I think the description of this book really doesn’t do it justice; I came in with certain expectations for the story that it just didn’t deliver on. The reverse parent trap plot wasn’t as strong as I thought it would be. I was also left extremely frustrated with the way the adults in the protagonist’s life were treating her; you can’t just drop that you have a boyfriend and you’re getting married so suddenly on your kid! Overall, I was unfortunately a bit disappointed with this book, but hopefully there are some kids who’ll love it.

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

I loved this read as a middle grade novel. It does a great job of showing what a queer tween might experience while they're still discovering their sexuality. It also has a great family dynamic portraying a step family coming together for the first time.

Thank you to Net Galley and publishers for an ARC copy of this novel. I give this honest review voluntarily.


This is such a cool book. I loved it. The author created such a genuine character in Autumn and the way she felt about moving to a new town. The situation in which a 12 year old envisions sabotaging her mother's wedding as a way to get back to living in her familiar neighborhood was so authentic in how a girl of that age would process changes that she didn't want happening to her life. She enlists Linnea, her soon to be stepsister in the mission to derail their parents from getting married. During this journey Autumn discovers more about herself. Before getting too far into the book I had thought that Linnea would reveal that she had had a crush on Autumn for some time and that Autumn would develop feelings for Linnea as they spent more time together. That would have opened up a whole can of worms and I actually liked what the author created better anyway. Like I said I really enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it to preteens and older people alike. I give it 4 ½ stars.

The Sister Split is a middle grade book that tackles some really complex topics while still making it somewhat lighthearted and fun. I loved the characters and found even the "bad" ones to be relatable. It was a slow moving story, but it was still very enjoyable and nothing felt like it was missing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I actually really enjoyed this!! I wasn't particularly pulled in by the first 15% or so that I read several months ago so I put it down and only picked it back up a few days ago since I knew it was being archived soon and wanted to finish it before that. I restarted it and was worried that it wasn't for me due to it being written for a younger audience and there being a lot of moments of second hand embarrassment that I felt for the main character. However, as I kept reading I ended up feeling a lot of connection with the main character as she figures out who she is. I also loved getting to see more queer rep as the book continued which really resonated with me. Parts of this made me pretty emotional and I was surprised by how attached I was to the main characters I was by the end. Overall this was a really solid 4 or even 4.5 star read and I really enjoyed it!

I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did. It was so cute, and I was sobbing at many points throughout. I could not help but love Autumn, even though she was short-sighted and petty through most of the book. She acted like every 12 year old I've ever met and that endeared me to her so much. Her start to her queer journey felt all too real as well, no wonder she was acting out! I breathed a sigh of relief when she was finally able to communicate her feelings to her mom and when she found a role model in Dana. I wanted to give every Autumn out there a hug.

Heartbreakingly real, Desombre perfectly crafts the story of a girl going through a really tough time, losing the carefully constructed life that makes her happy, while not being able to embrace or find ways for her new life to also make her happy. A real winner of a story with a situation that a lot of kids will be able to relate to.

Autumn cannot wait for her summer vacation. She's made plans with her best friend since this year is the year they can finally go out and about on their own. Except, her mother has just decided that they were moving from Manhattan to the middle of nowhere cause she's now engaged to her boyfriend and she wants them to be a family. So Autumn makes a plan with her bff, a plan to break her mom and her boyfriend up and then tries to rope her future sister-in-law into helping.

I spent a lot of time being super angry while reading this. So it wasn't the best experience for me. I was really fuming through most of the book. I could hardly stand the mother, the people around but also the brother and sometimes the main character. The entire situation made me so angry the entire time, I couldn't properly enjoy this. It did have some good parts but I was too stuck and the first situation of it all.
Basically, this wasn't for me but I will still be on the lookout for books by this author because a lot of it had great potential.

A poignant and charming middle grade novel about blended families, first loves, and finding yourself in a new place! Kids and tweens will enjoy this book.

