Starred Review Publishers Weekly
*"Legrand handles the tough subject of childhood mental health gently and honestly, and. . . . paints a realistic picture of a girl trying to figure out what’s wrong with her. Finley’s quest to uncover family secrets reveals not just what kept her father away from his relatives but how a family sticks together through good times and bad."
The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
"Depression and anxiety are usually reserved for YA fare, so it’s refreshing to see those matters brought to younger readers and especially to those kids strug- gling to voice emotions they don’t yet understand. Legrand handles the topic with sensitivity and compassion. . . ."
STARRED REVIEW Booklist
*"A quiet magic is at work in Legrand’s novel, in which she adeptly interweaves Fin’s imaginative writing with the real-life narrative, underpinning all with an appeal to honesty and self-acceptance. This beautiful and reflective tale carries echoes of Katherine Patterson’s The Bridge to Terabithia (1977) and will resonate with thoughtful readers who enjoy pondering life’s bigger questions."
Kirkus Reviews
"Legrand has pulled off a difficult trick in this novel. She's constructeda story-within-a-story fairy tale that's utterly compelling but sounds asthough it was written by an 11-year-old girl. . . . A layered, thoughtful exploration."
School Library Journal
"A multilayered plot, engaging characters, and more than one mystery highlight this ambitious novel. . . . Legrand successfully weaves it all into a rich, nuanced tale that culminates in a convincing and satisfying conclusion."
Tim Federle
Imagine if Wednesday Addams had written THE PRINCESS BRIDE and you’ve got some kind of idea of SOME KIND OF HAPPINESS — a dark and meditative fantasy written with Claire Legrand’s signature light touch.
Natalie Lloyd
*Nominated by the Mystery Writers of America for the 2017 Edgar Award*
“Finley’s marvelous adventure will resonate with anyone who has battled a broken heart through the power of story. The courage she finds along the way will leave you cheering - and believing in magic - even in the darkest part of the woods.
The Bulletin of the Center for Childrens Books
"Depression and anxiety are usually reserved for YA fare, so it’s refreshing to see those matters brought to younger readers and especially to those kids strug- gling to voice emotions they don’t yet understand. Legrand handles the topic with sensitivity and compassion. . . ."
The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
"Depression and anxiety are usually reserved for YA fare, so it’s refreshing to see those matters brought to younger readers and especially to those kids strug- gling to voice emotions they don’t yet understand. Legrand handles the topic with sensitivity and compassion. . . ."
Kirkus Reviews
2016-03-02
Sometimes stories are a means of survival. Unhappy children often like to pretend that their parents aren't really their parents and that they secretly belong to a royal family. Finley is not a member of a royal family, but she's staying with long-lost relatives for the summer, by a deep forest. Her mom and dad are "having problems" and "need some space to work it out." Her father refuses to say why he stopped talking to his parents all those years ago, and clearly both house and family are full of secrets. Finley does her best to adjust and to get to know her relatives, and she begins writing fantasy stories about a deep forest and an orphan girl and a queen. Finley has a secret of her own. She's living with depression and anxiety, and the stories she writes on paper help her defend herself against the painful stories in her head. Legrand has pulled off a difficult trick in this novel. She's constructed a story-within-a-story fairy tale that's utterly compelling but sounds as though it was written by an 11-year-old girl. Finley's own story is even more compelling. Some of the family secrets are telegraphed too far in advance to be shocking, and some of the dialogue is too bluntly on-the-nose. But by the time the secrets are revealed, most readers will be too caught up in the story to stop reading. A layered, thoughtful exploration. (Fiction. 8-12)
