The Lonely Book is a lovely middle-grade novel written in verse about gender identity, family and mental illness. Annie, Charlotte and their two mums live and work in a magical bookshop where every morning a stack of books magically appear, waiting to be handed to the perfect customer. Only one day, there’s a book left over, and as the days go on and no one claims it, the bookstore and their family begin to have trouble.
Annie, our main character, has selective mutism. I loved how it was portrayed in this book, especially with how supportive her mums and sibling were! Annie is determined to save her family and their bookshop. She’s plucky and loving and the perfect main character for a middle grade book. I feel like young readers will really gravitate to her.
The book handles explaining gender identity, transness and nonbinary identities to children really well! I would use this book as an example for how to go about teaching your kids about it. It was really emotional watching Charlie come to terms with their gender through the eyes of their little sister who loves them so much. That scene where they come out was so beautifully written and sweet.
Overall it was such a sweet novel, the verses that it was written in had a really rhythmic flow to it that allowed me to read quite quickly while still retaining all the information I was reading. This is definitely a book I want to read to my kids one day! 4/5 stars.

It was really heartwarming, it’s not what i usually read but i surprised myself because i loved it !!! definitely a good choice to finish it

Imagine if every time you walk into the book store there is a perfect book waiting for you. Now imagine that you work there and you are constantly handing out the perfect book to customers. Till one day there is a perfect book with customer to call it theirs!

This book is written in verse and would be perfect for ages 8 to 11. I enjoyed reading this book very much!

A kind and loving story about a family and their bookstore. The books are magical and are seeking out an owner/reader that needs them. When the books don’t find their person they become agitated and chaos ensues. The Lonely Book is written in verse and tackles important topics through the caring point of view of a sibling. Annie is grappling with their own challenges. A beautiful story about a family pulling together to support one another. but This is an important middle grade read about love, support and acceptance!

In a Nutshell: An OwnVoices novel-in-verse, about a lonely book, a magical bookshop, and some characters who learn how to accept themselves for what they are. One of the rare middle-grade books to have a non-binary person in the main characters. Great story, decent format.

Story Synopsis:
Annie lives with her two mums and her elder sister Charlotte above a bookshop that her mums run together. Every morning when they open the shop, there is a stack of books on the counter. Throughout the day, when visitors come to the shop looking for a book, the right book is always waiting for them in that pile left magically by the bookshop. However, one day, a book from the pile is left unclaimed, and this upsets the bookshop, which then starts misbehaving. Annie’s whole family is at a loss about what to do. Adding to the complications is Charlotte’s increased reclusiveness, her mums’ financial worries, and Annie’s own selective mutism. How will the family resolve their issues and make the bookshop happy again?
The story comes to us in the first person perspective of Annie.

Bookish Yays:
😍 The representation is spot on, not surprising from an OwnVoices queer author. Annie’s two mothers have been written in a realistic way. What I especially loved is how there are no needless explanations about why she has two mums. She just has, and that’s that! True inclusivity means that such situations are to be considered natural and don’t need elaborations.
😍 The bond across the four characters in the family is clearly visible, even when some of them are keeping secrets. Their growth as the story progresses is not just at the individual level but also as a family.
😍 You would have surely heard Stephen King’s quote, “Books are a uniquely portable magic.” In this story, it is the bookshop that has a uniquely portable magic! What reader wouldn’t love a magical bookshop, even one that is temperamental? I loved the tantrums the bookshop throws when any reader doesn’t claim its suggested book, though I can also see why this was upsetting to the family. As the source of the magic isn’t explained, it adds to the wonder of the story by staying “magic’ till the end.
😍 The themes highlighted in the story are outstanding, and so relevant in today’s world. Through the four characters, we get to see discussions on gender identity, selective mutism, mental health, sign language, same-sex parents (and indirectly, Sapphic relationships), and financial pressure on adults. It also explores the idea of accepting ourselves as we are than striving to be what we are expected to be, and the role of familial support and love in the journey of self-acceptance. For a middle-grade book, it sure aims high, and delivers as well.
😍 Through the blurb, we know that one character is non-binary. However, our narrator is Annie, and she isn’t the non-binary character. This makes for an unusual LGBTQ+ book, because we see the gender identity struggles through the eyes of a cis person. Annie learns more about genders and gender identities as the story moves ahead, and the readers learn along with her. I love this “outside view” of the gender struggle because the book then becomes helpful not only to readers who are coming to terms with their gender identity, but also to cis readers who want to understand the struggles of non-binary people. It also shows cis readers a great way of becoming a gender rights ally.
😍 The author’s manner of explaining genders beyond the binary is impeccable. So simple, and yet so apt! Perfect for the target readership.
😍 At just a little more than 150 pages, and because of the verse-style writing, the book is quick in pace and can be completed in a sitting.

