This book is such an excellent example of raw human emotion. Karen Winn doesn’t shy away from honestly writing the cruel and self-centered thoughts of a young child, even though they are obviously not acceptable to an adult reader.
We listen to Bee as she describes her emotions toward her parents and her jealousy toward her sister, Audrina, who is more popular. They're invited to join their neighbors, Max and his little sister Sally, on an outing to the local lake. Audrina has given Sally her charm bracelet, which really irritates Bee. She wanted it, especially one charm in particular, but Audrina gives it to this little girl without even asking.
Everyone’s enjoying the day playing and swimming when suddenly Max’s mother realizes Sally has disappeared. The afternoon quickly turns into a crime scene, with law enforcement searching in and around the lake. As Bee is ambling around feeling lost, she comes across something on the ground, and instead of reporting it, she sneaks it home.
We follow Bee and her relationship with her sister through the aftereffects of the tragedy, and as each of them ages and develops, there seem to be small cracks in their facades. The author’s depiction of Bee, her character’s thought process that we’re privy to, brings her to full life.
What sounds like a mundane story with no singular highlight is a true testament to the thoughts of a child, feelings we, as adults, can regretfully remember: self-centered, spoiled, conniving, but also lonely, confused, and eager for acceptance from peers and family alike. This is a beautiful story.
Sincere thanks to Penguin Group, Dutton for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is May 3, 2022.

Our Little World transports the reader back to 1985, when almost-seventh-grader Bee Kocsis is enjoying a carefree summer, until her neighbor’s little sister goes missing from the nearby lake. What was thought to be a safe community is upended by the failure to find the girl, and people start to stick to themselves and grow suspicious. Even within her home, Bee is finding the relationship with her sister to become strained in the wake of their neighbor’s disappearance.

This is a strong, gripping coming-of-age story that follows Bee as she navigates the sudden change in her community and the ensuing confusion brought on by adolescence. Bee is dealing with complicated family dynamics and learning that things aren’t always as she expects.

While this read did leave me with nostalgia for the ease of life in the 80s, it did hammer home that a story such as this could happen anywhere. Our Little World is a great choice if you’re in the mood for a suspenseful mystery.

Special thanks to NetGalley & Dutton for a free ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Our Little World is a subversive, coming of age story. It's a hauntingly, beautiful tale of sisterhood. It is filled with tragedy, grief, friendships, and family drama. Majority of the story is told from Bee's childhood perspective of the things that happened in the mid 80's so there is some nostalgia to be felt from that time. We all have defining moments in our lives, things that happen that causes our understanding of our lives to be split into befores and afters. In Bee's case it starts with the disappearance of their four year old neighbor, Sally and ends with her own sister's untimely death. Everything about Bee is ensconced in those years. The book was also a great reminder that small, seemingly unimportant decisions in our lives can add up to giant mistakes with earth shattering consequences. It also reminded me that people everywhere, big and small, are carrying burdens that we know nothing of and that the things we tell ourselves about ourselves or even other people aren't always correct. Feelings are not facts. Overall, while heavy, Our Little World is so beautifully done and is written in such a way that I never wanted to put it down.

I typically love debut novels feeling that the author is giving us their absolute best to lure us into their world so we will want more in their future writings. But Our Little World sadly disappointed me miserably. I felt the story was very disconnected jumping from the story of the missing Sally to the relationship between Audrina and Bee and the issues surrounding them and their parents. I never felt like Bee's voice was a pre- teen/teenage voice and the interactions between the sisters and their school friends was so standard that it lacked any interest for me. I kept reading in hopes that somehow the author might pull all the pieces together and provide the punch that I felt was missing but that didn't happen and only with the Epilogue to we get the answer to the big question but it still was anti-climactic. Thank you #NetGalley for this ARC.

Our Little World by Karen Winn is definitely an adult fiction novel despite some marking this one as young adult. The story in Our Little World is told by a young protagonist making this a historical mystery story with part coming of age with adult content.

