Gr 3--7--Set in Jamaica, Getten's second novel begins when Brie wakes up on her 12th birthday, her third one since her mother died, ready for a party with all of her loved ones except for her father. Brie just wants to be a normal kid with a new phone; she also craves the attention of her father who is always working. Her big gift turns out to be a box of letters her mother wrote to her before she passed. Brie's mother had a playful spirit, and it carries over into the messages she leaves for Brie--as does her sense that Brie and her father would need a way to repair their bond. Brie and her friends take off on a quest to find the key to a door that will ultimately give her a sense of peace, physically and spiritually. Readers will enjoy all of Getten's characters, several of whom add levity to the hefty subject matter of a parent's death. The strength of the story is in the vibrant community that rises up to support Brie when she acts rashly, knowing ultimately that she is a child mourning her mother and family. Readers who enjoyed Getten's first novel, When Life Gives You Mangos and Suzanne LaFleur's Eight Keys will love this as well. VERDICT A sweet middle grade story where a father and daughter are brought together with the help of their loved ones to figure out their new normal. Recommended for young fiction collections.--Kim Gardner

Before her death three years earlier, Brie's mother had planned a surprise twelfth-birthday adventure for Brie and her father at Brim's Island, Brie's grandfather's house "built into the rocks above the sea, and the hidden caves underneath." Brie and her parents used to spend summers at the house on the Jamaican coast, north of their own home. Brie is thrilled at the thought of the trip but disappointed to learn that her father can't go with her. "I should be used to this now. This isn't new; this is all the time. Papa is rarely around: work is always more important than me." While it's not the same, her aunt and uncle agree to bring Brie and her friends up the coast. Following clues in a letter from Mama, Brie learns that there's a special place in Brim's Island -- a spot that was Mama's secret and that can be hers, too, if she can find it. Mama's letter says Brie's grandfather has the key, but Brim, who's been suffering from memory problems, is in a nursing home and Brie isn't sure he'll "remember my name, never mind knowing where the key to the room is." Getten's (When Life Gives You Mangoes, rev. 1/21) descriptions give readers an authentic feel for the setting, as well as for one girl's experiences of grief and sadness and need for connection. Nicholl Denice Montgomery September/October 2022 p.82(c) Copyright 2022. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

On her 12th birthday, Brie receives a surprise gift from her deceased mother. Brie's mother was full of adventure. She had the loudest laugh. She sang too loudly even when she didn't know the words. She would take Brie on adventures that lasted all day. When cancer took away her energy, her health, and ultimately her life, Brie realized that she would gladly endure the embarrassments of her exuberant mother just to have her back. In the three years since her mother's passing, Brie's Nana has kept the birthday breakfast tradition her Mama started. But on her 12th birthday, something is different. A gift her Mama left her for this birthday contains letters that lead her on an adventure across her Jamaican town to find something that will bring her joy for years to come. Struggling with her father's constant absence and lack of attention, Brie makes do with help from best friends, her Nana, and her aunt and uncle as she solves the puzzle. After many emotional and strategic ups and downs, Brie learns more about her Mama and her Papa and gains a gift that will help her learn more about herself. This delightful coming-of-age story details a transformative experience, pairing vivid characters with an evocative setting and bringing readers on an unforgettable journey. Humorous and touching in its drama and relationships, this story will hold readers' attention and make them care. Dazzling. (Realistic fiction. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

In this lively Jamaica-set adventure, Getten (When Life Gives You Mangos) sensitively depicts one family's struggles with grief and healing. Before her mother's death from cancer three years back, Brie used to celebrate every birthday with a customary breakfast--which she chose from a list of items that included plantains, ackee and saltfish, and porridge--and island-traipsing treasure hunts assembled by her mother. Her grandmother continued the breakfast tradition, and the excursions stopped, but on her 12th birthday, Brie's father gives her a box of letters written by her mother before her death. The first note urges Brie and Papa, with whom she has a strained relationship, to visit Brim's island, where Brie's maternal grandfather lived. But Brie's hopes of mending their relationship wither when Papa chooses to work instead of accompanying her. Heartbroken but determined to honor her mother, Brie continues her adventure, yet she longs for the way things were when her mother was alive. In this tightly plotted love letter to Jamaica, Getten tenderly emphasizes treasuring loved ones while they're still around and carrying memories after they're gone. Ages 8--12. Agent: Alice Sutherland-Hawes, ASH Literary. (Aug.)