Bookish Mixed Bags:
😐 While the target reader of the “lonely book’ is a mystery for a great part of the book, it isn’t difficult to figure out whom it is meant for. So we need to wait a long time for Annie to figure out the intended recipient. As such, the suspense angle of the book doesn’t deliver much. However, the book isn’t marketed as a mystery, so I suppose this shouldn’t be a big problem, especially for little readers.
😐 The blurb makes it sound like the book is about a non-binary character. But the first half of the story provides just a generic plot. The gender identity aspect comes up only around the midway mark. While the discussion is still nicely handled, I would have preferred more of it.
😐 The author’s interview at the end is enlightening about her writing choices in this book. However, the interview format and the content make it more suitable for older readers than for middle graders. Perhaps it would be helpful to parents/teachers before discussing this book with children.


Bookish Nays:
😒 I admit I picked this up knowing that it is a novel-in-verse. I am not at all fond of poetry, but the themes were so strong that I couldn’t resist it. That said, the “poetic content” of the book appeared minimal to my eyes. (Again, reminding you that I am an absolutely unskilled purveyor of poetry.) The text looked more like broken sentences to me, and with a lot of repetition, which might have been deliberate for poetic effect but it sure didn’t work on me. I read the book as if it were prose, and this got me through without any issues. But I am not sure how many middle-graders would actually appreciate the poetic elements of the story.
😒 I always prefer knowing the main characters’ ages, but this preference becomes a necessity in children’s fiction. Middle-graders range from ages 8 to 12, but there is a vast difference in the processing capabilities of an eight-year-old and a twelve-year-old. Annie’s age is thus vital to the storyline, but it is never mentioned or hinted at. All we know is that she is younger than Charlotte, who is sixteen.
😒 Why does the book blurb on Goodreads and Amazon reveal the entire story, from start to end, leaving no suspense at all? Surely there should be something left for the readers to discover on their own!

Overall, this is a great book for the theme and the gender identity discussion, all of which sound authentic and simple for young readers. I wish the format of the book had not been verse so that more children (and guardians) would have been motivated to pick it up. Nevertheless, the themes are important enough to make this work a solid recommendation for middle graders. The magical bookshop is a bonus.

3.75 stars

My thanks to Little Island Books and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Lonely Book”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

In "The Lonely Book," Annie is confused. The usually magical bookshop she lives isn't working the way it should and it's making everything go haywire. She is so very worried about her moms but also her sibling and the bookshop itself?? What if they can't keep it open??

I loved this book by Meg Grehan. I realized after I was done that I actually own another of her books and heard about a third one. I'm so silly.
Anyway, this was so good, I loved the writing. This was told through verse but in a very accessible way and I flew through the story. I loved Annie and all her relationships with her family. I also really enjoyed the selective mutism rep. I hadn't read a point of view quite like this one before.
Overall, this was just so good and I can't wait to read Meg Grehan's previous books and whatever she writes next!

This book talks about how being your self, whatever that might be, is ok and should be celebrated. The family in this book all have differences from each other, and the world, and each through the course of the story learn more about themselves and where they fit in. There is a mystery in this book, around who the lonely book belongs to, which I had figured before halfway through and at that point the rest of the book felt a little drawn out, but younger readers might figure it out as early.

I liked the description of the main character as having anxiety induced selective mutism, and how her family works with her to learn sign language to help overcome some of the difficulties that can cause.

The book is written through the verse novel format, which I didn't really like, and found to be a bit distracting.

Overall I liked the discussion about how being different is ok, and that its important that we accept ourselves and each other for who we are. I think this is a topic that people of all ages need to learn more about.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I don't usually read verse novels but, since it is written from a child's perspective, I found it easy to understand. I enjoyed the use of repetition to emphasize a concept. I like how the gender explanation is interwoven with the magical book store. I like how the author described how children pick up on adult problems. And I liked the ending. I like how this is lightly educational fiction.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read the ARC.

What a HEARTWARMING middle grade novel in verse about a magical bookshop that selects the perfect book for the people who need them.

