I thoroughly enjoyed this book - such a great middle grade read, and one that will stick with me for ages.

I thought that this was a very touching novel about a girl struggling with the loss of her mother. I liked the mystery of it as well as the healing that comes along with it.

The story starts on Brie’s 12th birthday, with lots of fuss and fanfare organized by Nana and Brie’s dotting Aunty Elsa and Uncle Julius, plus her best friends Smiley and Femi for company. Her Papa was nowhere to be seen, working late, perhaps he forgets her birthday. It’s devastating for Brie. With everyone hushed to silence, Nana gives Brie a very special gift… a box… containing letters… from her Mama.


In this entirely aptly named story, you will join Brie, her friends, and her family on a trip to Brim’s Island; the magical family home of Brie’s Mama, where there is a mystery to be solved by following the clues in a sequence of handwritten letters...a posthumous treasure hunt.


This is a hugely enjoyable read, at 188 pages and also not daunting for a middle-grade reader who isn’t up to much thicker books. Packed full of sleuthing and sometimes a giggle here and there, the author has welcomed the reader into her world of memories and imagination that will warm your heart, particularly as Brie and her Papa struggle to rekindle their father-daughter relationship. Brie misses her Mama so very much, and with this special quest, she finds a space to grieve and the key to feel happiness at last.

My heart hurt so much during this book! It's a book of grief but also of magic and family. The setting in this book is absolutely gorgeous. There were also some humorous parts to offset the sadness.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me free access to the digital advanced copy of this book.

There are no half stars but I gave this 3.5 stars.

We meet Brie as she wakes up on her 12th birthday. She’s in for a lot of surprises today. Starting with her birthday party. Everyone’s these except mama, who passed away from cancer when Brie was 9 and her dad, who never seems to be around. Brie gets to her last present, a box from her mom who wrote letters to send them on one last adventure together. Will these letters help Brie heal with the loss of her mom and maybe even help her know why her dad has been so distant since her death?

My heart strings tugged for Brie the entire book. She’s still grieving her mom’s death from 3 years earlier while also feeling like she’s not good enough for her father because he’s never around. I didn’t like the all the adults kept making excuses for him especially why he didn’t show up for her birthday. Which obviously wasn’t the first one he missed. Brie’s relationship with her friends and Brim was sweet and they were there for her when others were not. When Brie’s father finally comes around and sits down to speak with her, she starts telling him about things her mom did to embarrass her when he asked why she was upset. I get that she had found out what he did which was nice but she still had a lot of reasons why she was and should be upset with her father and it wasn’t discussed between them. That discussion would have been great for the development in their relationship. It just feels like she forgave him with no true explanation or apology for why he’s been acting how he has since her mother passed.

I really enjoyed the audiobook of this and look forward to reading more from this author.

This was a sweet, quick read. I enjoyed following Brie, her family and her friends on their adventures to uncover Brie's mom's clues and secrets. This book had both funny and heartwarming moments, as well as some mystery and adventure. I wish there was a bit more character development and sometimes pacing felt a bit inconsistent. Otherwise, this was an enjoyable and fast read. I would recommend this to readers that enjoy realistic fiction, such as Isaiah Dunn is My Hero.

For me, the pacing was off in this story and I needed a deeper understanding of Brie's relationship with her mother and who Brie was as a character.

When she turns 12 Brie gets a present, a box of letters from her mother who died years before from cancer. The letters take Brie, her friends, and her family on a journey back to their family roots and help them rediscover each other and the beauty of their lives.

Brie is a young girl who lives in Jamaica with her grandmother and father. Her mother has died of cancer 3 years ago. Her mother gives her a 12th birthday gift she can never forget.
This book is a bit of magical realism that I have never read before. The writing style of the author was excellent. This is also a coming-of-age story.
The book deals with loss, grief, pain, love, and forgiveness. Brie struggles with the connection. I really enjoyed this middle-grade novel. I recommend it to late elementary and middle school students. I give the book 4 stars.

This should be mandatory reading in all schools. Such a beautiful and powerful little book. I enjoyed it very much.

