Thank you NetGalley. I really enjoyed this story and the friendships. The narrators were on point and kept me listening.

NetGalley ARC | Unfortunately, I just couldn't get past the first chapters of this book. The writing style, narration, and story weren't catching my attention - at all. I just had to close it for good.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for providing me a free advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I could not believe how well written this book was since the author is a debut author, but this is one for the record books that is heart-tugging and memorable. Set in the 1980’s this is a nostalgic book that reminded me of my children’s childhoods, when times were considered safer for children to just be children. That’s what Bee, Audrina, Max and Sally are, just children, enjoying their lives until tragedy strikes when Sally disappears one day at the lake. No one is the same afterwards, but Bee seems to be most affected, probably because the entire novel is told from her adolescent point of view. The characters are well developed and each has his/her own personality. Bee is a tomboy that really wants to be more girlish but doesn’t know how. Audrina is an extrovert who demands and gets attention because she is pretty and popular. Max and Sally are the next door neighbors who move into the quiet cul de sac from Boston and are still adjusting to live in a more rural area when Sally disappears. As Audrina and Bee mature, they grow further and further apart, probably as a result of early sibling rivalry and complicated by Sally’s disappearance. Since Bee is the one telling the story, at times the novel seemed like a memoir or a diary, and their was a lot of teen angst and emotion throughout. The plot was engaging, but the central focus of the story was the characters and their relationships to each other. With a mystery and themes of family secrets, sibling relationships, childhood innocence destroyed, and death, this book was one that I would recommend to anyone looking for a domestic drama that not only entertains but makes you remember how things used to be.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

A coming-of-age story of two sisters. Innocence, family, heartbreak and loss. The story takes place in New Jersey in 1985. A time when life was simple. Kids played outside in the streets without supervision. Then one day their four-year old neighbor just disappears from plain sight.

As the story progresses, Bee struggles with some mental health issues and has other struggles when she learns her parents and other people in her life aren't who she thought they were. A very emotional and beautifully written book. I highly recommend this read.

Coming of age stories are like catnip to me, so of course when I saw the description of this debut novel, it immediately jumped to the top of my TBR.

Set in the 1980s, this book explores sisterhood, growing up, family secrets, crime, loss and Hope beyond tragedy. I thought the writing was stunning and I couldn’t believe it was a debut novel. If you’re like me and love a good coming of age story, make sure Our Little World is on your TBR!

This is a very complex story for a debut novel. With a lot of nostalgia in the early eighties, tragedy hits this small town. Nothing like this has happened here and the community doesn't know how to handle it. The story delves into the family dynamic of two sisters and their family caught up in the tragedy.

A very well written story by a new author to follow. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I honestly don't even really know where to start with Our Little World by Karen Winn. This is a debut novel, and I didn't think that showed at all because it was just so good and flowed so well. There is a tiny bit of mystery to it thanks to Sally going missing, but since you are seeing all of this through the eyes of a young girl, it really isn't about that mystery being solved. There was a strong focus on Bee and her sister's relationship, and Winn also really brought to life what it is like to live in a small community where everyone knows everyone's business, or at the very least the rumors. I was glad that even though Bee is our only viewpoint and so young, this didn't really feel like a juvenile read to me. I honestly would have placed it in the adult fiction genre if I didn't know any better, and I loved that.

Part of the adult feel of this book could also have been because I listened to the audiobook and the narrator Jesse Vilinsky is clearly an adult, so I was technically listening to Bee through an adult's narration. Either way, I thought that Vilinsky did a stellar job voicing this book, and there wasn't a moment I didn't enjoy with her 'behind the wheel' so to speak. There are some really messed-up things that happen in Our Little World, and I almost want to categorize it as a bit of a family saga/drama. It is definitely a coming-of-age novel as both Hilderbrand's blurb and the synopsis suggest, and it gave me so many complex feelings and emotions as I was listening to it. The pacing is slow to be sure, but I never found myself bored or wishing for more which I thought was a great sign. If you are at all interested in books like this, I highly recommend picking up Our Little World and preparing yourself for an emotional roller coaster.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A bit of coming-of-age and a bit of mystery combine in this novel that begins in the summer of 1985. Told from the perspective of Borka or “Bee”, as she prefers to be called, and the oldest sister to the beautiful, popular, and lovable Audrina, Bee reflects back on the summer that changed everything for her family. Tragedy strikes during a typical summer day at the lake with their neighbors the Bakers. The youngest Baker sister, Sally, goes missing. The idyllic New Jersey summer of 1985 changed the lives of Bee and Audrina forever. As Bee looks back on the years 1985-1986, she remembers the angst of being a teenager, the complicated relationship with her sister, and the secrets from that time that almost tore their family apart.