Told from the POV of Annie, we experience her struggles with anxiety and worry for her two mothers who are concerned the store might need to close. Things get extra stressful when one book doesn't get picked up by the person it's been chosen for and the store starts 'acting out'.

Full of a great cast of queer characters (with an emphasis on a young non-binary child finding the courage to come out to their family), excellent mental health and disability rep (Annie has selective mutism, which manifests at times because of her anxiety) and a lovely magical realism element. I adored this book and know it will be a special one for young readers questioning their identities.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review. This was my first book by Meg Grehan and definitely won't be my last. I also really enjoyed the author interview included at the end, in which she discusses her own anxiety (particularly during the pandemic and her selective mutism experience).

I really enjoyed this warm hug of a book about a loving family and their magical book shop. Annie is an open and generous narrator, and I enjoyed experiencing the story through her eyes. Her excitement at learning about diverse gender identities was so genuine and heartwarming, a reaction that definitely deserves to be shared with young readers. Equally, her love and acceptance of her sibling coming out to their family showed that this can still be a scary and fraught time regardless of how loving and supportive your family is.

The inclusion of anxiety, selective mutism and sign language representation felt effortless and was a very welcome addition to the story. The story flowed easily and I didn't find the verse to be stilted or overwrought as it so often can.

A lovely, lovely book!

Was a realy good book. Easy to read, love the pictures. Fast pace. Keeps you intrested. Found the riddles too easy though.

4.2 Stars
One Liner: Heartwarming (but the writing style is not for everyone)

Annie’s moms own a beautiful bookstore and live in the apartment above. Moms, Annie, and her older sister Charlotte are a perfect family. But every family has issues, especially when they have worries about finances, identity, and a touch of erratic magic.
The Birch Books bookshop selects a few books for readers every day. However, the yellow and purple-covered book is not taken by anyone. How can that be possible? As days go on and the lonely book has no takers, the bookshop becomes anxious and distressed. It affects Annie, our darling narrator. Can she and her family find the person and unite them with the lonely book? And why is Charlotte so angry?
The story comes from Annie’s first-person POV.

My Thoughts:
The book has four main characters, Mum, Mama, Charlotte (a sixteen-year-old), and Annie, the youngest in the family. They love each other and love the bookshop just as much. Everything seems okay, but things happen and can be sorted too.
The story comes in verse though I wouldn’t call it poetry. It’s prose poetry at the most, with multiple repetitions. The best way to enjoy the book is to read it in Annie’s voice, the way it is meant to be read. Think of a little girl (possibly around 8) with a kind heart, open mind, and a gentle soul. She loves to talk and emphasize her points through repetition.
It takes a while to get used to the narrative style. But once you’re familiar with it, the flow is smoother and faster. Don’t look for meters or rhymes. Find your rhythm and flow with it. Also, try to read it in a single sitting. A break means you may have to get used to the style yet again.
The story, as such, is beautiful, warm, and heart-touching. It deals with a few topics, but the primary focus is on understanding gender identities and coming out. It also deals with selective mutism and the positive ways to handle the issue. The story oozes love and bonding while showing how anxiety, worries, and stress co-exist with love (even when the love is healthy).
The core theme of non-binary gender identity is introduced halfway through the book. It is presented in the most simplified format, making it easy for kids to understand. Annie represents the young minds that want to learn new things but can feel overwhelmed by excess information.
Sensitive topics are handled with care and a good dose of positivity. It’s the kind that fills kids with gentle confidence to face life’s challenges their way. Naturally, the book has characters more open and accepting towards queer identities. But that’s necessary too.
I like how the bookshop is a tangible being with emotions and expresses it by throwing books off the shelves, ringing the bell, messing with the cash machine, etc. While this magic is not explained, it aligns with Annie’s anxiety, making it easy to relate to the emotions. In a way, you could say that the bookshop expresses the feelings of its owners (all four of them). It is happy when they are happy and agitated when they are stressed.
The book doesn’t have illustrations. At least the ARC doesn’t (and no, the chapter titles don’t count). This is disappointing as I expected at least a handful of illustrations of the bookshop, the main characters, their home, Annie’s room, etc.

To summarize, The Lonely Book is a sweet book dealing with some important topics with a positive intent. If you want to talk about gender identity, anxiety, selective mutism, and Sapphic parents, this is for you.
Don’t skip the author’s interview at the end. It is informative and explains a few things from the book (not the magic, though).
Thank you, NetGalley and Little Island Books, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
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