to follow and enjoy.

This story was told from the perspective of a 10-year-old girl. The writing was very whimsical and very childlike. This deals with serious topics such as; mental health the thoughts of a parent having an affair, loneliness, and bullying. The concept was interesting and done well.
I would recommend this for a higher level Elementary school student. I’m not sure that younger students would understand all the symbolism or how the character resolved her issues towards the end without some guidance from an adult or a better understanding of grief, mental health, and loneliness. Thank you to Net Galley for the audiobook arc in exchange for an honest review.

Gilly and Oggy are fast friends who live in the forest. Gilly lives with her mother because her father left many years ago. She longs for him and imagines their reunion. She has a secret plan for that...

This book touches on the theme of neurodivergence and I really wanted to like it. Unfortunately the scattered storytelling style just didn't work for me.

I have no doubt that there are many other readers who will find it appealing though, consider checking it out if the description appeals to you.

This meandering short and sweet diary-format novel falls somewhere halfway between Barbara Newhall Follett’s seminal book, 'The House Without Windows', and something like ‘The Snow Child’ by Eowyn Ivey.

I’m having difficulty identifying a reading age for it, though. Thematically, Jolles presents an adult readership with an insightful exploration of neurodivergent experience. He also investigates children’s perspective on loss, viewed through the lens of innocence and optimism, and he depicts childish confusion with subtlety and sensitivity. But for a younger readership? Given that the general rule for young readers is that main characters should be a year or two years older than the target reader, I’m not sure that a ten-year-old’s point-of-view is going to resonate with the majority of Middle Grade readers, and certainly not YA. For instance, Oggy provides a nice foil for Gilly’s character, but his contrariness is tiresome and blunts any dramatic impact.

However, Tsvi Jolles offers readers some really marvellous (in the literal sense of the word) descriptions here, and encountered many moments of remarkably creative language as well as intense emotional insight:

'Stars are like all the places we want to go and all the things we wish we had but don't. They're so far away, just hanging in the sky, teasing us.'

I listened to the audiobook of ‘Tangerines’ all in one go and I found Casey Montgomery’s narration an absolute joy; she is exceptional. I was sure I’d heard her narrate other audiobooks, but none of her credits are novels that I know! There wasn’t a moment she didn’t hold my attention, as she pitched the voice just right for the narrator's age, and also paced the performance flawlessly for the symbolism-dense prose.

My thanks to Brave Fawn Books, and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op for the audio ARC.

When I realized I got the audiobook of a ten-year-old rambling about anything, I seriously thought about DNFing without even starting... and that would have been a HUGE mistake.
It is amazing to listen to how this little girl thinks about the world around her and the things that happen to her and her family.
It's a short audiobook, but I could have listened to her for hours without complaining.
I would love it if the author and narrator team up for other collaborations.

This story is told in the imaginative, creative style of a ten year old girl writing in her diary. There are so many things our narrator, Gilly, experiences that we, the readers, may understand a bit better than she does. However, as we are experiencing it all through the fantastical, magical lens of a ten year old girl, we also aren't fully aware of what the reality of these experiences may be. This made for a fascinating and immersive read, as it could be interpreted in multiple ways. The narrator did a wonderful job of portraying how innocent, yet somehow certain of everything Gilly is. This story is definitely worth a reread to try and see if a second listen can help the reader to absorb more and learn more.

Overall, I have many theories floating around about the circumstances surrounding Gilly and her friends and family. I really enjoyed this book and much like Gilly's pencils, I feel my brain needs a break, so that it can be full of brand new ideas about this story.

This was REALLY short, I enjoyed it but it wasn't quite anything particularly special. I give this a 3 it was fun and good overall, the writing was well-done and the story was interesting but it wasn't entirely my thing.

Overall this book is really cute...I feel like it is better geared towards slightly older kids, maybe middle school and up only because some things are hinted at but never fully explained. So *if* your kid comes to you with questions it would be easier to answer for an older child.

