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thriller_chick's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
3.0
miszjeanie's review against another edition
4.0
What Happens Next is a clever, moving debut about the impact of an eating disorder on a family. This book is well-researched and engaging. It’s one of those rare books with a hard-to-forget protagonist who will keep you turning the pages. Although the timelines jump about a bit, it’s not difficult to follow — I kept up even though I was listening on audio. Any kids who enjoy astronomy, struggle with mental illness or have siblings who do will enjoy this middle-grade release. I cannot wait to read Claire Swinarski’s next novel, The Kate In Between.
Read my full review on my blog.
Read my full review on my blog.
michael_kelleher's review
4.0
I loved this story of sisterhood, adventure, and strained relationships. And I’m glad my daughter made me read it. She loved it too. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but I will say that there was suspense, a bit of a mystery at the heart of it all, and laugh out loud moments.
marcy_kelleher's review
4.0
I loved this story of sisterhood, adventure, and strained relationships. And I’m glad my daughter made me read it. She loved it too. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but I will say that there was suspense, a bit of a mystery at the heart of it all, and laugh out loud moments.
rachaelthegiraffe's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder
story_sanctuary's review
5.0
This book celebrates some amazing things: the bonds of sisterhood, small towns, and the study of astronomy. Abby has two sisters, and complex relationships with each of them. She feels like she’s losing them for different reasons.
As she tells her story in two different timelines, we learn what her relationships with her sisters looked like before, and how they’ve changed. One timeline follows the present, where Abby’s sister is at a rehab facility and Abby is working toward helping a famous astronomer find his telescope. We also get scenes moving further into the past that show Abby’s sister’s downward spiral and hint at what led the astronomer to her small town in the Northwoods.
I loved the story of Abby and her sisters and her plans to fix everything through finding the telescope. Abby is sweet and strong and quietly grieving for her relationships with her sisters. She drew me in right away and I couldn’t help rooting for her through every page of this story.
Readers who enjoyed THE SPACE BETWEEN LOST AND FOUND by Sandy Stark-McGinnis or THE QUEEN BEE AND ME by Gillian McDunn need to check this one out!
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
As she tells her story in two different timelines, we learn what her relationships with her sisters looked like before, and how they’ve changed. One timeline follows the present, where Abby’s sister is at a rehab facility and Abby is working toward helping a famous astronomer find his telescope. We also get scenes moving further into the past that show Abby’s sister’s downward spiral and hint at what led the astronomer to her small town in the Northwoods.
I loved the story of Abby and her sisters and her plans to fix everything through finding the telescope. Abby is sweet and strong and quietly grieving for her relationships with her sisters. She drew me in right away and I couldn’t help rooting for her through every page of this story.
Readers who enjoyed THE SPACE BETWEEN LOST AND FOUND by Sandy Stark-McGinnis or THE QUEEN BEE AND ME by Gillian McDunn need to check this one out!
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
liralen's review
3.0
Sweet story of sisterhood—nice (well, realistic) to see them fight like cats but be there when it counts. I'm a little sorry not to see more astronomy in a book that has astronomy as it's base, but I like seeing a MG protagonist with a hobby that feels a little outside the box for a tween girl (but that will, the feeling of otherness if not the hobby itself, resonate with many).
The professor's story is less interesting—or, rather, it could be very interesting, if it were a bigger part of the story rather than having all the juicy bits jammed into the end, but then, I guess I've never been a huge fan of Big Reveals. Appreciate the calling back to the idea of lying, but the shifting timeline wasn't really my cup of tea. (I'm a lazy reader of chapter headings—I always skip them and then get confused and, if the timeline jumps around, have to go back and check to find out what year we're in. Soooo that's probably a me problem rather than a book problem.) I think instead I might have preferred a deeper dive into the town's struggling finances, because while that's not as dramatic, it's probably a much more relevant problem for your average small-town tween.
The professor's story is less interesting—or, rather, it could be very interesting, if it were a bigger part of the story rather than having all the juicy bits jammed into the end, but then, I guess I've never been a huge fan of Big Reveals. Appreciate the calling back to the idea of lying, but the shifting timeline wasn't really my cup of tea. (I'm a lazy reader of chapter headings—I always skip them and then get confused and, if the timeline jumps around, have to go back and check to find out what year we're in. Soooo that's probably a me problem rather than a book problem.) I think instead I might have preferred a deeper dive into the town's struggling finances, because while that's not as dramatic, it's probably a much more relevant problem for your average small-town tween.
danyell919's review
4.0
This was a wonderful little book! I thought the author handled the issue of anorexia really well. She showed how it affected the whole family. I also loved the Star theme and true telescope mystery.
madeye93's review
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
lbrowne13's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder
Minor: Child death