Bee Kocsis was only twelve in the summer of 1985 when things in her life would change forever making this a summer she certainly would never forget. Bee was with her family at the local lake, Deer Chase Lake, swimming with her younger sister, Audrina, when Bee comes out of the water to an odd scene.

Adults all around are frantically searching and Bee finds out her friend and neighbor, little four year old Sally, has gone missing. When Sally is not found that summer day Bee and her family need to learn to navigate the tragedy of someone close to them missing with Bee and Drina’s relationship struggling in the aftermath.

Our Little World by Karen Winn may not be for everyone but as an adult reader that enjoys the occasional young adult too I immediately fell into this story and became engrossed in this one. Mixing a coming of age with a tragic event is not your normal mystery novel and I always enjoy finding those that are outside of the box so it wasn’t surprising that I was enjoying this. There was also much more to the characters lives past the initial mystery so I definitely had the pages turning faster and faster to see how it would all work out with the author filling this debut with so much emotion too.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This novel hits the mark for nostalgia! It was good, I felt transported to the mid-80s in a time of no cell phones, and kids being able to be kids for the most part. More than anything this book was about the relationship of two sisters, which I found relatable as I have a sister I was pretty close to in age. While I was able to relate to an extent, I would have been more of the Audrina and less the Borka in my own childhood, this didn't hit me in my emotions like I expected it to. Maybe that is my fault, maybe I went into it expecting too much based off of the description.

With that said, this novel is good and I do believe that people who enjoy Celeste Ng will enjoy this as well, I got very similar vibes from this as I did while reading Little Fires Everywhere.

Wow - this book hit me like a ton of bricks at the end after starting as a slow burn. Twelve-year-old Bee tells the story of her, her sister and parents in their NJ town in 1985. Every so often through the narrative, Bee would abruptly reveal what would happen next, which would leave me a little stunned, but urged me to continue reading to learn exactly what happens and how. Bee's story is so relatable - how each sister has different talents, the sisters' rivalry, adolescent guilt, the cracks in the family, popularity and jealousy in middle school, how seemingly small decisions can have a huge impact etc. It reminded me how difficult it was to navigate elementary school while going through puberty and learning about myself and what kind of person I wanted to be, all while making mistakes along the way. There is so much to unpack in this story!
i really enjoyed reading this debut novel and definitely look forward to future books by Karen Winn.

What an amazing debut!! I absolutely loved the 80’s nostalgia referenced throughout, and having a sister myself.. the love and the ups-and-downs between Bee and Audrina felt real and natural. The title, Our Little World is just that. It’s a hearttouching, coming-of-age story set in the 1980’s that follows tomboyish twelve-year-old Bee. A tragedy has somehow wormed its way into Bee’s innocent/wholesome small town of Hammond, NJ when her four-year-old neighbor, Sally, goes missing while at the local lake. It’s inconceivable how this could happen in their neighborly mom & pop town where everyone knows everyone. The age of innocence is over.. parents, teachers, law enforcement have all set strict rules and boundaries to keep children safe. But life goes on. Boy crushes, friendship, sisterhood, family drama, illness, grief, and death. It kept me on the edge of my seat, and I felt a mixed bag of emotions (so keep the Kleenex handy). I can’t tell you how relieved I was with the way Karen Winn wrapped up her ending. So good!

*I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

I always love coming of age tales, and this was no exception, especially since it was set during the 80’s and Bee, the main character, is about my age. Bee’s childhood is definitely darker than my own, as we learn immediately that her childhood was marked by the death of her sister and a neighbor.

Karen Winn has great style, and I immediately felt immersed in the world of the story. The characters all felt like real people, in fact, mid-way through I had to double check that this book is fiction and not a memoir.

Thank you @duttonbooks, @randomhouse, and @Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“Our Little World,” by Karen Winn, Dutton, 352 pages, May 3, 2022.

