This is a coming of age story about Nettie, a spunky young girl who is dealing with the mysterious absence of her mother (who abandoned her), the hated presence of her aunt (her mother's unpleasant older sister), and a father who is too often away on long distance travel earning a living to support them.

At a time when Nettie is struggling with changes in her relationships, including that with her best friend Cole (who seems to be distincing himself from her), she is about to find out that not all change is bad...

This is a story with a lot of heart and a cast of characters including 3 eldely hippies! It gets 3.5 stars.

The story is good but it’s dark. A lot of negligence in the care of a child. Well intended father, abusive caregiver, dark family history, creepy older men, missing mom and Nettie delusional about her mother.

Definitely hit some old trauma nerves. As a parent highly suggest you preview and discuss with your child if you choose to let them read this.

Overall, I enjoyed this read. The writing is definitely for middle readers, though the themes are heavy and may be too heavy for some middle readers. That said, the author does a great job of presenting these in an age appropriate manner and from the perspective of a child the age of the intended audience. This is one that I am considering as a book club option in the future.

This is a great coming of age book for middle graders. Nettie and her father were abandoned by her mom, but Nettie wasn't too young to not have any memories of her. As a result, Nettie's dad drives a semi-truck to help make ends meet, so he is often gone for periods of time. This leaves Nettie with her Aunt Bethany who has her own tragic life story. Nettie and Aunt Bethany do not get along and often fight. When Nettie witnesses her aunt fall one day and spends time with her while she recovers, the pair start to learn more about each other and their relationship changes. Nettie and Aunt Bethany bond over their feelings about Nettie's mom (Bethany's sister) leaving. It's a great story about family, learning to better relationships, growing up, and learning to get along with others.

I loved this book! Nettie is such a great character, dealing with a lot. Her and her Aunt Bethany don't get along, but she's stuck with her , while her dad is on the road. Middle school is about to start and her best friend has been acting different. And her mom left years ago and she just wants to know whether she's going to come back and why she left her.
Nettie and her Aunt come to a truce and actually start to get along and it's for the better. Nettie needs a good female role model in her life with her dad on the road all the time.
I loved all the real emotions that a middle schooler will be having and how she's just trying to figure everything out.
I loved the community that supports Nettie and helps her.
This is such a good middle grade read.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC

This is a middle grade book about a girl struggling with her mom abandoning her father and her, her relationship with her aunt who helps care for her, her feelings about entering middle school, and the changes in the friendship with her best friend. It always amazes me how middle grade writers can pack in so many big issues in short, middle grade appropriate books. Fanning did a fabulous job of writing about all of these tough topics in an enjoyable read for both adults and middle grade readers.

Nettie is stuck at home with mean Aunt Bethany while dad is out on the road driving his truck. No mom although Nettie wants to know what happened to her. Nettie and Aunt Bethany don’t get along, and when Nettie makes her aunt mad she avoids her as much as she can. One day her aunt falls and the ambulance is called. The aunt blames Nettie for her sprained ankle and as the two depend on each other more Nettie starts to warm up to her aunt a little. It’s her birthday and her dad is still on the road, but Nettie’s aunt says she can invite her new school friend for pizza when they go out that night. But so many surprises await Nettie. What a great book about family, resilience, and friends.
Thank you to the publisher for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.