This character driven middle grade will appeal to readers of quieter books such as The Thing About Jellyfish. The universal themes of friendship, family, and loss are explored in an engaging and age-appropriate manner. Readers will stay with the story in order to figure out Clara’s memory loss. Recommended.

When Life Gives You Mangos is a beautiful story of friendship, family, and forgiveness. Kereen Getten has a way with words that perfectly captures the feelings and thoughts of 12-year-old Clara against the backdrop of a summer soaked island. Clara’s journey of remembering her previous summer is heartbreaking and believable, making this book a great one for young readers dealing with loss of any kind.

I was moved by this book. I could feel Clara’s grief at the loss of a friendship. I definitely did not predict the end!

Ciarra lives on an island - for tourists it is an exotic location, for her it's home. She has friends, routines, games, drama. Lately though there have been issues...something happened last summer and she can't remember it and her best friend is acting strange. Fortunately a new girl arrives to visit and she is full of adventure. Can Ciarra ever face the ghosts of her past and move on perhaps even healing old wounds along the way?
This was a decent book. There is a pretty big surprise near the end but it almost felt too late and I wasn't sure there were enough "hints" along the way.

I really enjoyed this story about friendships, new and old as well as family. The story kept me intrigued and definitely surprised me with a twist.

Clara remembers that she is 12-years old, and has lived her whole life on a small tropical island. She remembers that her cousin Gaynah has been her best and only friend her whole life, though lately they have been fighting more than usual. She remembers that there are all kinds of bizarre rumors about her uncle, who lives in an abandoned plantation house at the top of the hill, being a witch doctor. She remembers that she used to love surfing and being in the water, though now it terrifies her. But she cannot remember why, or much of anything about the previous summer, something Gaynah constantly makes fun of her for. Clara turns to Rudy, a newcomer to the island, whose bright, adventurous, and generous spirit is just what Clara needs in a friend right now, and may lead her to the person who can help her resolve things with Gaynah and recover her lost memories.

This is a beautiful, touching story that shows the complicated friendship that often develops between cousins, the lasting effects of trauma, grief, and guilt, and recovery. It also explores the insidious effects of jealousy, grief, superstition, gossip, and fear of those that are different, but also the healing power of friendship, acceptance, and forgiveness of others as well as yourself.

This is a very character-driven story, told from Clara's perspective. Adults might guess the ending, but it will likely surprise most younger readers. Parts of it are fairly emotional, as the reader can feel Clara's anger, fear, and frustration, but the ending is satisfying. I would highly recommend this for readers who enjoy character-driven stories that deal with relationships, overcoming loss and trauma, and enjoy an unexpected twist.

The importance of family and community rings true in this heartfelt story of a pre-teens experience with tragedy and grief. The authors use of language and setting quickly wraps the reader up in these life-changing moments shared by many on the island, to learn the true lesson of what one does when life hands you ripened mangoes.

4 stars

WOW, this cover is beautiful, and that is what drew me in to requesting this arc originally; I admit it! I was pleasantly surprised to find that the pages underneath were just as charming.

_When Life Gives You Mangos_ centers on a young girl's experience with forgetting a traumatic event. While there are parts of the novel that feel a bit slow and repetitive in the beginning, it becomes clear why this is a stylistically and thematically relevant choice. Also, the characters and scenery are engaging from the start, so that helps in those sections. When the twist hits at the end, everything comes together nicely, and the messages and character development are incredibly moving and charming.

It's always exciting to see a debut that is this powerful and memorable. I am already excited to read what Getten produces next!