Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book, as this book has already been published, I will not share my review on Netgalley at this time.

This is a great story for fans of realistic fiction about growing up, finding yourself, family issues, and middle school friendship drama. Natty is SUPER POSITIVE all the time - bordering on toxic positivity. While a good attitude and looking on the bright side can be good qualities, Natty is clearly using her positivity to mask how she's really feeling about her parent's separation, struggles with moving to a new school in a small town, and friendship dramas from her last school. New, unexpected friendships help Natty as she helps her school find a bit more school spirit. A sweet, touching story that is perfect for readers who like other books by Lisa Greenwald or similar authors such as Wendy Mass or Rebecca Stead.

Natty is newly living with her dad and grandparents. Although she's been through turmoil and misses her mom and best friend, Natty believes that keeping a positive attitude with everyone and in every situation will turn things around. It doesn't. Natty makes new friends and learns some new ways of coping with disappointment and heartache.

"Good vibes only!" Natty Blanken lives by the words on the patch on her backpack. What's the point of focusing on the negative? So, last year she was part of the popular group at her Long Island middle school, and her parents were together, and now she lives with her dad at his parents’ house in a small Pennsylvania town where she doesn’t know any of the other junior high students? That’s all fine. It’s an opportunity to make new friends and try new things. Her parents won’t really get divorced; her mom will join them in Miller Creek eventually. Everything will be just fine. Better than fine. Natty just has to put that good energy out into the universe, and ignore that weird twisted-up feeling she keeps getting in her gut, right?

When it seems like everyone around her can only talk about how bad things are, Natty doubles down on relentless cheerfulness. She starts a pep squad at the junior high, planning the first pep rally in anyone’s memory. But there are real problems in her life, her friends’ lives, and the town as a whole. To experience real happiness, she’s going to have to face up to the fact that sometimes, things are just bad. “Good vibes only” is a nice sentiment, but when a person refuses to recognize there is a problem, finding a solution is impossible.

Greenwald explores the impact of toxic positivity, looking for the bright side of any situation while ignoring real challenges, in an age-appropriate scenario for middle grade readers. The people of Miller Creek are clearly in economic difficulty, and it is suggested that mental health issues precipitated the Blankens’ move from Long Island. The more Natty tries to convince herself and everyone else that everything will be just fine if they only believe it, the clearer it becomes that this is not a workable strategy.

The Jewish content of this novel is largely confined to Natty’s background. In Miller Creek, she is the only Jewish student in the seventh grade, a fact mentioned briefly and without drama. Natty anticipates her Bat Mitzvah in the next couple of years, but it isn’t a big concern for her, nor is the fact that the nearest synagogue is half an hour away. Like many contemporary Jewish American tweens, Natty identifies as Jewish while living an almost entirely secular life.

This is a charming contemporary realistic novel for middle grade readers. Friendship and what it means to be a good friend are central to the story, timeless themes with wide appeal. This should be seriously considered for the Sydney Taylor Book Award.

Natty and her dad have just moved to a new town to live with her grandparents while her mom takes some time to herself after being depressed last year. Natty thinks if she is happy enough, positive enough, or peppy enough then her mom will join them and everything will be ok. She starts a new pep squad at her junior high school and meets a very eclectic group of kids. With her new friends Mack, Luna, Terra, and the lunch squad, Natty learns what it takes to be a leader and how to be a good friend. Sometimes positivity can bring people down if you just ignore the problems they are having. This was a great book that dealt with many issues: depression, mean girls, toxic positivity.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.

This book was a trainwreck for me. I didn't enjoy Natty's character and hated her toxic positivity. There were so many instances in this book that could've been handled better without Natty's annoying toxic positivity.

I've enjoyed Greenwald's books in the past but this one wasn't enjoyable.

