Heartwarming and Thoughtful
Thanks to Bookish First for a copy of this book!
How To Find What You're Not Looking For is a heartwarming and thoughtful middle grade historical fiction novel. The author struck a good balance between telling Ariel's story while weaving in historical details without them seeming forced or the most interesting thing happening.
The story is told in second person, which can be difficult to write well. Ariel's story led the reader through her journey and the writing flowed well. For a middle grade novel, there were some heavy themes to unpack, but they were also fitting for the intended audience. They were not too dense or detailed to understand or took over the story. I read maybe one or two middle grade books a year, but was very pleased with the story and writing of this novel. How To Find What You're Not Looking For could act as a good bridge between Middle Grade and Young Adult (YA) genres for young readers.
How To Find What You're Not Looking For is a heartwarming and thoughtful middle grade historical fiction novel. The author struck a good balance between telling Ariel's story while weaving in historical details without them seeming forced or the most interesting thing happening.
The story is told in second person, which can be difficult to write well. Ariel's story led the reader through her journey and the writing flowed well. For a middle grade novel, there were some heavy themes to unpack, but they were also fitting for the intended audience. They were not too dense or detailed to understand or took over the story. I read maybe one or two middle grade books a year, but was very pleased with the story and writing of this novel. How To Find What You're Not Looking For could act as a good bridge between Middle Grade and Young Adult (YA) genres for young readers.