Liked, not loved this one

“July 1985. It’s a normal, sweltering New Jersey summer for soon-to-be seventh grader Bee Kocsis. Her thoughts center only on sunny days spent at Deer Chase Lake, on evenings chasing fireflies around her cul-de-sac with the neighborhood kids, and on Max, the boy who just moved in across the street. There's also the burgeoning worry that she'll never be as special as her younger sister, Audrina, who seems to effortlessly dazzle wherever she goes.

But when Max’s little sister, Sally, goes missing at the lake, Bee’s long-held illusion of stability is shattered in an instant. As the families in her close-knit community turn inward, suspicious and protective, things in Bee’s own home become increasingly strained, most of all with Audrina, when a shameful secret surfaces. With everything changed, Bee and Audrina’s already-fraught sisterhood is pushed to the limit as they grow up—and apart—in the wake of an innocence lost too soon. ”

Our Little World was a stunning debut in every way. I found the story be gripping right from the start. This was a powerful coming of age story, set in New Jersey in the 80's, was filled with suspense, emotion, secrets, and difficult family dynamics. It's one not to miss!

This book was a hard read. It was very powerful and suspenseful, but the content was difficult for me to read for some reason.

This was such a captivating debut. I loved all the nostalgia from the 80’s. It was a heartbreaking and emotional story about siblings and the dynamics of family. I went into this one completely blind and I’m glad that I did because the author’s storytelling was phenomenal. I was emersed in Bee’s story from the first page. If you enjoy coming of age stories filled with secrets and family dynamics give this one a try.

4.5 stars

Bee and Audrina are two sisters whose world is rocked when their 4 year old neighbor goes missing. In the small town they live in, this type of tragedy is unheard of. Our Little World takes place in the mid 1980s, and is nostalgic of a simpler time. Bee is a teen that is concerned with making friends, anticipating her first kiss and trying to earn her parents' attention. Younger sister Audrina is easily popular in school and adored by her mother, leading to jealousy from Bee. The sisters shift between being best of friends and near enemies. A health scare shifts the family dynamics and Bee feels alone as she deals with changes to her life.

What an amazing debut! Karen Winn's writing is superb, and the sister relationship she crafted between Bee and Audrina was emotional, sweet, tense and realistic. Although it's revealed that one of the main characters will die, once it happened it rocked me. I couldn't put this novel down and look forward to reading more from the author!

Our Little World" by Karen Winn is a touching novel that explores the bonds of friendship, love, and community in a small town. Set in the picturesque countryside, the story follows the lives of several characters whose paths intersect in unexpected ways. As they navigate the ups and downs of life, they find solace and support in each other, forming a tight-knit community that becomes their refuge. With its heartfelt storytelling and relatable characters, "Our Little World" is a heartwarming read that celebrates the power of human connection and the beauty of everyday moments.

This was a coming of age story set in the 80s in small town New Jersey. Having been born in a small town in Jersey in the 80s, it was great to read about the setting of my childhood! Even if the plots didn't describe what happened to me, the setting was great. 4 stars.

A coming of age book based in 1985 New Jersey. It starts off with a normal childhood, and then a missing girl out of a group of friends. A heart warming and sad story, but very enjoyable.

This is a great debut read from this Author about coming of age, the on and off relationship between two sisters, their parents and just all growing up in this small town where everyone knows or thinks they know everyone's business. Then a little child from the neighborhood goes missing and this intriguing, at times heartwarming and sad yet thought-provoking book takes off in many interesting directions. I really enjoyed this book.
Thank you to Netgalley, Penguin Random House Dutton, and the Author Karen Winn for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Wish I would have read it timely.

I enjoyed this coming of age novel. Thanks for the review copy. I was transported and transfixed by this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review. I'm pretty sure I requested this one because I liked the cover and I probably didn't even read through what the book was actually about. Fortunately for me, I liked this one lol...Essentially this is a story about two families and two tragic things that happen within both families...it is the summer of 1985 and Bee is our main character...her sister Audrina and the new family across the street also play HUGE roles throughout. I'm not going to give anything away but I am just going to say that what happens in this book is probably going to stay in my head for quite awhile...it messed with me big time

4.5 This book was such a great slice of life book that I could not put this down. This book is set in the 1980s following Bee as she loses a friend at a young age and her family struggles. This is a nostalgic coming of age story that made me think of my own childhood many times. The characters were amazing in this story I was rooting for Bee throughout and really cared about what happened to her friends and family. The writing was also very engaging and fast paced. I will say I was expecting more of a thriller from the cover and reading the description but was really pleasantly surprised by this general fiction coming of age story. I really want to read more from this author in the future. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

Wow. This book made me feel so many things and I wasn’t even ready. Sooo sad but such a good story. I really enjoyed it.

I enjoy coming off age novels and this one was no different. It was a little triggering with a kid going missing. Sometimes you never know what triggers you until you read it though!

This was very good and I would read anything from this Author. I enjoyed the storyline and the characters very much.

A really beautifully written examination of breakable characters and and exploration of family and the past. I thought this one was a really tender and fabulous debut.

Another great historical fiction I’ve had the pleasure of reading before it was published!

This takes place in the 1980’s and describes this idyllic little cul-de-sac neighborhood during a time when people had to worry less about bad things happening- it took me back to when I was little. I’d never know it at the time, and although I’m a 90’s baby, it was a different time to be able to play outside unsupervised, go to parks, go on bike rides/rollerblade, going to the community pool, etc. You see so much less if that now and as an adult, I won’t go on a run at night by myself… the author just did a very successful job in transporting you back to this time which I LOVED.

The setting for the book as well as the characters all felt relatable and real- to the point that I could picture certain scenes in the book clearly. The writing flowed well and I never found a spot that I thought felt “choppy.”

Overall, this was a great novel and was very successful as a debut novel.

DNF - Just not a story I was able to gel with very well, though I certainly appreciate the opportunity to read it!

Very intriguing beginning, then the middle seemed to veer off. It began to drag and then ended with a rushed wrap up. Disappointing.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this novel. I was not able to finish so won't be leaving a full review at this time.