“It was a few seconds and it was a few hours and it was the rest of our lives.”

The first sentence tells the reader that Audrina and Sally die. But, it takes nearly the whole story to find out what happens to them. As we follow Bee and Audrina growing up in the close-knit New Jersey community, we know in the back of our minds that something terrible is going to happen. We witness the fights and hurtful words between two sisters and hope that those aren’t the last words said to each other. Those of us with sisters or siblings understand the friction, the annoyances, and the regrets in managing those relationships. As they try to overcome the summer that Sally went missing, never being left alone or free to roam outside, Bee remembers the summer that she became the closest to her sister.

“Was a family room still a family room when your family no longer existed?”

It was precious to read a story set in the 1980s, a time frame that I grew up in while remembering life before cell phones and social media. A time when we only had a landline and corded phones to talk to our friends. I remember the fear of Adam Walsh going missing and seeing a child’s face on a milk carton. What happened to those kids and what happened to Sally Baker? The Kocsis and Baker families can’t bear to imagine the worst, but after a year, how could she still be alive?

“Accidents were spilled drinks and items you knock over when you brush too closely against a table and the time Audrina crashed her bike. Accidents were not this. Accidents were not death.”

There are numerous family issues in the story as well including infidelity, alcoholism, secrets, and betrayal. Can any family recover from the events during the summer of 1985? For a first-time novelist, I thought the pacing of the story was particularly well done. The voice of teen Bee and adult Bee were authentic and the feelings Bee struggled with were easy to identify with. What child doesn’t want to keep a secret that might get her in trouble? What child doesn’t play out the pros and cons of any situation, wondering what her next move should be regarding boys, friendships, and especially when dealing with family secrets?

If you like family stories, sister stories (one of my favorites), a mystery, or coming-of-age, this novel has all these qualities. I was impressed with the story and find myself thinking of Bee quite often. I hope there is more to come from Karen Winn in the future.

Many thanks to Penguin Group Dutton and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion. I love the setting and reality of this novel! Highly recommend

What a moving debut novel by author Karen Winn. I don't usually gravitate toward fictional crime dramas (especially ones involving a child), but when the publisher reached out saying the protagonist, Bee, would capture my heart, I just couldn't resist. And boy was she right. Bee was such a captivating character, as was her sister, Audrina, and I felt every emotion right along with them. Throw in the 80s setting, the sisterly bond, and the coming-of-age uncertainties, and this novel was a definite win.

@kbookwriter did an incredible job in allowing the reader to experience the palpable fear of the community, and the genuine angst of the teenagers in the story. And despite having to put the novel down a few times because of the chaos of life, the story was SO vivid that I never forgot the characters or the situation they were in when I had to put it down. In other words, it was deeply affecting.

There was more to the narrative than just the overarching tragic mystery. The author delves into the themes of sibling rivalry, family dynamics, survivor's guilt, and the angst that children of immigrants experience (of which I have first-hand knowledge).

This one is definitely worth your time, my friends!

Many thanks to Dutton Books, Penguin Random House, and Net Galley for gifting me with this advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

For more of my reviews, please check out my blog at www.mamasgottaread.blogspot.com or follow me on Instagram at www.instagram.com/mamasgottaread !

Atmospheric and a realistic coming of age story.
Many thanks to Penguin Group Dutton and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I am not sure how I feel about this one. I enjoyed it to an extent, but it was not what I was expecting. I need to process my thoughts and feelings for a bit…

A rec by Elin Hilderbrand brought this book to my attention. I read this over a weekend and it really held my attention. So interesting how the stories of 2 families on 1 suburban block in New Jersey are so enmeshed.

“We didn’t function in quite the same way as some of the other families in the neighborhood.”

This is an emotional story for sure, very heartbreaking. It’s a very well written debut novel that reflects on family dynamics and the relationship between two sisters. In a suburban neighborhood in NJ in the 1980’s, the disappearance of a little girl is front and center in this story. But there are other things going and secrets that are a burden for twelve year old Bee to understand. Her sister Audrina carries a different burden when she is diagnosed with diabetes. There is sibling rivalry and jealousy, but Bee and Audrina do love each other. There are parents who love their children, but make mistakes, who are at times oblivious to things happening and there are consequences from which there is no turning back. To say more would give too much of the story away so I won’t say much more. There’s a chilling epilogue, but yet there is hope that the memory of the love will sustain those who remain. I will definitely be looking for what Karen Winn may write next .


