The Sister Split

January 1, 2023
Sisters are doing it for themselves. (For diametrically opposite reasons.) Twelve-year-old Autumn's summer plans for exploring the delights of Manhattan with her best friend--going on hunts for the best pizza joints, ice cream parlors, and tea shops--are ruined when her mother becomes engaged to Harrison (aka Harristinks), her boring boyfriend of two years who has a boring daughter of Autumn's age called Linnea. The wedding will take place in only one month's time. Suddenly, Autumn, her mother, and her college-bound brother are moving to East Hammond, Connecticut, and Autumn's world is completely upended. She hatches a plan to break up the happy couple and recruits Linnea to go along, tempting her with the idea that both families will be better off separate. Linnea seemingly agrees, but it turns out that she may have some plans of her own. The story is droll, if somewhat predictable, but overplays the self-centered bride trope to the point that readers may actively be rooting for the wedding to fail long after the shallow resolution that is supposed to realign Autumn with her mother. Savvy and sympathetic readers may question why Autumn is being deprived of visiting the best friend in the city whom she desperately misses when Harrison and Linnea took the train into the city weekly during the courtship. Main characters read White by default; there is a charming same-sex crush plotline. An unexceptional story of family turmoil. (Fiction. 9-12)

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January 30, 2023
Soon-to-be stepsisters employ Parent Trap-style hijinks in an effort to break up their newly engaged parents in this middle grade debut from Desombre (I Think I Love You). Twelve-year-old Autumn has an epic summer mapped out, involving New York City outings with best friend Saskia and avoiding game nights with her mother’s boyfriend Harrison (“Harristinks,” per Autumn) as well as his “boring” 12-year-old daughter Linnea. Those plans implode, however, when her mother announces her engagement to Harrison and the family’s upcoming move to his home in Connecticut. Desperate to regain her old life, Autumn hatches a plan to break up her mother and Harrison, roping her soon-to-be stepsister into the scheme, which involves sabotaging moving day and wedding planning. But the longer she shares a room with Linnea, the more her resolve falters, and Autumn’s emotions are further complicated by her own confusing feelings for Saskia and her mother’s inability to see Autumn’s deep, internal struggle with their rapidly changing life. The realistically middle grade voice pairs with a raw, real portrayal of a tween navigating a newly blended family and a burgeoning queer identity. Characters default to white. Ages 8–12. Agent: Penny Moore, Aevitas Creative Management.

March 1, 2023
Grades 3-7 For as long as Autumn can remember, it's just been her, her mom, and her brother living in their New York City apartment. Autumn is perfectly content with her life, especially since she and her best friend have come up with the perfect summer vacation plans. So Autumn's mother doesn't just throw off Autumn's summer plans, she shakes up Autumn's whole world when she declares that she is getting married and that the whole family will be moving away from Autumn's childhood home. Autumn doesn't want to take these changes lying down, so she teams up with her would-be stepsister to cleave their parents apart. Desombre's middle-grade coming-of-age story is a fun spin on the parent-trap theme. Through Autumn, the author explores the woes of first crushes and the empowerment of discovering your sexuality. This funny, sweet book is a necessary addition to any library.

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March 1, 2023

Gr 5 Up-At the end of sixth grade, Autumn is looking forward to spending the summer with her best friend Saskia visiting all the best pizza and ice cream places in New York City. But she soon finds out that her mom is engaged to the man she has been dating and plans to get married. If that isn't bad enough, Autumn and her brother George, who is leaving for college soon, will be moving to the suburbs of Connecticut to live with her mom's fianc� Harrison (or "Harristinks" as she refers to him) and his daughter Linnea. In the vein of The Parent Trap, Autumn and Linnea try to sabotage date nights, moving day, and wedding planning to break their parents up so that Autumn can get back to her regular life. Autumn struggles with the move as she balances her mom not having as much time for her while spending all her time wedding planning, sharing her life (and mom) with a new stepsister, and realizing that she feelings she has for her best friend might be more than just friendly. This heartwarming story explores the challenges of growing up and identity while also adapting to new surroundings and rediscovering the meaning of family. Main characters are cued as white. VERDICT This story of blended families with LGBTQIA+ themes will be popular with realistic fiction readers.-Sarah Polace

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