What an amazing story, Rae finds herself alone with her dog, her mother gone. The relationship she develops with her neighbor and how she gets through all this create one dazzling storyline that sucked me in and left me in tears. Grief, mourning, hoarding and friendship are all explored. Life can be so difficult. Wonderfully written.

Ten-year-old Rae has gotten used to her mom leaving to clear her head, but this time, her mom doesn’t seem to be coming back. So Rae goes to school, walks her dog, and buys groceries from what remains in her mother’s account. She also befriends (grudgingly at first) her neighbor, an elderly woman who is a hoarder. The fact that they both have secrets binds them together.

This is an utterly outstanding novel. The fact that it’s told from the point of view of a ten-year-old provides a wonderful way of telling a sad, memorable story. You’ll definitely want to read this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel, which RELEASES AUGUST 24, 2021.

55 days in the life of a ten year old Rae haunted me, hurt me, made me pause at a moment of discovery and I thought I wouldn’t be able to read more. But my heart had already been stolen by Rae and her elderly next door neighbor, Lettie, and there was just no going back. I had to know how their story would end. I had to know whether they would be okay. This is a heartbreaking story, sad beyond description. It’s gruesome, grueling, gut wrenching and was difficult for me to read. It’s a powerful story of the need we have for compassion, for love, for each other, the need we have for someone to be near when we grieve, the need for someone to pull us out of the depths of despair. It’s so much more, but I can’t bring myself to say much more, other than these are two characters who will stay with me . If you are interested in knowing more about the story line, there are a number of reviews which give that. Absolutely, do not miss the author’s note “Behind the Book”. You will be moved. I was - beyond any words I can find to say here.


I received an advanced copy of this book from Berkley through NetGalley.

I devoured this debut novel by Australian author Emily Spurr. Remarkable for its theme, its characters, and its humanity, the book is written from the second-person point of view, the 'you' directed at the narrator's mother. I won't soon forget narrator Rae, her neighbor Lettie, or her sweet beast of a dog Splinters. But the nameless mother is also an interesting character, more so because she develops in the literary equivalent of negative space.

4.5 Emotional Stars (rounded up for the tears)

This book really snuck up on me and then proceeded to rip my heart out. It has been a while since I had to stop reading because of the tears pouring down my face. You have been warned!

Rae is a precocious ten-year-old and so loves her trusty dog Splinter. Rae is taking care of the house, getting to school, walking Splinter, everything seems just fine. Then the nosy older neighbor Lettie cries out for help one day. Soon Mae is spending more time with Lettie as they both deal with secrets and loneliness. I really liked the development of their friendship and relationship.

How do we define family? This debut made me ponder that. There are also elements of mental illness and hoarding -- how do we best help people?

I read this one in just a day and these characters are memorable and it definitely stirred up my emotions. I will be watching for more from this author!

WARNING: This one will break your heart! 💔

This is a HAUNTING story about 10 year old Rae, and her beloved dog, Splinter as they survive for 55 harrowing days when her mother abandons them.

Sure, she has left before-but never for this long.
No CHILD should have to live like this.

Trying to stay “under the radar” she continues to go to school, walk her dog, grocery shop by tapping her Mother’s credit card at the check-out lane, and pay the bills online.

(I did feel that she seemed a bit TOO wise and TOO articulate for her age…)

But, then her elderly next door neighbor falls, and when she cannot get up, she calls out for help. When Rae hears Lettie’s pleas, she is compelled to respond, and an unlikely friendship is formed.

I am always drawn to books where people find other people that they didn’t even realize they needed and it was heart-warming to experience their growing bond. There are many things to discover about what each of them is hiding.

I was FULLY ENGAGED from page #1, and I read this IMPRESSIVE debut in one day!

⚠️ HOWEVER- I should have known better about reading a book that had a 🐶 dog as an integral part of the narrative.

I wish Day 48 had been left unread-that day was heart-breaking even though what occurs was unintentional.
Dog lovers may want to skip ahead to Day 49-you will still know what happens but you can avoid the horrific description! No animal lover should have to endure day 48 and it detracted from what was otherwise, a beautifully written story for me. ❤️‍🩹

Rae is left on her own to cope with life. I will not say how this happens, though it is revealed early on, because the way it is organically woven into the story is quite well done. Suffice it to say that this nearly 11-year-old girl is on her own with only her dog, Splinter, to keep her company and assuage her grief and loneliness.

I must admit this set up caused me some concern. I could not see how Emily Spurr could fill up an entire 300 page book starting from this point. I need not have worried. As is often the case in the books I like most, the author sets out to explore a premise and lets it take her where it will, seemingly without any preconceived notion of the ultimate destination.

