A young adult story about Sid, an orphaned teen with a great foster family, who comes to meet his biological family. ( )

As a foster parent myself, I am always intrigued with books about foster care, both fiction and non-fiction, which was the reason I chose this book. Three Little Words is set in Canada which is great because I know nothing about the Canadian foster care system. I could fully enjoy the book without analyzing whether or not that’s how things are really done like I do when I read an American novel about foster care.

I liked that this book shows the positive side of foster care. Sid has been in foster care since he was two years old and it has definitely been the best place for him. His foster parents, Megan and Caleb, are wonderful, yet not perfect ,like a lot of foster parents I know. At the same time, the grief and loss inherent in foster care is addressed as well. Sid hasn’t forgotten about his biological family and when his parents take in a new placement, Fariza, she definitely has issues adjusting.

I struggled with the beginning of Sid’s journey. Why would his grandma think he could find his brother, Wain, when Sid has never even met him? Sid asks that question as well but I don’t think a realistic motivation for the grandma was offered. I think there could have been a better way to start off Sid’s relationship with his brother. Once I let that go, I liked reading about their evolving relationship and Wain’s personal evolution as well.

This book is intended for young adult readers ages 12 and up. it does have some swearing in it but I didn’t think it was anything that an average teenager hasn’t heard or said themselves. I enjoyed this book and think that it will appeal to both teens and adults. ( )

The story is compelling with well written characters, but for some reason I just couldn't get into Harvey's writing style.

This is not a long read, but a thoughtful one. The book revolves around Sid, who was abandoned by his mother as a child, but was taken in by a wonderful foster family who he loves very much, and who love him very much. Sid, despite not caring about his roots, commences on a journey to help find his brother Wain, who is missing. Initially, I did not really care about the characters, and I thought it was silly that a teenager was expected to help find another teenager who, just a few a days ago, he did not even know was family. However, I loved the character of Sid, and kept reading, and realized that this is an immensely interesting story. The characters are brilliant, and not stereotypical, and all lend to the development of the main character. Wain is probably the only character that one wants to despise, but I couldn't bring myself to even despise him, given that he was clearly a troubled teen who needs attention and affection, and someone to relate to. The fact that Sid never gives up on Wain, even when he seems to have reached his wit's end with him, is the most endearing quality about Sid. It is a story of redemption, of taking your abandonment and anger issues and being able to channel them into productivity, and the importance of family. I honestly enjoyed this book a lot. ( )

This is one of those books that you want to love. The premise of long lost brothers finding each other, right after a tragedy is compelling. Foster kids being taken in by wonderful parents is another plus, but I found the whole story lacking. It was hard to keep reading, because I wasn't vested in the characters. ( )