Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Lemon Drop Falls

Author: Heather Clark

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 4.5/5

Diversity: POC side characters

Recommended For...: middle grade readers, contemporary, mental health, camping, grief processing

Publication Date: February 14, 2022

Genre: MG Contemporary

Age Relevance: 10+ (parental death, grief, depression, anxiety, panic attack, parentification, trauma)

Explanation of Above: The book focuses on the MC who witnessed her mother’s death, which is detailed later in the book. The book discusses depression, anxiety, and shows three panic attacks. The book also goes into detail about trauma and grief. There is also partification shown in the book, in which the MC is forced to take on a parent role around her younger siblings and father.

Publisher: North Star Editions

Pages: 256

Synopsis: Morgan is devastated by her mother’s sudden death. Before, Mom’s amazing organizational skills kept the family on track, and her bowl of lemon drops was always on hand to make difficult conversations easy, turning life’s sour into sweet. After, there’s no one to help Morgan navigate her new role caring for her younger siblings, her worries about starting junior high, and her increasingly confusing friendships. All she can do is try to fulfill her mother’s final request: Keep them safe, Morgan. Be brave for them. Help them be happy.

When Dad insists on taking the family on their regular summer camping trip, and Morgan’s efforts to keep her promise to Mom seem doomed to fail, Morgan’s anxiety spirals into a panic attack, and Dad treats her like she’s impossibly broken. Unable to share her fears and needs with Dad, and desperate to prove she’s got the strength to hold the family together, Morgan sets off alone to hike a flooding canyon trail. But somewhere on that lonely and dangerous journey, Morgan will encounter the truth about the final words her mother left her, the power in finding her own voice, and the possibility of new beginnings.

Review: I really liked this book! I loved how well the author described depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and grief. The book did well to discuss them in a sensitive manner and was very helpful to me in helping me with my anxiety, but also could be very helpful to younger readers to help them understand their own mental health and how to deal with big feelings and conflicting issues. The characters were well developed, the world building was well done, and the writing itself was amazing. I also loved the plot and wanted more and more as I went on.

The only issue I had with the book was one line that a side character said. The character stated something along the lines that boys and girls pair up, that’s what they do. The line wasn’t really challenged and the book didn’t contain any 2SLGBT+ pairings. While it’s not required that the book should have contained that, I felt like the line was a slight at 2SLGBT+ relationships and people. It’s not a big part of the book, but it made me pause and question the author as to why they would include that. The book is enjoyable otherwise, but if you’re reading this to your little one you just might want to be aware of that and to teach them better accordingly.

Verdict: I need a lemon drop to discuss my feelings of love on this book please =)