Jen's story continues in this second GN of the Peapod farm series. The story is still very relatable and entertaining. I look forward to more books of this series.

The story includes young love, being a third wheel, and bullying. Those are tough and stressful things to deal with and Jen learns to navigate her way through each of these things and in my opinion does a good a great job of handling those situations.

I liked that Walter's character didn't play as big of a role in this story and that Jen was shown to confront the problems head on versus ignoring the situation or throwing a tantrum (for lack of a better word). ( )

This is a great sequel to Stepping Stones. Jen, who had been displaced from her urban life when her mother and mother's new boyfriend move to a farm, continues to adjust to the country lifestyle. Her stepsister Andy is in full boy-crazy puberty, crushing on a local neighbor, with whom they are working to put together the annual haunted hayride. Jen is uncomfortable with Andy's obsession, and it doesn't help when the first person she befriends at her new school is a boy, and everyone seems to think they are a couple. Jen also becomes the target of her class Mean Girl, which makes school the last place Jen wants to be. It's a pretty great representation of 12-year-old girls, in all their horror and glory, and I hope the story continues to develop. Indeed, as this volume comes to an end, it does hint at even more changes yet to come. No doubt they'll be a mixed bag, as this stage of life promises. ( )

As a follow up to "Stepping Stones", I sadly found this book sorely lacking. Yes, the plot line of struggling to fit in when everyone around you is "in love" makes sense (and I know many middle grade readers would identify with it). But "Apple Crush" needed to be more. Go back and continue the relationship between step-siblings.

I got Rainbow Rowell's "Pumpkinheads" vibes with the setting of "Apple Crush." You know, a pumpkin patch/corn maze/apple cider doughnuts, the whole nine yards. So that I liked. Did it make me want fall? Not quite yet ;) ( )

Even though this series isn't as fully autobiographical as most of Knisley's work, she still manages to convey deeply authentic heartfelt emotions, and I love that. Also, if you are looking for a read that can make awkward deeply endearing, she's got you covered. Jen is super not into romance and seems to be surrounded by it and it's so completely ok that she is where she's at, even though her stepsister Andy doesn't really seem to get it. It's a solid new-kid-at-school, rural life, haunted hayride and kids working for their own money sort of book. Really great. ( )

In the followup to "Stepping Stones," fall is here, school has started, and Jen and stepsister Andy have jobs helping get the pumpkin patch festival and spooky hayride up and running. Jen can't help but notice (and be annoyed by) all the romance she sees around her: Andy and Eddie; Leo and Rhea; Mr. Fischer and Tom; her mom and Andy's father. When Jen bonds with a boy in class over a shared love of a book series, mean girl Summer teases them about being nerds in love, and Andy coos that they make a cute couple. Readers like Jen will identify with the embarrassing status of being the outlier and just wanting to be friends without all the complications. The heart of middle school emotional life beats here. ( )