This is a Middle Grade book. There are so many great things in this middle grade book. I loved the characters in this book, and I loved seeing all the changes in the characters from the beginning to the ending. I felt the ending was so heartwarming, and it was so great. I felt that parts of this book were slow moving, and I still really enjoyed this book. I also wanted to add that I really love the cover of this book, and I think it fits the story so well. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Delacorte) or author (Auriane Desombre) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

Auriane Desombre’s middle grade debut is a reverse parent trap: what if two potential step-sisters worked together to break their parents up?

Autumn has lived with her mom and brother in New York City her whole life. She and her BFF Saskia finally get to explore the city just the two of them– well, a fifteen block radius of the city. They have the best summer ever planned.

Until Autumn’s mom changes everything with one announcement: she’s marrying her boyfriend and they’re all moving to Connecticut, where he and his daughter live.

Autumn doesn’t want to leave New York, but more importantly, she doesn’t want to leave Saskia. They do what any BFF’s would do: they plot and plan to get Autumn back to the city, and back to Saskia, by breaking up Autumn’s mom and her fiancé.


While Autumn sets out to breakup her mom’s relationship, Saskia is drifting further away. Saskia’s mention of a new friend has Autumn feeling replaced — and just desperate enough to loop her future stepsister, Linnea, into the plan.

Hijinks ensue. Moving truck mishaps, ruined dinners, date nights cut short, venue sabotage, cake tasting disasters– Autumn is one determined saboteur.

But an unexpected wrench is thrown in Autumn’s plans, one that distracts her with endless questions: what if her feelings are more than friendly? What if she has a crush on her BFF?

This book has such humor and heart. Autumn’s attempts to derail her mom’s relationship are laugh out loud funny, while her journey of self-discovery is tender and hopeful. Sister Split does an excellent job of handling big feelings delicately and with great care without shying away from difficult topics. Love, belonging, family, home– these themes are present throughout the novel, subtly supporting the plot.

The Sister Split is a fun book with a lot of heart and depth. Autumn’s new feelings cause plenty of introspection, but it is all balanced with action. This book makes for an excellent summer read!

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Random House Children’s publishing for an advanced digital copy such that I could share my honest opinions.

The Sister Split will be available March 14, 2023.

I thought this did a really good job of showing how problems feel at this age. With perspective, some of Autumn's problems in this novel really are big, and some are really trivial, but for her, encountering them all for the first time, it's all just a really intense emotional blender. I thought the angst was really well written, and I was sucked in so much that I was so frustrated along with Autumn at her flailing relationship with her mother, in which she felt completely ignored. There were actually plenty of times when Autumn went along with things without complaint in order to please her mom, where young me would have definitely thrown a last-straw tantrum—despite spending most of the book planning juvenile, parent-trap style pranks, most of the time she seemed really mature!

An adorable story that reminds adults of the Parent Trap crazy from their childhood! Although the main character is unlikable at first, the growth she experiences throughout the story is an excellent example of character development in writing.

I am always on the lookout for books to gift my younger cousins who are def in the correct age range for this middle grade book! I really enjoyed the hi-jinks Autumn gets herself into. Underneath the fun premise the overall voice and struggles are very authentic to being a middle schooler. Loved it and will be passing on as a recommendation!

This is a super cute, super fun middle grade. I really enjoyed the authentic middle school voice and the hi-jinks Autumn gets herself into. It's hard to watch her mother brush aside Autumn's feelings but I also think that is very authentic to being a middle schooler. With a great cover, strong commercial hook, and a shorter page length, I see this being very popular.

