June 2017 Debut of the Month | In a Nutshell: Love, loss, friendship and secrets
A tear-jerking, soul-stirring, heart-warming debut about losing a sister, and the ensuing aftermath of grief and mystery.
Sixty-five days have passed since Juniper’s effervescent big sister, Camilla, was killed in a car crash on their way home from a party. Since that devastating event, she’s been holding herself together by rating each day on cards in her Happiness Index. No wonder then, that losing one of the cards throws Juniper into further turmoil, especially when this particular card reveals a secret she’d rather no one knew. While frantically searching for the missing card - befriending bad-boy Brad as she does so - Juniper is also determined to discover the identity of her sister’s secret love.
The mystery surrounding Juniper’s missing card untangles compellingly, as do the personal revelations (sometimes hard-coated bad boys have the softest of centres). While the novel doesn’t shirk from showing the shattering effects of loss, Juniper’s desire to help others, her zesty, sardonic outlook, and the friendships she forms, are hugely uplifting. The characters feel poignantly true-to-life, making this a richly rewarding must-read for fans of Jandy Nelson and aficionados of authentically-voiced contemporary YA. ~ Joanne Owen
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It's hard to keep close a person everyone keeps telling you is gone. It's been sixty-five days since the accident that ripped Juniper's world apart. Life without her kind, beautiful, vibrant big sister Camilla is a colder, darker place. Until she discovers the letter. The letter Camie wrote, but never got to send. It's mysteriously addressed to 'You' and dated July 4th - the day of the accident. Desperate to learn the identity of Camie's secret love, Juniper starts to investigate. But then she loses something herself. A card from her daily ritual, The Happiness Index: little notecards on which she rates the day. The Index has been holding Juniper together since Camie's death - but without this card, there's a hole. And this particular card contains Juniper's own secret: a memory she can't let anyone else find out. An unforgettable story of love, loss, mistakes and memories.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Juniper Lemon's Happiness Index and determined it is suitable for children aged 13-18 years old
Juniper Lemon's Happiness Index features in the following genres: Books Reviewed by our Reader Review Panels, Recommendations, Debuts of the Month, Featured Books for 13+ readers, Stories about Family and Friends, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, PSHE: Siblings, PSHE: Family Issues, Personal Social Health Economic (PSHE), PSHE: Bereavement and Grief, Romance / Relationship Stories, Recommended Children's eBooks, Featured Books for Young Adults
Juniper Lemon's Happiness Index is available in Paperback
Juniper Lemon's Happiness Index was written by Julie Israel and published by Penguin Books Ltd
Juniper Lemon's Happiness Index has 337 pages
£7.19
