ALL THE THINGS WE FOUND

Feelings are complicated.

Twelve-year-old Ruthie is consumed with raging emotions stemming from the loss of her baby brother three years prior. Other changes have also turned her life upside down. Her parents divorced, and she only sees her dad on weekends. Her mom remarried, and now Ruthie has a stepfather and two older stepbrothers, who aren’t Jewish like Ruthie’s family. When her mom announces that she’s pregnant again, all of Ruthie’s difficult emotions come roaring to the surface. She’s angry, resentful, confused, and deeply sad. But most of all, she’s terrified that this new baby will die—and her mother as well. Ruthie tells her own story, and readers are privy to her thoughts even though she doesn’t talk about her feelings with anyone. They consume her—but she just goes deeper into herself, allowing herself joy only when she’s with her dog, Izzy. Her best friend, Jenna, is a constant source of comfort in her life, and the girls act out events from their favorite fantasy unicorn books. But Ruthie is devastated when they learn that publication of the next book in the series has been canceled—she needs that fantasy world. Another traumatic event brings Ruthie to her lowest point, but a surprising friendship helps her eventually be able to hope again and experience happiness, bit by bit.

Emotionally raw and well worth reading.