Quite an alike story to another I've read..

I thought this was a very engaging read. It actually almost had me in tears, which is rather a large achievement for a book, because it doesn't happen often. It was more than I expected from a book aimed at young teenagers, and I found it very interesting. It kept me hooked!

I really liked the main character because she was lovable but not perfect. I can't stand characters that are too good, and Aubrey wasn't.

And the ending was heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time, if that's even possible! Well, if it wasn't possible, this book made it possible! ( )

Love, love, loved this! ( )

Love, Aubrey by Suzanne LaFleur is a book like none other! I read it in a day because I had to find out what happened. Aubrey is a girl that I can imagine being friends with because she has feelings that I can relate to, even though we have different lives. I think the book would be helpful for anyone that has experienced a major loss because they would be able to relate to Aubrey and might learn from her about healing. It is also an excellent book for people to read who have friends that have gone through something big that they aren’t sure how to help them with because they don’t know what to say. I would recommend this book to anyone in 4th grade and up that is ready for an emotional story with characters that will really make them think. Be prepared to cry! ( )

After the death of her father and sister, Aubrey's mother suffers a psychotic break and leaves 11 year old Aubrey alone. Aubrey cares for herself for about 2 weeks before her Grandma discovers what's happened. While people search for her mother, Aubrey goes to live with her Grandma where she learns to deal with her grief and abandonment.
When I was Aubrey's age I never suffered a loss of a loved one, but I have as an adult. Both my father and daughter died within a year of each other. While I can't completely relate to her mother's abandoning her, I can relate to life being too much to handle. I feel like LaFleur approached her subject truthfully. Death and grief are messy and difficult to navigate and the ways we deal with grief are not usually pretty. Aubrey has not only the death of half her family to contend with, but also the abandonment of the only adult left. Instead of guiding her daughter through grief, Aubrey's mother adds to it. Friends at school don't know how to deal with her and she becomes "that girl" with the family who died.
After moving out of state with her Grandmother, she is given space to heal, while also being pushed to keep living life. She cautiously makes friends with a couple of kids who are able to see her as herself and not just as her story.
I think this is a fantastic novel. It would bring hope to those who grieve and give kids who've never suffered loss a chance to develop some kind of empathy. ( )