A special thank you to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for access to this arc. I was really interested in this book based on the synopsis, but unfortunately it was just a little too slow for me. BUT I think it would be perfect for the right reader.

I had a hard time following along on this book; the best way to describe this book was that this felt like a series of disconnected photographs that you'd see in an artsy movie about a family at the beach. You'd see one photo of the daughters at the beach and then the scene would cut to a BBQ and then cut to a creepy shot. And it was unclear how they all were connected.

The plot was disjointed, and somewhat frustratingly, there were certain plot points that seemed to be important that there never seemed to go anywhere. It also seemed like the motivations of characters was unclear; sometimes characters did thing that didn't make any sense. Maybe the reader was supposed to pick up on some subtleties, but it may have been too subtle for me.

I had hopes after reading the summary for this book, but unfortunately, those hopes were dashed. I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A Beautiful Family was an enjoyable, easy book to read. I love books told through the eyes of a young person. I do think in this case it would have been very interesting to have different perspectives: mother, father, and sister as well. I would have loved some background and insight into why they did the things they did. The New Zealand 1980's setting was very entertaining. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

3 stars
Expected publication date - June 24, 2025

Thank you, NetGalley and Doubleday Books, for this eARC for review. All opinions are my own.

This is a story about a family's summer vacation, told through the eyes of a 10 year old girl. While the sisters find their own separate friends and adventures, the parents seem distant from each other. Everyone seems to have their own secrets and issues to work through, and not many secrets stay hidden in a small family.

I liked the writing and setting of this slow burn, but I felt like there were some loose ends at the end and was left with unanswered questions.

The intriguing premise of this book piqued my interest, but the storyline ultimately disappointed me. I found myself detesting all the main characters and failing to fully connect with their experiences.

The book’s brevity made me from finish it, but it didn’t leave a lasting impression on me.

This would be such a great book club pick! It had so many things to talk about and discus. I loved the characters, and the storyline. Fabulous writing!

PERFECT NOSTALGIA!

A childhood summer, drenched in sun and salt. A mystery long buried in the sand. A moment when everything shifts—when innocence is lost forever.

For ten-year-old Alix, this was supposed to be just another family vacation—a sunbaked stretch of time spent between the beach, the backyard grill, and the lazy hum of her Walkman. Her mother claims to be writing a novel, and her father only cares about cricket. And her fifteen-year-old sister? She’s the gravitational force pulling everyone into her drama, set on making the summer revolve around herself and a lifeguard who happens to be dating someone else.

But while the rest of her family is distracted, Alix is watching. Listening. And seeing things no one else does.

Exploring the coastline, she befriends an Aboriginal boy who is fixated on solving the decades-old disappearance of a local girl. Their search begins as a game—detectives combing through forgotten stories and overlooked clues—but soon, they uncover something far more unsettling. The mystery they chase doesn’t just belong to the past; it’s wrapped up in the people closest to them. And as Alix pieces together the truth, she realizes this summer will mark the end of more than just childhood—it will change everything.

With the nostalgia of an endless summer and the tension of a slow-burning mystery, Upside Down is a gripping, atmospheric debut about the secrets that shape us, the stories we inherit, and the irreversible moment when childhood slips away.

#UpsideDown #Doubleday #ComingOfAgeMystery #SummerLost #FamilySecrets #Trevelyan #WalkmanDays #TheLastInnocentSummer

"A Beautiful Family" is a coming-of-age story in which a young girl realizes the complexities and conflicts between her parents, finds a true friend, and solves a mystery. Jennifer Trevelyan has a way of pulling you into the protagonist's shoes so that you experience each revelation as if it were your own. There were moments of suspense so chilling and effective that I held my breath. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Pub Date: June 24, 2025.

#ABeautifulFamily

Unfortunately this book was to slow and it dragged with a lot of details that were beautifully written and nostalgic but that they became boring. I kept hoping something gripping would happen but there was no twist or big mystery.

Such a good story, one that had me thinking about childhood and the choices we make and how our young minds think. I was invested in this book from the first few pages. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

good story of a family on vacation and told through the eyes of 10 and the family and its secrets. This summer changes the family and she ends up solving the murder of a girl.

During a summer vacation, a ten year old girl mostly ignored by her family, befriends a newcomer and the two set out to solve the mystery of a young girl who was presumed drowned two summers earlier. A suspenseful coming of age novel that really appealed to the younger, more adventurous ten year old me