Greta Grace is a young lady going through the trials and tribulations of middle school with a few extra helpings of why-of-why-does-it-have-to-be-me thrown in for good measure.

This young lady has a great support team built in. Grant it, she doesn't always let them in, but it doesn't mean they're not there, and when push comes to shove, they've got her back. Even when the "culprit" is someone she trusted, the lessons learned far outweigh the embarrassments she suffered. Now, I'm not saying in the moment it wasn't you-know-what, but with hindsight and some distance like her dear old mom and best grandma-like-friend told her, forgiveness will come. We deal with a variety of topics ranging from bullying to first crushes to loss, and none are cast aside as lesser than another. I mean, think about it...everything felt SO IMPORTANT at that age. It was a first time for everything type of time and we seem to feel things THAT much more. So yeah, the bully was a problem, the crush was intense, the secrets revealed were like the end of the world, the chance that we may lose someone we care for no matter how remote was life changing, but the author handles each long enough to help readers understand what is within our own power and what we sometimes need to let a higher power help us with.

All in all, a great start to what sounds like a promising series to promote positivity in life with a healthy look at emotions, and beliefs. ( )

Greta Grace is a story about a girl who is navigating middle school while being bullied.

Highly sensitive children might feel that the book starts off on a rather jolting note because it begins with a diatribe about how a character is similar to the toxicity of cancer.

On the other hand, children with behavioral struggles that incline them towards aggression may find the introductory scene amusing as it describes specific instances of bullying behavior.

The tone of the book is dramatic, and as a sensitive person I felt like I had to shield myself from accessing an incompatible vibration. However, some will find the book to be relatable because it covers real issues that we face on Earth.

My main concern with this book is that the tone is not the most uplifting.

One of the characters laments the following over a bully: “Is it bad to wish that she would gently die in her sleep?” The character is told, “Yeah” and the Golden Rule is mentioned.

On the other hand, there are some inspiring quotes. One of the quotes I enjoyed was, “You can say anything you have to say to anybody as long as it comes from a place of love.”

I also like how the main character's mothers said: “Greta Grace, you are amazing, strong, loveable and beautiful with an inner bright light shining that cannot be dimmed.”

If one can get over the drama and the fact that this book gives kids who are bullies a nice arsenal of phrases to add to their repertoire; one might find some useful nuggets to bring up for discussion .

In my opinion, this is a clear example of a book that either will resonate with you or it will not.

(I did not purchase this book, I received an advanced reader copy). ( )