[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
Sage is worried her parents might be getting a divorce. So when her mom announces they will be going to England for vacation – without her dad – she finds it hard to feel excited. Plus, the trip is a house swap, so there will be strangers living in their house which will just be weird.
Allie finds herself feeling at turns overlooked and then smothered as the middle kid in her family. No one takes her desire for some order and boundaries seriously. Her parents always seem to indulge her older brother and baby sister, leaving Allie to fend for herself in family dynamics.
Sage and Allie get a few days together in England before Allie leaves, and in that time Sage shares her worries about her parents. So Allie helps her come up with a plan to “Parent Trap” her parents in order to save their marriage.
Review
The set up here is cute. I loved how the author arranged things so the two girls are together and get to know one another for a few days before the full swap. I loved the two girls together.
The conflicts the girls are facing are pretty typical for middle grade stories, and they are well-executed here. I really felt for Allie as she struggles to be heard and understood in her family. The “Parent Trap” plan was as stressful to read as you might imagine. I think kids will enjoy the drama of it all.
This would be a nice selection for a read aloud or a book group. There’s a lot of family dynamics here for discussion or reflection. Kids could talk about which of the girls they related to the most, both in their different personalities and also in the conflicts they are facing. Both girls end up working on giving voice to their feelings and asking for what they need. These are great life skills for kids to read about and talk about.
Rating: ♥♥♥½*
*♥♥♥½ = Good +
