When their mother is court ordered to go to rehab after a drunk driving incident, 13-year-old, Eli, and 17-year-old, Anna are forced to pretend that their Aunt Lisa is staying with them so they aren’t separated. Eli is not your typical 13-year-old girl. She dresses more like a boy and is in love with her female best friend. Anna is going through her own things as a 17-year-old who does not know what she wants to do after graduation. The two find themselves in trouble at school, so when a social worker shows up at their house they flee in search of their real Aunt Lisa.

For a middle grade book, Middletown touches on many hard subjects including alcoholism, sexual harassment, gender identification, homosexuality, and parental neglect. I was impressed with how the author, Sarah Moon, handled this subject matter. She did it in a way that was not too in your face and perfect to help middle grade readers get an understanding of subject matter that they do not always get insight on.

I really loved the relationship between Eli and Anna. They acted like normal siblings, but actually relied on each other in a way that made them so much more. With an alcoholic mother, they had to take care of themselves a lot of their time and found ways to get by. I enjoyed when they were on the road to visit Aunt Lisa because it really showed their bond. Aunt Lisa was another great character. I liked how she took the girls in without really knowing them. She also helped them to grow up and figure out what they wanted from their lives.

I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator, Hope Newhouse, did an excellent job. This was my first book by Sarah Moon, but I am planning to read more of her books.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.