So I'm writing this review as someone who is over ten years older than the target demographic for this book. However, that didn’t detract from my enjoyment of this book. The story follows Melanie, a fifth-grader, as she navigates school, and does her best to avoid Karen, the school bully. Then Melanie meets Sabrina, a girl who is fearless and doesn’t care what anyone thinks of her. Sabrina slowly draws Melanie out of her shell and encourages her to believe in herself. The only thing missing is Melanie’s mum, however Sabrina is convinced they can track her down. I can't remember the last time I read middle grade, but really enjoyed this book, it has a really whimsical feel the whole way through that I loved. I loved Melanie as a character, I loved her imagination and the way she saw the world. The book managed to cover topics such as grief and loss in a really lovely way, that would be perfect for younger readers. Mathison did an amazing job of only having a handful of characters, but making them all really unique and interesting- I felt like I knew all the other children in Melanie’s class by the end of the book. I guessed pretty early on the “twists” in this story, but I think that’s because I'm an adult reading a children’s book, and even then, it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the story. I think this is a great book for pre-teens, but I also feel like it can be enjoyed by all age groups- I loved it! I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Believe by Julie Mathison is a good book with some interesting characters and storyline. I enjoyed this book and really liked Melaine for both her character but also her growth.