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Writer's pictureSofiya Pasternack

Review: Caterpillar Summer



Author: Gillian McDunn

Genre: Contemporary

Release Date: April 2nd, 2019

Series: none


Blurb

Cat and her brother Chicken have always had a very special bond--Cat is one of the few people who can keep Chicken happy. When he has a "meltdown" she's the one who scratches his back and reads his favorite story. She's the one who knows what Chicken needs. Since their mom has had to work double-hard to keep their family afloat after their father passed away, Cat has been the glue holding her family together.

But even the strongest glue sometimes struggles to hold. When a summer trip doesn't go according to plan, Cat and Chicken end up spending three weeks with grandparents they never knew. For the first time in years, Cat has the opportunity to be a kid again, and the journey she takes shows that even the most broken or strained relationships can be healed if people take the time to walk in one another's shoes.


What I Liked

This is a beautiful, moving book that is so sweet and touching it will have you reaching for the tissues multiple times. Cat is so relatable because she's strong and independent, but so utterly devoted to her brother, Chicken, that she is losing what it means to be herself. When they unexpectedly have to spend a few weeks with the grandparents they'd never met, she's constantly worrying about Chicken. But bit by bit, she learns to be her own person apart from him, and learns that he can be his own person, too.


What I Would Have Liked to See

Nothing different! The story was so satisfying, I couldn't ask for anything better!


My Favorite!

Chicken's shark obsession! Especially with the cookiecutter shark.


TL;DR

Sweet MG contemporary about making friends, sibling love, losing family, and finding them again. Warning: do not read this book without tissues handy!


P.S.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley for my honest review. All thoughts are my own!

 

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meet sofiya!
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Sofiya Pasternack is a mental health professional, the highly-distractible author of Jewish MG and YA fantasy, and prone to oversharing gross medical stories.

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