I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a book about a girl who deals with hardships by escaping to an imaginary world. I liked the character, Hannah. The book is sort of heavy.

THere is no shortage of stories out there for middle graders about dealing with bullying, so I have to applaud any author who finds a new approach even if that approach doesn't really work for me. Honestly, I found the "talking to random objects' schtick just a bit too weird. I did like that we saw different kinds of bullying, different reasons, how a once nice kid can turn mean. But I also found those motivations and resolutions drastically over simplified.

“Nobody likes Hannah.” Who would write such a note? Hannah studies her classmates in an attempt to figure it out, but discovers much more instead. Everyone is dealing with problems, including Hannah, who is worried about all the fights her parents have having at home. So is it any wonder that she turns to Ambrose, her stuffed elephant, for comfort and advice? And is it any wonder that he responds?

Such an interesting story about a complex girl. Hannah’s insight and empathy toward others is special as she tries to understand the perspectives of others and why they act the way they do. "Maybe Violet Beauregarde had a hard time at school. Maybe Mike Teavee's dad was never home. We only see what people want us to see. We are all unreliable narrators."

The story sensitively deals with bullying, friendship and how a child copes with her parents fighting. In some ways, this took me back years to my own school days yet in other horrifying ones, it reminds me that today’s students live in a world I could not have imagined. I never had school lockdown drills nor counselors so highly trained in dealing with children’s emotional crises.

I enjoyed the imaginatively told story which includes some unique points of view and a heroine who finds her way with a little help from some unusual sources. B

It's hard for me to sum up why this book spoke to me so strongly. Let me start by saying that if you have a lower school kid in your life, buy them this book.

Hannah is the heroine of the story and she loves words and spelling and notices things. Hannah notices how people act, feel and what is happening around her - also, Hannah can't forget things. So, Hannah carries in her head the awful and the good that happened over the last few years. She tries to navigate the politics and friendships of lower school. Sometimes she succeeds but many times Hannah is left heartbroken and lonely.

When we read about Hannah and her experiences in school and at home, we're given a chance to open up and acknowledge that we've thought and felt some of the things that scare Hannah and occupy her thoughts, that we sometimes still feel this way. Worrying about friendship and whether it will be true, honest, etc. is something that I still feel in middle age!

If This Were a Story introduces us to one of the most endearing, accessible young characters. This book will open the door for conversations about school, friendships, rivalry, loyalty, bullying, being sad and being true to yourself.

I really loved the book cover, this was the first thing that interested me about Turley's new release, If This Were a Story. Hannah is a very complex character with a lot of emotional issues going on. It can be a difficult read at times, but I think tweens will really relate and appreciate this story.