I think at some points the story lulled a little bit and slowed down. But all I can say on that is this book is worth holding out for. There is a plot twist moment I didn’t see coming, and it surprised me. It blew my mind, and it also made everything move along faster afterward again. Something happened last summer – something big – but Clara cannot remember what. She’s fallen out with her best friend Gaynah because of it, and Clara feels like she’s a problem that everyone is trying to fix. This follows Clara, a 12 year old girl who lives in a small island village. Clara has no memories of the previous summer and is teased a lot about this, especially by her best friend Gaynah. Clara lives on an island in a tight knit village with people who feel so familiar. It's small and seaside so no one ever visits and no one really leaves. There's the grouchy old woman whom seems to dislike everyone but everyone does what she needs without question. There's the pastor that's overly judgmental. Clara's cousin Gaynah who she gets along with one minute and is at odd's with the next. And there's her ostracized uncle who everyone calls a witch doctor.

This was a beautiful story with an unexpected twists that starts out quiet but leaves a lasting impression.But what surprised me the most, was the supernatural element in this book. I thought that it was a contemporary but apparently it also has people who can see ghosts? It's a slow starter but it's a well written book about friendship with a bit of mystery mixed in. Clara is suffering from memory loss and has trouble recalling the events of last summer which have left her shaken. She once loved the water but now has a fear of it. Clara's whole neighborhood seems to be judging her until one day a new girl comes to visit from NY. The new girl Rudy doesn't judge her for her behavior or make her feel inferior. In the small community of Sycamore Hill, where Clara lives, everyone knows everyone else’s business, but there are plenty of things nobody will talk about. Is it really true that no one here has any secrets? I am generally not a middle school book reader but when I read the blurb, saw the gorgeous cover and the title was enough to send me reading Kereen Getten’s debut novel.

I was BLOWN away by the twist at the end. I felt the author did a great job of having more than one thing to keep us interested to the very end. The twist at the end was the absolute best! Nothing much happens in Sycamore, the small village where Clara lives - at least, that's how it looks. She loves eating ripe mangoes fallen from trees, running outside in the rainy season and escaping to her secret hideout with her best friend Gaynah. There's only one problem - she can't remember anything that happened last summer.

I absolutely enjoyed this very delightful book. I enjoyed being in Clara’s world and going on her numerous adventures. Getten writing transported me to a simpler time where I would spend my summer holidays outside in the country. It felt very nostalgic and innocent and I wanted more. I loved this book, there's something just so unique and special about it, and Clara's voice is quiet, but powerful. I loved the small town girl / big city girl dynamic as Rudy moves to town and becomes friends with Clara, and neither girl shuns the other's culture, happy to learn from the other. Clara lives on a small, island village, where she loves the people and the memories she's made there. Except, she can't remember anything of what happened last summer, and lately, her best friend, Gaynah, hasn't been treating her like a friend. This summer, however, fate has something different in store for Clara, starting with a new girl coming to the village. Nothing much happens in Sycamore, the small village where Clara lives - at least, that's how it seems.