I came across this book when I was scouting a book for the letter J for my A to Z 2020 challenge. Unfortunately, I ended up reading The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner then. But I finally got to read this on quite recently. Ready to read my book review of Juniper Lemon’s Happiness Index by Julie Israel?
About Juniper Lemon’s Happiness Index
Book Name: Juniper Lemon’s Happiness Index
Author: Julie Israel
Genre: Fiction – Romance, Young adult
Characters: Juniper and Camilla Lemon, Kody, Brand Sayers, Nate, Angela
Plot Summary of Juniper Lemon’s Happiness Index
Juniper Lemon recently lost her sister Camilla. She and her family are trying to cope up with the loss and grief, but not so well. To make it worse, her best friend would not talk to her either.
The only thing that is holding Juniper up was continuing her Camilla’s ritual of writing down positive things for each day. And then she loses an index card. The index card that has a memory that the world can’t know about.
Juniper knows she has to find it right away. Also she comes to know that her sister had a special someone, someone Juniper knew nothing about.
Does Juniper lemon find her happiness index card? Who was this “You” in Camilla’s life? Did Juniper ever meet them? You will have to read Juniper Lemon’s Happiness Index by Julie Israel to find out.
Book review of Juniper Lemon’s Happiness Index
Juniper Lemon’s Happiness Index by Julie Israel talks a lot about grief and loss of a beloved. And they way they deal (or not deal) with it. And I loved how Juniper/Julie Israel talks of grief and resonated with me personally. I really wanted to hug her tightly for a minute.
The book also has some cliché young adult drama. But they somehow felt right, to me. Watch out for the character development of the female lead, Juniper. From someone annoying and nosy she does grow up fast.
I loved how Juniper ended being friends with people she normally won’t have spoken to. The dialogues and banter between the friends were witty and I enjoyed reading. I flew through the book in a sitting.
What worked for me
- This is YA book that focuses on grief over the loss of a beloved and unexpected friendships.
- I loved the banter and witty dialogues between the friends.
- Perfect character development for Juniper and other characters were also fully fleshed.
What may have been better
- I wished I learned more about her family and their bonding.
- I think the romance angle could have been avoided. But I understand that it is inevitable.
Content warning
Loss and grief over the loss of a sibling, Teacher-student relationship (hinted), Car accident, parental abuse and negligence
Bottom line
Juniper Lemon’s Happiness Index by Julie Israel is a typical coming of age book that handles heavier topic like grief and loss of a sibling. For a book dealing over so much grief, it didn’t end up to be a sad book. And that is win for me!
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Let’s chat
Have you read Juniper Lemon’s Happiness Index by Julie Israel? Can you suggest other young adult books that deal with grief and loss of a sibling? Let us talk.
Sounds like a really good book!