I enjoyed this book for what it was, but was a little disappointed with the ending as things weren't really explained fully and I feel like I still have questions left unanswered. I loved the characters of Oggy and Gilly though sometimes they felt slightly younger than the age they were depicted. I love that it is told from Gilly's perspective and that the thought process jumps around like that of an actual child. However, with that in mind, it does make some of the aspects of the story a little hard to follow (for example what is going on with her dad).

The only thing I didn't particularly care for in this book was the ending. I feel like it was rushed and just abruptly ended. I wish it was a little more finished, for example did Gilly's mom ever find out what her and Oggy did while she was sleeping? What was her reaction? I'm also a little confused about the fact that it implies she's pregnant but we don't really know by who.....or when that happened?

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me access to listen to this one!

3.5/5

It was so lovely to dip into a child’s thought process through their journal where on its pages they’re free to express the tangential, meandering, creative wandering of their mind. It felt nostalgic. Though my and Gilly’s childhoods were quite different, our imaginative minds were much the same. I loved some of the conclusions she came to, or correlations she would draw that as the reader, we know are not actually related. I enjoyed translating how she would describe things she didn’t understand in her 10-year-old way into my adult brain. This was full of whimsy, creativity, and longing, and the story was more about the exploration of a kid’s imagination and how they interpret the world than about an external plot, and it worked great, but for feeling slow even for a short book. It made a great listen while I kept my hands busy with other tasks. The narrator, Casey Montgomery was the perfect choice. I adored her performance. The story wrapped up nicely, in a way that answered Gilly’s deepest questions, and grounded the story. I’m very glad I read it.

Thank you Tsvi Jolles and Brave Fawn Books for the audio review copy! I leave my review honestly and voluntarily.

Tangerines is a journey through the wandering thoughts is a 10 year old. One idea spilling into the next, full of randomness and wonder. Gilly’s innocent voice makes everything feel big and important, even when she’s just figuring things out as she goes. I particularly liked that it was a mix of imagination, nostalgia, and that wild, free-flowing way kids see the world and how thier minds conjure explanations.

When I started Tangerines, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. At first glance, the story presents itself as a simple narrative from a child’s perspective, but very quickly, I realized that what seems straightforward on the surface holds layers of emotional complexity and quiet heartbreak. Tsvi Jolles crafts a tale that’s filtered through the wide-eyed innocence of Gilly, yet resonates deeply with adult listeners who can read between the lines.

The Story
At its heart, Tangerines is a story about absence, misunderstanding, and emotional processing through a child’s lens. Gilly’s father is gone, and no one will explain why. That silence becomes a breeding ground for confusion, guilt, and wild speculation, exactly the kind of internal chaos a child might feel when left in the dark.
Early on, I found myself frustrated, why wouldn’t the adults in Gilly’s life offer her some age-appropriate truth? The vagueness of the adults’ explanations felt infuriating, even negligent. But as the story progressed, I began to understand that this frustration was part of the book’s emotional strategy. Jolles doesn’t shy away from discomfort; instead, he uses it to reflect the ripple effects of adult decisions and the importance (and consequences) of communication within families.
The writing is spare, observant, and often poetic. Gilly's voice (honest, scattered, and emotionally raw) reminded me of how children often internalize blame for things they don’t understand. There’s an undercurrent of mental health themes here too, especially in the way Gilly seems to veer off-topic and hop between thoughts, perhaps hinting at something deeper, like undiagnosed ADHD or simply the way young minds process trauma.

The Narration
Casey Montgomery’s performance is a standout. Her voice captures Gilly’s childlike vulnerability without ever sounding caricatured or forced. There’s a softness to her delivery that perfectly mirrors the emotional fragility of the protagonist, yet she also maintains enough tonal variation to keep the narrative grounded and engaging.
Montgomery does an excellent job distinguishing characters subtly, which helps the listener stay oriented in a story that often drifts between internal monologue and external observation. The pacing is deliberate and measured, giving you time to sit with Gilly’s feelings rather than rush through them and that works well for this kind of introspective storytelling.