It is June of 1985 in Hammend, New Jersey. Bee Kocsis, 12, will soon be in the seventh grade. Her younger sister, Audrina, seems to effortlessly dazzle wherever she goes. Bee feels that her sister is their parents’ favorite.

The Bakers have just moved in across the street. Dr. Jack Baker is a trauma surgeon from Boston. Fran, his wife, is a nurse. Max is 12 and his sister, Sally, is 4.

One day, Fran takes all four children to Deer Chase Lake. Bee is swimming when Sally disappears. A massive search begins. Bee finds part of the charm bracelet Sally was wearing, but doesn’t turn it in.

When school resumes, Bee is suddenly popular because she is friends with Max and she was at the lake when Sally vanished. Sally’s disappearance is no longer in the news and people are moving on.

This coming-of-age story is about sisterhood, jealousy and family dynamics. At the beginning we are told that Audrina is not alive in the present time, but we are not immediately told how or when she died.

“Our Little World” is beautifully written and poignant. The revelation of the person who abducted Sally is shocking. This is an amazing debut novel.

In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Wow! What a fantastic debut! When I first started reading Our Little World, I thought that the sole focus would be on a horrific tragedy that completely shocked an entire neighborhood to its core; but my gosh, it was SO much more than that. Our Little World is a neighborhood drama, a coming-of-age story, a tale about sisterhood, and family dynamics all rolled into one. It’s a phenomenal character-driven story with so many complex layers, and fascinating characters. With themes of friendship, marriage, sibling rivalry, and a hint of mystery, this book checked all of my boxes, and then some. I’m a child of the ‘80s, so the nostalgia in this book truly warmed my heart. Mentions of the Cabbage Patch Kids, Strawberry Shortcake, Esprit, Phil Donahue, Walkmans, Easy Bake Ovens, and Lite-Brite made me chuckle. Winn’s writing brought back fond memories of carefree summers spent bike riding, swimming, and shooting hoops. I read a lot of books, so remembering the names of characters isn’t always easy for me. But I do know one thing for sure…I’ll never forget Bee, Audrina, and their neighbors from across the street, Max and Sally. These characters will stick with me for a very long time. No doubt about it, Our Little World has a spot on my list of favorite books of 2022. It’s out today, so grab a copy ASAP! 5/5 stars for this impressive debut!

A debut novel that definitely has me ready to read more from this author. "We are sisters, and sisters we are" was a quote in this book that lingered with me throughout until the end.

We meet Bee and Audrina, sisters. Sisters living innocent lives in a small town, thinking, as most of us do, that nothing bad will ever happen.

It takes place in the 1980s, before the internet was involved in every aspect of our lives. The kids in the neighborhood rode bikes, played outside, and spent their summers swimming at the club or lake nearby. Bee and Audrina go to the lake with their new-ish neighbors, the Bakers, whose son Max is near their age, and daugther, Sally, is four. The older three are playing in the water, with Sally playing on the beach, and in a blink, Sally is gone! Somehow none of them realized the moment when she disappeared. including Mrs. Baker. Search of the lake and areas nearby turn up nothing.

This missing child caues ripples in this small town and innocence is lost. Relationships are strained all around, including Bee and Audrina. Especially when a bit of information comes out that one of them perhaps knew something and didn't speak up.

The missing child was sad and while a big part of the story, I feel the relationship between Bee and Audrina is the focus. The ups and downs of sisterhood. The competition between sisters.
Overcoming conflict. Having each other's back no matter what. Despite conflict, you feel their love for each other throughout.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really struggled with how to review this as my opinions swayed back and forth. Our Little World starts off well, the first line is definitely an attention grabber and Sally’s disappearance, and the repercussions were heartbreaking. However, the last half felt drawn out, and the ups and downs between the sisters began to feel tedious. Having said this, Winn’s writing was strong enough that I was still invested in the storyline and wanted to finish and know how everything turned out. If you were a kid in the 80’s this book will definitely remind you of your childhood. Overall I thought it was a good debut and I would be interested in reading what Winn writes next.