This was an absolutely delightful middle grade about the pitfalls of toxic positivity. I think this voice is so suited for a younger middle grade audience and does a great job at capturing the emotions of moving, trying to make new friends, adjust to a change in economic and family circumstances and working as a team. The characters were all bright and multi-faceted. I would definitely recommend this charming novel.

There is a lot wrong with Natty’s life: her depressed mom has moved out and her unemployed dad barely gets off the couch. Natty’s had to move in with her grandparents in her dad’s economically depressed hometown and start middle school again without her best friend. But Natty is convinced that a positive attitude and some effort on her part can turn it all around. Her relentlessly energetic efforts to inject good vibes into a school on the verge of a teacher walkout and filled with snarky, troubled, and toxic teens is cringeworthy, hilarious, and heartwarming. The mix of interior monologue, text messages, and dialog feels just right. Like a middle school Ted Lasso, readers will find themselves rooting for Natty while worrying about a kid smoothing over the awful and taking on the impossible. Most characters present as white; Natty’s family is Jewish. Thank you to Harper Collins / Katherine Tegan and NetGalley for an Advance Reader Copy in return for an unbiased review.

I read a lot of MG and YA fiction but this was one of the few times I felt like an adult reading a kid book. The lesson about toxic positivity felt like it was drawn out too long. There were too many scenes where her friend had to stop and tell her that she wasn't taking her problems seriously. Some problems, like poverty, can't be resolved by just staying positive and Natty seemed oblivious to the feelings of others.
I will say I enjoyed the oddball cast of characters; I just wish we had gotten to know them a little better than just their nicknames.
In the end I really wanted Natty to get some resolution with her mom but that never happened, which in some ways I guess is realistic but unfulfilling for the reader.

Absolutely, Positively Natty expertly examines positivity, specifically toxic positively through the story of Natty after moving with her dad to her grandparent’s community without her mother. Throughout this time, Natty is trying to stay positive and make everyone else around her be positive as well. The narration perfectly shows how much Natty is trying to remain positive within her own mind. At the same time, Greenwald is also able to show the, excuse my phrasing, more positive aspects of positivity with Natty’s positivity and attempt to make a pep squad having a positive impact on the community. Despite this she addresses how positivity to the extent of ignoring reality is unhelpful. Overall, I feel like the characterization of Natty was incredibly well done and believe that children, particular those struggling with being able to feel their feelings fully would find this book enjoyable and helpful.

It was a hard book for me to get into. I was really disappointed because I don't have much of "cheerleading" books in my teen department. I just don't think my teens would be interested in this book as much.

This book is a good book for middle school students to read because I think they would be able to relate a lot to the characters in the book. There are several characters with very different personalities so I think students would be able to find one to relate to. This would be a great book to have in the classroom and the school library. It would also be great to read as a class novel and then have interesting discussions either as a class or in groups. Topics could include: being a new student at a new school, making friends, having positive attitudes, growing apart from friends, divorce, depression, school spirit, sincerity, and supporting others. I recommend this book to teachers, parents, and students (middle grades and up). If you read it, please let me know what you think.

I can see how Natty might come off as an irritating protagonist, but I found her commitment to optimism rather charming. A lot of complicated topics are explored in this story (parental separation, being uprooted from home, poverty, teacher welfare) and while Natty's relentless pursuit of the "bright side" could feel frustrating at times, I admired her tenacity and think it sets a positive example for young readers without trying to force a positive mindset: after all, Natty does learn that "good vibes only" isn't always the most helpful approach.

I may look too old on the outside, but inside it doesn't matter. We all want to 'be nice' and do good, put positivity into the world to hopefully get some sent back to us. Natty has every reason to be sad, depressed, and wants to hide away. Especially once she starts school in her dad's hometown.
We wonder how much can one girl go through and yet stay positive and hopeful.
As a child I would have loved this novel as i moved around a ton and tried to be happy to make new friends as fast as possible. Hopefully, many mid-grade aged children will say hey, "she's just like me."
OR as a grownup, I read it as, "I have been there, and it gets better."
Second chances, family, grief, making friends, and finding your real self---not the person you think you want people to see.