I received a copy of this book from Dutton Books through NetGalley.

It's 1985 in small town New Jersey, the kids ride their bikes to the pool or the lake to swim. Twelve year old Bee and younger sister Audrina Kocsis live on a cul-de-sac across from new neighbors Max and Sally. Our Little World is an interesting coming of age story where there are lots of secrets and sibling love and rivalry.

One day at the lake, young Sally goes missing. Who saw her last? Is she alive or dead? It tears the families apart and the small town where no had ever been afraid before. But it's the relationship between Bee and Audrina that is strongest in the book. The love they have but are unable to actually talk because they are both jealous of the other. Their bond is very strong but very complicated.

I liked the book but I couldn't climb into it like I like. The mystery of Sally seems to go on too long and I couldn't relate enough to feel invested in the characters. Tragedy on top of tragedy, maybe it was too much for me.

This is a coming-of-age/mystery book that made my jaw drop when the final revelation was given. The story is well balanced between the mystery and it's repercussions and the relationships of the people. In particular, is the relationship between the two sisters (one of whom is the narrator). I have two sisters and though our relationships are quite different from Bee and Audrina's, there are enough 'universal sisterhood' traits that I could easily identify from my own childhood.

This isn't a fast read - not because the pacing is slow, but because it calls out for thought in so many ways. It's not one to breeze through. The characters are so real and the situations complex that I was totally absorbed in the book.

I thought it was an excellent book.

Small town neighborhood in New Jersey in 1985. Brings back many memories of that time. Being young and experiencing Summer and all of its activities. Sisters and their relationship. Neighbors and the relationships between neighbors. A sad story too.

The complexity of sisterhood…

⏰ 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫: It’s the summer of 1985 when four-year-old Sally goes missing. Everyone was there including Bee and Audrina Kocsis, sisters who rode there with Sally, her older brother Max, and Max & Sally’s mom. Then… everything happens. Life. A town in turmoil. A family that isn’t as together as it seems. Yup, Life. And it’s all it should be - good, bad, and tragic.

💡𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: I love the simplicity of this book. It’s a taut tale of life sprinkled with immense tragedy. Winn foreshadows it. The reader knows it’s coming. And it still took me by surprise because Winn writes these pivotal moments WELL. One of those where you know it’s coming but somehow brush it aside until it comes back and smacks you square in the face. From the complicated pre-teen sister relationship of Bee and Audrina, fraught with petty grudges and perceived wrongs (oh the drama!) to the more serious issues of dealing with a lost child, one who may be gone forever, childhood disease, change, family… Winn covers big and small, simply. Honestly. With integrity.

This makes the book one that’s pure emotion, particularly if you have kids - because it touches on those deep fears parents bury down in the place they don’t talk about. Flawed, real-human-crafted characters round out my favorable aspects of this novel - no one is perfect (well except the one “perfect” girl in town, but she’s predictably boring) and that’s what endears them to you as the reader - authenticity.

𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆𝗠𝗮𝗴𝘀.𝗰𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

📚𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Contemporary Fiction/1980’s

😍𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨: Those who love a traditional novel, it’s not fast-paced, but is so worth the ride!

🙅‍♀️ 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨: if you’re looking for quick, easy reads. This one has complications, slow parts, etc

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for my advanced copy in exchange for my always-honest review and for making me realize having a brother is pretty awesome, but I enjoying the pretend world of sisterhood immensely.

Our Little World was the sad story of a small town in New Jersey. Bee and her sister are experiencing all the things that come with summer. Days at the club, swimming at the lake and getting to know the new neighborhood kids.

Bee and her sister, Audrina, have an interesting dynamic. One seems to get all the attention, while the other seems to blend into the sidelines. What starts as a typical summer changes drastically when 4-year-old Sally goes missing one day at the lake. This tiny, innocent town is flipped on its side as they struggle to find Sally and eventually figure out who has done it.

Sisterhood, mystery, health issues, and family dynamics all come to play in Karen Winn's Our Little World.

Reading this book almost made me feel like I had a sister myself. The relationship between Bee and Audrina was believable and touching. Our Little World is a tough look at how tragedy touches families and ripples out to neighborhoods and communities and an accurate portrayal about coming of age in the 1980s. The characters are flawed but complex and forgiveable. I will look for more by the author in the future.