A beautiful story about relationships, love, and loss. If you have a sister, you will relate to the love and closeness that these two sisters share throughout the book. The story was heartbreaking at times, and heartwarming at others. It had all the feels, that sisters will relate to throughout their lives. Grab this one, but don’t forget your box of tissues!

'The impact of small things. Small-very-big things. Each in-the-moment decision leading to the next. Like rungs on a ladder.'

This debut novel by Karen Winn is the story of two sisters set in small town New Jersey in 1985. It is told almost entirely from the first-person perspective of the older sister, 12-year-old Borka Kocsis. She and her sister Audrina have a complicated but loving relationship. Borka is slightly jealous of her younger sister, the pretty one, the popular one, the father's favorite. That summer events will happen that will shape them and forever change their lives.

If this is a debut effort, I cannot wait to read more from this very talented new writer. I received an arc from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I am very grateful for the opportunity.

{@duttonbooks #partner. Thank you for my free copies to read, review and share!}

I picked this ARC up on a whim earlier this year. I hadn't heard much about it yet, which also meant I was going into it with not a lot of expectations either way! And this book, it ended up blowing me away!!

Our Little World is atmospheric and totally compelling. It's a coming of age story set in a cul-de-sac in the 1980s. It's a small town mystery but it's also a character driven novel focused on relationships, especially sisterhood, after a young girl named Sally goes missing. The story is told through the adolescent eyes of Bee, and the angst, worries and emotional ups and downs are totally spot on.

Our Little World is not exactly a past paced page turner, but it's no less intriguing because of it. It totally has #NowAndThen movie vibes and was just exactly the kind of book I didn't know I needed!! I loved this book and highly recommend it!!

This book is written from the perspective of a young girl on the edge of her teen years in the mid-80s . It explores her emotions over several tragic events happening in her life, the feelings of jealousy and competition with her seemingly perfect sister, her own self-doubt and feelings of inadequacy. Sometimes the secrets we keep have long-lasting effects. I thought this book was emotional and heartbreaking and very well written. It gave me my own nostalgic look back at my own childhood during that time period.
I received an advance reader copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

A girl growing up in the mid 1980’s. Her younger neighbor goes missing one day at the lake and it turns the town upside down.

This is a coming of age story about growing up in a small town in the 80’s. I thought the story was interesting but I had a hard time relating to it. The writing style was excellent so I would read more books by this author.

When I finished Our Little World, I had to get up and go for a walk. This book has a lot of layers that you uncover as you read, and it is also heartbreaking. It is a coming-of-age story set in a small New Jersey town back in 1985. The summer will never be the same for this town as a tragedy strikes at the start of the story. This book is also about the bonds of sisters, family and friendship. The author did a wonderful job with the characters and taking us back to the 80's in a way that was easily relatable. This is a debut novel, and I will be looking out for more books from Karen Winn.

Sisters Bee and Audrina are close in age, but aren’t always close friends. Bee is smart and solid, while Audrina attracts adoration, particularly their father’s. Bee finds herself jealous of their new 4-year-old neighbor, Sally, with whom Audrina forms a bond. When Sally disappears while they are swimming in a lake, their small New Jersey town is forever transformed. Bee liked Sally’s older brother, Max, before his sister’s disappearance, and her crush is complicated by sympathy as she watches his grief and helplessness over his mother’s unraveling.

Even when Audrina gets sick, she seems to attract more attention, while Bee stands by, always misunderstood and always taken for granted.

Bee is a complex and relatable character, and her dysfunctional family is memorable. The mid-80s suburban setting is expertly drawn. While the story is at times heartbreaking, the ending manages to be positive. A transformative coming of age story, #OurLittleWorld #NetGalley