Rae's next door neighbor, Lettie, is a grumpy, old busybody and a pathological hoarder, living in a stinky, old house packed floor to rafters with trash and found objects. The most delightful aspect of this book is the way in which they come together and become friends. They both survive through the use of the barbed quip, for one thing, and this makes for some truly delightful dialogue. Lettie is clearly not great at adulting and Rae is doing everything in her power to be grown up. Their shared struggles form the emotional core of this book.

Overall, I found A Million Things to be most everything I look for in a good novel: emotionally complex, humorous, filled with pathos, with believable characters and a plot that does not take artificial turns imposed by the author, but allows the real people at its center to guide the action. This is an excellent read and, while the setup could have led somewhere gruesome, Spurr deftly navigates this territory with an ease and surety I would not have expected from a first novel.

A million things is the story of 10 year old Rae who has been abandoned by her mother. Rae tries to hide it from everyone including her neighbors, teachers and the authorities and how she survives and what happens to her form the crux of the story.
Rae is such a resourceful little girl, full of bravery. My heart wept for her and her situation. I just wanted to jump into the book and give her a hug. She was precious.
Her evolving relationship and friendship with her cantankerous neighbor Lettie was another highlight of this book. I loved loved loved how it developed. I loved how the issues of hoarding was also addressed via Lettie’s story. Both of them are unforgettable characters.
My one complaint was that I couldn’t get into the book in the beginning. It took me some time to feel everything but in the end I was bawling like a baby.
All in all, I definitely recommend this book if you are looking for a beautiful heartwarming book.

Secrets and sadness, loss and connection, resilience and revelations -- just a few of the many things that Emily Spurr writes of so eloquently and authentically in A Million Things. She explores grief and loneliness without melodrama, leaving room for hope and happiness. Highly recommended.

A straight forward story, at least in its time line: 55 days in the life of a 10 year old girl who is left on her own. Her mother has left before but has always come back. Where is she? The reader is left to wonder. Will she ever come back?

It is current day and Rae and her dog, Splinter, are on their own in Southern Australia. Rae has an unusual neighbor in Lettie, a serious hoarder. Lettie calls Rae Kiddo and Rae calls Lettie Goat-o (as in old goat). They forge a friendship helping each other out with their problems.

There is also Oscar and his nosy mother, Lucy, who live down the street. Their interference compounds the relationship of Rae and Lettie.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to meet a strong character. Rae is 10 and 'strength' is her middle name. Lettie has her moments too and turns out to be more complex than you would first imagine.

5 stars

I so enjoyed this story, it's timing really was perfect! I've recently been watching a docuseries about hoarders so I truly related to Lettie! It's quite devastating to see how hard it is to get rid of their "stuff." Rae was trying to help in the beginning, then realized what it really meant to Lettie. Rae, a 10 yr old, has her own challenges to deal with. A pretty smart little girl, she learns quickly how to cover up her problem. I like her spunk, silliness, compassion and resourcefulness! The way she handles Lucy and Oscar is fun. And, yes, I did cry at the end of the book (which is rare) as my heart went out to all the characters. Such an awesome read!! Thank you Emily Spurr!

I absolutely loved this book! Narrated by ten year old Rae, I became attached to her as well as several other characters (both human and animal) from the get go. We follow Rae’s story of courage, tenacity and compassion in the wake of a terrible tragedy. The author’s personal experience with mental health issues is the emotional backdrop of the story, asking us to consider the consequences for people, in particular children, left behind when a parent is unable to provide and protect their young. Rae is the ultimate protector of her mother as well as an elderly neighbor Lettie, who becomes an unusual mother figure for Rae. It is not until Rae allows herself to let her guard down, that she can face the sadness and grief, and accept help from adults in order to move forward in her life. I became even more in awe of this little girl as the story unfolded. As a mother of a grown daughter this story truly cut to the core. I was so deeply touched by the story that it has stayed with me and will likely impact me for many years to come.

I don't typically like the fiction trope of a child and elderly person becoming friends - it is often handled in a manner that makes for saccharine reading. However, Emily Spurr has disabused me of that notion with two perfectly spirited but cantankerous characters, Rae and Lettie.

Rae is a ten year old and the narrator of this novel. While she doesn't always sound/act exactly like a ten year old, she is generally "believable" as a child who is being forced to grow up too quickly. It took me a beat to realize that when she is talking in second person, she is talking to her dead parent. For much of the book, I thought this deceased character was her father; without the 3rd person gender signifiers like he/her, I just assumed for no reason it was her father until something clued me in (much further in the book) that it was her mom (the book synopsis does refer to her mom but I try not to reread those when I start a book because I don't like even small spoilers). I wish this element of the novel had been expressed more clearly.

The book is atmospheric, which helps in the early chapters when Rae has almost no interactions outside of those with her dog, Splints. The pacing is still a bit slow at first, but I was captivated once Lettie and Rae begin communicating in earnest. They have a unique relationship, and each is independent and hiding the dark parts of themselves. While both receive help and help each other in some ways, this isn't a simple story of friends saving each other. Overall, this is a fantastic debut novel and I look forward to more books by Spurr.

