Lucy in Between by Sarah Callender
Published by Holiday House on 8/18/26
ISBN: 0823455513
Genres: Mental Health, Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads

Lucy is a seventh grader who loves to mime, has only one friend (Charles) and has an older brother, Henry, who is a violin prodigy.  Henry also struggles with his mental health.  Their dad is out of the picture, and their mom focuses all her attention on Henry.  Lucy often feels unseen and unimportant, existing only as Henry’s sidekick.  When Henry dies by suicide, Lucy and her mother go to live with Lucy’s father in Peru, needing to be somewhere Henry’s absence isn’t as obvious.  Lucy and her mom work through their grief with the help of a Peruvian bookshop owner.  They learn how to remember the good times with Henry while acknowledging their sadness will never go away.

Lucy is an honest and quirky protagonist who grows a lot through this story.  She learns how to communicate her needs, sets boundaries with her father, and becomes a better friend to Charles and their new classmate, Tia.  Readers who like character driven plots will enjoy getting to know Lucy.

This book would be ideal for a YA collection.  Although the reading level is appropriate for upper middle school students, Henry’s suicide, though not graphic or unexpected, causes this book to fit better in YA.  The blurb on the inside flap and the note to readers prepares the readers for Henry’s death, so readers can determine whether or not this subject matter is appropriate for them.

Reviewed by Lindsay Varnum, Orono Public Library