The List Of Things That Will Not Change

Bea has always wanted a sister and now that her dad is marrying Jesse, she will get her wish. Bringing two families together is never easy but being gay is an added complication, for some members of the family. This charming story explores Bea’s relationship with her parents, extended family and friends.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a beautiful book. Twice it had me in tears.
It's the story of Bea, who's twelve but is writing about a time when she was ten and her Dad was about to marry his boyfriend. She writes about her relationships with her friends, her longing for a sister and her relationship with her parents. She has therapy. She explores her feelings. It's just lovely. It's the sort of book that I wish had been available when I was ten (I'm 51 now!). I'd have learnt so much that would have stood me in good stead and saved me a lot of heartache in later life. Having said that, it doesn't come across as preachy in the way some books do when they're written to teach something: it's just a lovely story, wonderfully written. .

Well this was just fabulous.

I am really trying to champion diverse representation within middle grade books on my channel and this just ticked all of the boxes!! This was such a positive book about mental health, therapy, feelings, LGBTQ issues, and so much more.

I think the author is spectacularly talented by being able to write about all these serious issues in an easily digestable way for the intended audience. I now want to read ALL of her previous works and anything else she will be writing!

This book was a very quick and wholesome read. We follow Bea a kid whose parents have divorced because her dad is gay. As a coping mechanism she carries around a green notebook where she writes down Things That Will Not Change. Throughout the book, we follow Bea as she learns how to face feelings of anxiety, depression and more as well as learning to adapt to her life changing, since her dad is getting married and she will be having a new sister. One thing I really loved about the book is the portrayal of adults in the book, especially as figures who can help Bea and guide her throughout this whole process. It was a very good read and I would highly recommend it to teachers, and of course middle grade readers.

I would recommend this books for 8-12 years old. It covers themes of parental separation, new relationships (dad marrying his boyfriend) making a new relationship with a new (slightly reluctant) stepsister, old wounds and forgiveness. Homophobia, teasing, bullying, insecurity are all tackled extremely well, taken and explained by the experiences of a ten year old exploring events, feelings in a clear and honest way. Family and child therapy are totally normalised as a way of exploring feelings and how to make sense of, and manage them.
It really is a comprehensive, child friendly exploration of family dynamics and relationships.
Brilliantly accessible for children.
Rebecca Stead is one of my favourite MG writers, and this new book does not disappoint.
Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ahead of publication in exchange for an honest review

Thank you so much to Andersen Press and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

What a heart hitting story, wow was I amazed at this beautiful book. The story is told by Bea our protagonist and is basically her story of her anxiety, her life and how pieces of life change, connect, go wrong, and how your mind deals or doesn’t deal with them. I connected to her and how she was feeling so quickly, it was a beautiful story told in a delicate and beautiful way.

Bea’s parents divorce and her world instantly changes, her “normal” isn’t so normal anymore being split between worlds. She has her list of things that won’t change, the things she can hold onto and add too when she needs it. Her life only continues to change after that and her anxiety grows and grows and only with help from Miriam her therapist can she find ways to cope.

It’s rare to find a story that can completely express how your anxiety can make you feel, one that as you are reading makes you think wow that’s exactly how it is for me too. Everyone is different but some parts of anxiety are the same for any that struggle with it. I loved being able to find my connections with Bea and how she dealt with her mental health in a healthier way too. I also have eczema so I could connect to her that way too.

The story is not just about Bea, but also about her family growing, the world around her changing. Her dad is getting married and she’s so excited about that and cannot wait for a new sister but having her dreams come true doesn’t always make it easy. It takes time, adjustments and hard work to learn how to become a new family.

I really did adore this story, I connected with it, I felt the pain, the anxiety, the love, the guilt, the itchiness, the want and so much more. I loved the character growth, I loved every part of this book. It was told in such a sweet way, so gently, so wonderfully. I love that part of it had me weeping, that it had me wanting to hug characters, I loved being in this world.

I don’t think when I started reading this book I really knew what I was in for, I can honestly say though that it was beautiful, it was heartfelt, it had meaning and life lessons and care and so so much more to offer. It’s a great book that deals with mental health, that deals with new family situations and deals with the messiness of life. It’s a beautiful coming of age, of growth story.