*Thank you NetGalley and publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Oh how I loved this book. It was a roller coaster of emotions for sure. Cassi struggles with who she is and constantly questions herself. Luckily she gets distracted with the Math Olympics and a new boy named Aaron, who has lived in various "tree towns". Cassi goes through various family struggles as the story progresses. This book digs deep into real mental health issues (depression) but addresses it in a middle grade fashion. I think this is great for any kids going through life changes big or small. This will be a great addition to our classroom library!

There's a lot of complexity at play in this novel. The plot combines issues of race, mental illness (especially as it affects the entire family and how race affects our reaction to it), and grief for things we've lost. Grief for significant life changes rather than for death. Add in the base struggles that are a part of life in the preteen years, puberty and the changes in friendships and the beginning of romantic interests, and we have a very complex plot. It could easily be too much for this age group if not carefully handled. It really speaks to Turley's skill as an author that she is able to create a cohesive narrative out of all of those elements. The key is that this remains Cassi's story. The other elements are important only in that they inform Cassi's decision making. They lead her through increasingly poor decision making before she seeks outside help. It's a painfully nice book for kids coping with big changes in their lives.

This book did not hold my attention. It was a chore to finish. I found myself putting it down and fighting to pick it up again. The relationship between the sisters was interesting, but not compelling. And, although depression is an interesting subject for Middle Grade literature and one that needs to be addressed, the cues at the beginning should be more strongly defined; and adult intervention (or at least acknowledgement has to happen more readily.

The Last Tree Town, by Beth Turley, is just beautifully constructed from beginning to end. It may even be going down as one of my favorite reads for 2020.

The story features the relationship between two sisters. Cassie and Daniella. The two have always been close, but something has changed in Daniella now that she is going to high school. Daniella is distant and sad, and Cassie is desperate to do anything to try to get her "normal" sister back.

Meanwhile, Daniella's mental health continues to spiral. She confides only in her journal. She longs to feel like herself again, but she feels trapped between needing to grow up and wishing she was back to her safe childhood. The journal entries of Daniella that are including in this story are raw and open about depression and mental struggles.

As I mentioned, The Last Tree Town is just an all-over win. It is a coming of age novel that depicts the challenges of growing up. It sheds a light on the mental health struggles that kids today struggle with. It is one of those novels that I can't wait to bring into my classroom. I think all my students can resonate with these two sisters and the struggles/relationships with their tight group of friends.

An emotional rollercoaster of a story. This is one that pulled at my heart strings over and over again. Cassi Chord is half-caucasian, half-Puerto Rican, but others see her as anything but Hispanic. She questions herself over and over again like she's been struck by a plague. Many people are dumbfounded when they realize that she is indeed Puerto Rican. Her sister Daniella looks like the "typical" Puerto Rican, dark hair and golden skin.

Through this crisis of trying to understand why she doesn't seem to belong, she gets distracted with new friendships and the Math Olympics at her school. She meets the new boy in school named Aaron in her Math Olympics club. What's odd is that he has these stories, stories of all of the tree towns he's lived in. Cassi finds comfort in learning about these stories and more about Aaron. What she doesn't find comforting is that her sister, Daniella, has changed. Dramatically. Ever since she started high school she has been distant, hardly talks to her, and is always angry or sharp with her.

As the story progresses Beth Turley takes us through the seasons of the struggles of Cassi (even Aaron) and her sister. The sense of loss of a sister, depression, new friendships, and belonging are all main themes embedded in this story. Middle grade doesn't hit on depression often with younger kids so I am glad that this book brings it to the surface. It shows how Daniella struggled through it and even discusses getting a therapist when things get way too tough.

I adored this story from start to end and I am thankful that a book like this is accessible to middle grade students.

The issue that stood out to me the most in this story is dealing with a sibling who is struggling with depression. I think it was accurately portrayed and a realistic issue that our readers might face. The Puerto Rican identity issue was brought up and I think could have been delved into more deeply, especially in the context of the grandfather’s dementia and its impact on the family and family dynamics.

I enjoyed the characters for the most part. The writing is good. There is character development and drama. However, this took place over a year and I felt like not a lot happened. It's hard to describe because if I listed all that happened in this book it would be a long list but everything was very surface. We never delved deep, which I would have liked to see. The way the author dealt with depression was well-done and accurate. I did, however, have a problem with the main character Cassi reading her sister's diary and not really facing consequences. She read it for almost an entire year and there didn't seem to be much guilt about it. When her sister, Daniella, finds out the resulting fight isn't much of a fight, that felt a bit inauthentic. Overall it was a quick read. The main characters are in 7th grade but I think this would appeal to 4-6th grade.

Absolutely beautiful book about identity, friendship, growing up, and finding out who you really are. The author deals with a range of very difficult topics with incredible grace and leaves readers both damp eyed and hopeful. My only complaint is the title, which emphasizes Aaron's story more than it is actually emphasized in the book.