Audiobook Flow & Listening Experience
The flow of the audiobook is smooth, though Gilly’s tendency to jump between topics might feel jarring for some listeners. At times, I found myself briefly disoriented, unsure whether we were in a memory, a present moment, or a daydream. This could be a challenge for those listening in short bursts or while multitasking.
That said, this structure mirrors the mental landscape of a child trying to make sense of something they can’t fully grasp, and in that sense, it feels authentic. I listened in longer stretches, and that made a big difference in staying connected to the emotional thread of the story.

Final Thoughts
Tangerines is not a light listen, but it is a meaningful one. It asks you to sit with discomfort, to question how and when we talk to children about the things that hurt. While I was initially skeptical about its target age group, this feels like a book with more to offer adults than tweens, I can also see the value in older teens or families listening to it together as a conversation starter.
I found myself appreciating this audiobook more in hindsight than I did in the moment. It lingers. It invites reflection.


Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op | Brave Fawn Books for providing me with an Audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op | Brave Fawn Books for providing me with an Audio ARC in exchange for an honest review

These were my immediate thoughts after listening to this audiobook...

The main thing I couldn't get my head round was I just couldn't understand why a 10 year old wasn't given a more substantial explanation for her father's absence. Children being lied to is a massive no-no for me. This lack of communication profoundly affects Gilly and allows her mind to run riot with all the possibilities. I'm not saying she needed a full adult explanation, but her mother should've had an age appropriate conversation with her, to put her mind at rest. It is widely accepted that when parents part ways, the child tends to blame themselves and the impact of unspoken truths on a child's emotional development could be catastrophic.

Then a strange thing happened; I slowly started to change my opinion...

I realised that the way the book made me feel was totally intentional. It was the author's way of showing the consequences adult decisions could potentially have on their children and subsequently showing the importance of open communication within families.

Having said that, I am bemused as to why then this book is apparently aimed at 11-13 year olds (Middle Grade US/lower Secondary School UK). Surely this book should be read by the parents, not the children. After all, it is the adults responsibility to choose what to tell the child, following a break up, not the other way round. So shouldn't this book be read by adults to forewarn them of certain consequences? On the other hand, I feel as though this would also be a fascinating book for older children to study in English Literature (GCSE level UK). There is a lot to get your teeth into. Obviously there is a whole mental health aspect bubbling under the surface that could be explored. But also, things like why is the book entitled Tangerines?

Other thoughts:

I can't fault the narrator, Casey Montgomery. She has a wonderful childlike quality to her voice, which was perfect for the naïve, childish voice of Gilly. Also the cover artwork for this book is beautiful.

Gilly seems to jump between subjects all the time, which left me a bit discombobulated. I thought perhaps she may have ADHD. In my experience, ADHD in girls can present as scattered thoughts and constantly going off topic. I wonder if this in some way was the reason for Gilly's mother feeling as though she shouldn't try and explain the father's absence more adequately.

In retrospect I appreciated 'Tangerines' by Tsvi Jolles far more after I had finished the book, than I did while I was caught up in it. I will therefore be rereading this at some point in the future with a different mindset. I have also upped my rating to 4 stars to reflect this.

#MentalHealth #ParentalAbandonment #YA

I wanted to like this book, but it didn't really work for me. I didn't realize that this was a diary style/ stream of consciousness book, so that threw me off for a little bit. I also was a little confused if this was magical or just a girl with a great imagination.

I will say that Gilly had a great brain to be in for a little while. The book hints of her going through some family stuff, that maybe she doesn't really get and she's trying to navigate through it. There's nothing really spelled out, but I think the adults that may be reading along will get it.

The narrator was the PERFECT Gilly. I forgot I was listening to a book and thought I was listening to a 10 year old girl.

Thank you to Netgallery and the Publishers for the audiobook.

I loved the cover of this book and wanted to read this, I didn't realize how short it was when I started it but I don't think the length really takes away from anything. This book is the "journal" of a 10 year old and so it does kind of go all over the place where she talks about what's happening to her and her friend, trying to get to her dad and any adventures she's on in the forest.

I think as an older adult its not for me but if I was the targeted audience I would like it much better even saying that I did enjoy the book.