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A review by bethgiven
A Soft Place to Land by Janae Marks
4.0
Joy's dad lost his job, which means a lot of difficult changes for her family: they've sold their home and now live in an apartment, where Joy has to make new friends. She has to quit piano lessons. Her mom is working long hours, and her parents are fighting a lot. She's lucky, then, when her new neighbor Nora introduces her to a secret room in the apartment building that only the kids know about, affectionately called The Hideout. No matter what's going on, The Hideout is a soft place to land.
This cute middle grade novel reads a little "young" -- the characters are all so wholesome and friendly, even when they're angry. That's not really a bad thing, though, and even as an adult, I found myself compelled by the story -- especially as the conflict escalated about halfway through the book. I was definitely rooting for Joy and her family and friends.
A delightful book for tweens, introducing some heavier topics (grief, parents separating) while still keeping a light tone. A little bit of moralizing, which some readers might not like, but I thought it was fine for the audience.
This cute middle grade novel reads a little "young" -- the characters are all so wholesome and friendly, even when they're angry. That's not really a bad thing, though, and even as an adult, I found myself compelled by the story -- especially as the conflict escalated about halfway through the book. I was definitely rooting for Joy and her family and friends.
A delightful book for tweens, introducing some heavier topics (grief, parents separating) while still keeping a light tone. A little bit of moralizing, which some readers might not like, but I thought it was fine for the audience.