I was grabbed by this book at the beginning. I loved Rae and her resiliency and adaptability which were realistically balanced with her vulnerability. This book was sometimes hard to read because it was heartbreaking in certain (many) parts. And when I finished the book I wondered if Rae ended up in a better situation or in a similar situation to what she was in before the beginning of the book. I will be thinking about this one for a long time.

I LOVED, loved, loved this book! What a spunky, resourceful kid and an equally neat next door neighbor. (once you got to know why she was the way she was-seemingly cranky). I wonder how the writer came up with this plot? Doesn't really matter because it made for a great read - adult and young adult readers alike should give this book a try. Yay for happy endings, for adults who step up and outside their comfort zones, and for spunky girls.

Review to be posted on blog: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...

Simply the Best!! Brilliant & Completely Heart-Wrenching!

When I picked “A Million Things” for my book buddy Kaceey and I to read, I had no idea what I was getting into, I saw that this novel had great ratings and that was all I needed to know.

As soon as we started reading it, both of us were blindsided. Shocked beyond all recognition if you will.

This book was NOTHING like anything we had ever read before and honestly, we both asked ourselves what we had gotten ourselves into… and yet we kept reading. There was just something addicting about it.

Once we got a little bit further and realized what we were reading, we were all in. Completely Hooked!

What became readily apparent is that “A Million Things” stole our hearts. It is beautiful, devastating, gut-wrenching, and incredibly smart.

So, what is it about you, ask?! I wish I could tell you but that my friends would be spoiling the plot which, in this case, is something I just cannot do. All I will say is that it features a young girl named Rae. Bright, sweet, smart, and precocious, Rae captured my affection in every way possible.

The only other thing I’ll say is that this IS a MUST-READ! It is truly one of the most incredible and inventive books I’ve ever encountered and it needs to be on your TBR.

A buddy read with Ms. Kaceey that impacted us both greatly.

Thank you to Elisha at Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley for the arc.

Published on Goodreads, Twitter, and Instagram.

Devastating and Beautiful
This book caught my attention from the get go. I have family in Australia so I enjoy books with Australian settings but the subject matter is what hooked me as it's very close to my heart. The Subject matter is difficult but written well without being explicit. This book will be fantastic for bookclub discussions and people with personal or family histories dealing with mental health issues. I enjoyed Emily Spurrs writing style and was shocked to find myself in tears several times reading this amazing story! It was both Beautiful and at times Devastating hanging out in Rae's head. Lettie and Rae's relationship, based on their shared experiences, will be eye opening to those who have been blessed not to have had to deal with mental health issues which makes this book a Jewel! 5 stars. I loved everything about this book! Looking forward to more Spurr books!

All the stars ⭐️

I went into this read rather blind, as I do for most of my reads.

At first, I was shocked, wondering what I had signed up for. But intrigued enough to continue.

Midway I was so captivated I could not put it down. Thinking about the characters any time I had to step away.

By the end, I was in tears. Wanting to crawl into my book and hug the characters.

This is a story of life, strength, and resilience. It centers around 10-year-old Rae and her dog Splinter with their older, lonely, neighbor, Lettie. I am keeping it vague and let you discover the depth within the pages yourself.

Set a weekend aside, have your tissues handy, and enjoy! I cannot wait to hear what you all think!

Definitely one of my favorite reads for 2021.

A buddy read with Susanne! Thank you Susanne for finding this gem for us!

Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...

Thank you to Elisha at Berkeley publishing via NetGalley for an ARC to read and review.

I found this book suspenseful but slow-moving. The characters are interesting, but since there are mainly two and not many others, the revelations are limited to the viewpoint of a nine year old girl. Her observations about her own life are a mystery at first, but soon reveal her dire situation. Her neighbor becomes her only help, but she has problems of her own. Although the book is set in a Australia, the story could take place anywhere. Dealing with death and loss are universal issues. Hoarding has become more familiar due to the tv show, but still adds some originality to this plot.

Much to my surprise I read this book in an afternoon. I am a fast reader but that is still exceptional for me. It is very compelling and well written and I became so concerned about and involved with the child who is the narrator that I could not stop reading until the core issue of the book was resolved. I do not think this book is for the faint of heart and would caution anyone going through grief or depression to think twice before starting it. The writing is very good, the characters are vividly created and the setting is so real that I found myself "in" the book most of the time. The book is laid out day by day over slightly less than 2 months as this 10 year old girl lives through and has to cope with loss and trauma and find a way to survive. To say too much more might "spoil" the impact of the story. The book was a bit too wordy for me at times and some of the key issues were never satisfactorily revealed; it would have been nice to weave in a bit more explanation. But it is a memorable book, a dramatic read with a wonderful narrator.