This book is exactly why we need to teach mindfulness. It’s okay to feel our feelings. If we push aside those uncomfortable ones for too long, they will come rushing back, stronger than ever. Natty learns a good lesson about toxic positivity and balancing things in life. I enjoyed it very much. Quick read.

Reeling from the impact of her mother’s depression on their family, Natty decides she’s going to be “Good Vibes Only.” She even starts a pep rally club in her cheerless new town. But her pursuit of positivity wears on her friendships and her–until the facade starts to crumble. An insightful exploration of toxic positivity and how kids can manage tough situations instead.

Absolutely, Positively Natty was a good read. It's much different than the usually middle grade novels I read. I feel there was a lot of repetitiveness to Natty's day to day life, and her and her friends talked about the same thing a lot. It was slightly predictable towards the end, but I thought it did end well and Natty seemed to realize the good and the bad with being overly positive all the time. I did like all the different personalities of her friends, especially the touching moment she and one friend had towards the end. The book also brought up some hard issues, those facing any kid in middle school as friendship change, as well as issues such as depression and/or separated parents. While kids might handle those issues differently, I felt Natty did a good job of ignoring them, like many might do in real life.

*I received an advanced copy of this book for my honest review.

Good Vibes Only is more than just a patch on Natty's backpack. It's her view on life, and she won't let anyone get her down.
Even if Natty's mom left their family and keeps flaking on visiting.
And she and her dad moved in with her grandparents.
And she's having a hard time connecting with people at school.
If she can just keep a positive attitude, she can convince her mom this new town is great, make friends, and make everyone happy.
Right?

Lisa Greenwald's Absolutely, Positively Natty follows Natty after a series of life-altering events. When Natty sees how down the whole town of Miller Creek is, she sets out to change it with her super positive attitude. Small attendance at a Little League game? That's no trouble for Natty, who gets the crowd energized and active. Which leads Natty to her grandest idea yet: start a pep squad at school, cheer on all the sports, and host a pep rally that's sure to show her mom this town, and this family, are worth visiting.

Greenwald crafts interesting characters. Despite the large cast, each character is easily remembered by their unique personalities and names. Natty's new friends learn a thing or two about peppiness from Natty, but Natty has a lot to learn from them, as well.

At first, this feels like a fish out of water story. Natty is so positive, in this place where everyone else isn’t. As the story progresses, the reader realizes Natty is maybe too positive-- like, toxic positive. Not listening to her friends, minimizing their feelings, diminishing their experiences in the vein of 'good vibes only.'

This middle grade novel tackles an often unspoken of mental health issue, and shows how positivity can only be a coping mechanism, not an ultimate solution. The dangers of toxic positivity are shown, subtly at first and with growing obviousness, helping the reader empathize and understand Natty and where she's coming from.

I love a middle grade that focuses on friendship and personal growth, and Absolutely, Positively Natty delivers.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and HarperCollins Children's Books for an advanced e-arc such that I could share my honest opinions.

Absolutely, Positively, Natty by Lisa Greenwald is an engaging book about how toxic positivity and keeping your negative feelings deep inside can ultimately backfire. Natty's parents have separated and Natty and her dad have moved across the country to live with her grandparents. Natty's dad is seriously depressed--he sleeps all day. In contrast, Natty decides to face every situation with a smile on her face and a positive attitude. She is sure that with this positive attitude, she can convince her mother to come back to the family. She starts a pep squad at school, thinking that somehow this will bring her mother to live with them again. She does manage to go through some very tough situations with a smile on her face and pep in her step, but ultimately has to address her anger and sad feelings.

Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC of this book.

Really cute story about a girl who moves to a new school and tries to make a difference.

Natty believes in "good vibes only" but realizes that thinking positively all the time isn't going to help her mom's depression, her parents' marriage, or problems at school. But it might win her some friends along the way.