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Autumn is looking forward to a great summer in New York City, since she and her best friend Saskia are finally going to be allowed to roam around a bit. They have a long list of things to do, including checking out a large number of pizza and ice cream places. Unfortunately, these plans are scuttled when her mother announces that she and the man she has been dating for several years, Harrison (whom Autumn calls "Harristinks"), are getting married. As if that weren't bad enough, Autumn and her brother George, who is starting college soon, are expected to move to a "random town" in wilds of Connecticut and live with Harrison and his daughter, Linnea. Linnea is annoyingly quiet and nice to Autumn, making a welcome sign for their shared room and wanting to forge a relationship with her new sister. Autumn and Saskia formulate a plan to destroy her mother's relationship so that the family can move back to New York. This starts with Saskia calling the moving company and redirecting the truck, continues with attempts to ruin date nights, and includes daily annoyances like Autumn giving Harrison sugar instead of salt when he is cooking and ruining the food. None of these things seem to deter the couple, who continue planning the wedding even though Autumn tries to give her mother the most ridiculous dress in the bridal boutique. (N.B. This would not be hard. Wedding dresses in 2023 area almost all ridiculous.) Autumn misses Saskia desperately, and the two stay in countact, although Saskia continues to have a life and enjoy her summer with Autum, and even makes new friends. Autumn starts to realize, after hanging out with Linnea and her friends, that she might have a crush on Saskia. She seeks advice from an older teen, Dana, who has a girlfriend, but isn't sure how to tell her mother. After accidentally breaking Harrison's telescope, Autumn hears him telling her mother that they need to get rid of her, and the mother agrees. Will Autumn be able to stop the wedding in time?
Strengths: I loved that Harrison and Linnea are depicted in such a positive light, even when seen through Autumn's red haze of anger and disappointment. Linnea especially was great, and went out of her way to include Autumn with her friends, show her around town, and make her comfortable at home. The details about wedding planning will appeal to some readers. Autumn's relationship with Saskia is interesting; while there are a growing number of books where girls like other girls, I can't think of any where the crush in question is a best friend who reciprocates the feeling.
Weaknesses: The original The Parent Trap movie came out in 1961. While I'm sure young people have emotions similar to Autumn's when their parents want to get remarried, Autumn's actions are a bit disturbing. Redirecting the movers just puts the movers out more than anything.
What I really think: Readers who want stories about blended families and who enjoyed Palmer's Love You Like a Sister, Payne's The Thing About Leftovers, Homzie's Apple Pie Promises, and Knisley's Stepping Stones will enjoy this tale of a girl struggling with a new family situation. I preferred Zarr's A Song Called Home, but young readers will think Autumn's actions are more justified than I did.

3.5
I don't usually read middle grade novels, but when I saw that the author of I think I love you was releasing a book similar to The parent Trap with queer characters and with a beautiful cover, I didn't hesitate.

I had a good time with this book: it was a short read that allowed me to take a break between two more dense novels. Throughout my reading, I went through both laughter and tears, because the author has succeeded very well in balancing humor and emotion.

I think that, like me, many people will relate to how the main character Autumn reacts to the big changes she faces throughout the book: having to leave her hometown, seeing her mother remarry, having to share her life and family with her step-sister, but also realizing that the feelings she has for her best friend may be more than just friendly. The frustration she feels because her mother doesn't listen to her totally got me, and I loved that all the plans she makes to get her mother to call off her wedding are driven by a sincere sense of not feeling like she belongs in her family, something that I'm sure is the reality for many people who will feel understood by reading this book.

I would recommend this novel to all readers who are around the same age as the main character (12) because I probably would have enjoyed it even more if I had read it at that age.
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me this arc in exchange for an honest review

I loved this middle grade novel! The Sister Split is an incredible relatable book, down to the very conflicts faced by the characters throughout. I think this is a fantastic book.

This book got to me. I bought into the angst, feelings of not being heard, and decisions made for you. Autumn is finishing sixth grade and has made all kinds of summer plans with her best friend. Instead her mother announces she is engaged and they are leaving her home in NYC and moving to Connecticut.

Future step-sister Linnea is welcoming to Autumn even excited to be sharing her room. The blurb in the book is mis-leading because Linnea has no plans of her parents getting back together. But Autumn wants things the way they were suppose to be. She sets on a plan of trying to break up her mom's new relationship before the planned wedding in August. The hijinks are realistic. As our the feelings. A lot of the problems could have been resolved with better advance communication by the mother like letting Autumn know she would be sharing a room, but this is Autumn’s story from her POV. You know Autumn is loved but she isn’t being heard or is being dismissed by a parent caught up in other changes.

I love the build up and bubbling over point. A mom listening and hearing. There is LGBTQ themes with Autumn realizing her feelings for her BF have crush overtones. One of Autumn's frustrations is not being able to talk to her mom about these confusing feelings. This is a very sweet middle graders (4th-8th) book. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s, Delacorte Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.