I really enjoyed this beautiful story about a girl whose mother tragically passed away, but left her a letter with a scavenger hunt for her birthday. This book made me tear up many times and I highly suggest it! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

Not really what I expected and I'm not sure I always followed the plot. Some of that may be cultural but it's enough to make me hesitate to recommend it.

A big thank you to Random House Children's, Delacorte Press, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

If You Read This is a fast read, but it is one that will stay with me for a while. 12-year-old Brie lives in Jamaica with her grandmother and her father. Her mother died of cancer when Brie was 9. She misses the wild adventures her mother used to take her on. She's also missing her father even though he is still with her. He works all the time and seems to be avoiding spending time with Brie. Before she died, her mother set up a quest for Brie that should bring her and her father closer together. But will things go the way her mother had hoped? There is just a touch of magical realism in this book and I really loved it!

Brb, sobbing.

This was a really touching, beautiful middle grade story about grief and healing and family and friendship. Brie's mom passed away from cancer. On her 12th birthday, she's given a treasure hunt, left for her by her mum, that sends her on an adventure. Brie is accompanied by several friends and family members, but she's also been feeling distant from her father since her mum died, and through the story we learn that he is also struggling with not only the grief from losing his wife, but balancing his work and supporting Brie financially and how to talk about his feelings with her. It is an absolutely emotionally devastating but ultimately hopeful and loving book.

CW: death of a parent, cancer

Brie’s mother died three years ago. Now she feels ignored and like a burden to her busy father and Nana.

On Brie’s 12th birthday she receives a gift of letter from her late mom that’s sets her on an adventure and encourages a reconnection between Brie and her dad.

However Brie’s Papa seems too busy to go on the adventure with her and sends other family instead. How will they find a way to speak so they each understand?

A hopeful story of family, a desire to understand and the importance of sharing your journey with those you love.

Brie recently turned 12, and her Papa (dad) missed her birthday again. For three years (since her mother died), Brie has not been able to make her dad smile, he works all the time, and when he asks questions (the same ones over and over), he doesn't listen to her answers. So A + B = Papa doesn't care anymore. If he could, he would probably trade her for her Mom. She's a very sad unhappy girl.

One gift she received was special (from her Mom), a box containing 3 letters. After she reads the first letter, everything starts to change. And one more important event; she gets to visit Brim's Island (where her grandpa lived).

The letters promise adventure...and with the valiant support of her aunt, Brie finds the priceless treasure behind a secret door.

A tender story of a girl who feels forgotten and overlooked by her always-working undemonstrative father, years after the death of her mother--who lived every day loud and large. Also a story about healing a small fractured family. I recommend this for ages 8 through adult.

4/5 Stars Needs to show more of her dad's withdrawal--not just being a workaholic. We are told he doesn't listen, but we don't experience it. That's vital if it's true.

Thanks to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the free preview of this ebook; the review is voluntary.

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Brie is sent on a magical adventure for her 12th birthday. After her mother passed, her father saved letters from her that give her clues to find her mother's magical place. Along the way, Brie makes realizations about her family.
Opinion
This short book packs a powerful punch. It brought me to tears both at the beginning and the end. It is perfect for upper elementary and lower middle schoolers looking for an adventure of their own. It helps to show that family dynamics are not necessarily what they seem through the eyes of a child.
Many thanks to Net Galley and to Random House Children's Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
While I haven’t read Kereen Getten before, I’ve heard positive things. And this book is incredibly heartwarming, with a young girl following a letter-based treasure hunt her mom planned for her twelfth birthday just before she died. I love how it explores the memory of Brie’s connection with her mom, and how her mom planned ahead to keep it alive even after she was gone. Brie’s connection with her mom and how she’s been grappling with the loose is poignant to read, as is the journey she goes on as she takes her first steps into adolescence, guided by the one she loves so much and misses dearly. It’s the perfect book for any kid who has lost a parent and is grappling with that as they get older.

In this touching and sweet story, Brie gets a surprise on her 12th birthday - a series of letters from her mom who had passed away 3 years ago that lead her on a special treasure hunt around the island of Jamaica. Brie's struggle to connect with her dad and other family comes out in this story along with the power of friendship and family to navigate hard times. I loved the glimpse into island life from the perspective of locals.