Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book. Unfortunately it’s not for me. Did not finish @ 15%

There have been moments of great loss in my family; my brother committed suicide at 19, and we lost our first daughter when she was born premature and only lived six days in the NICU. Those deaths shook me -- for months, even years, they were only a thought away at every moment, and my emotions were close to the surface. I was fragile, but I was fortunate enough to have people around me that supported me through those losses and gave me space and time to process them.

Planet Grief by Monique Polak is a thoughtful treatment on grief. This children's chapter book is structured with alternating chapters from the perspective of the two main characters, one female, one male, with both teenagers processing losses in their family. They are brought to a weekend grief retreat and respond hesitantly at first.

Christopher lost his dad two years ago, Abby lost her mother two months previous. As they learn the stories of their peers and submit to the exercises of the grief facilitator, they begin to heal.

The lessons I learned through grieving come through time and again in Planet Grief. Lamenting over the hurtful things people say, learning who sticks by you and who keeps you at arm's length, understanding that grief looks different for everyone, processing thoughts of shame or guilt when the death was unexpected, and on and on. It is clear the author drew on the experiences and research of grief.

I appreciated the true, accurate portrayals contained in this book. At times the execution kept me from fully engaging (characters seem more like types than individuals), but I could see myself purchasing this title for a younger loved one beginning their own journey after a loss close to them.

(I received a digital ARC from NetGalley and Orca Book Publishers in exchange for my honest review.)

4.5 stars. An excellent exploration of grief for a middle grade audience. Touching and emotional. The kids' thoughts and feelings about the grief retreat and about their losses are authentic and believable. There is a place for this in every classroom or school library. This can give kids who have lost a family member a book that could make them feel known and understood. And for the other kids it can help them develop empathy and compassion for those who have experienced loss. Highly recommend.

A well written novel that deals with delicate subjects and storylines. Very realistic which gives the reader a lot to ponder.

Grief eats at your heart. It follows you around, and jumps out to remind you of what you have lost. You want to call the person who has died, to tell them something, but they are no longer there.

This book is about a work shop, for young adults, on how to deal with grief. The story is told by the two protagonists, Abby and Christopher. Each has had an overwhelming death, Abby, her mother, and Christopher, her father. There is also Jessie, who appears to have lost both her parents, but here are clues that there is something she isn’t saying.

This is probably a good book for those who are going through grief. But, I had some problems with it. For one, Christopher and Abby both have the same way of talking, the same voice, and I had to keep checking to see who was telling the story.

The other problem I had was I did not get engaged with both. I didn’t end up crying my eyes out, the way I would have thought I would have with a book about grief.

Good story, other than that. Good resolutions.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.