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What Happened Then
A house on a remote island. A broken family. A decades-old secret.
Avery is a firecracker. In a crayon box of colors, she’s the shocking pink and laser lemon, when all she wants is to be a quiet tan or soft cornflower blue. Her cousin, Jax, is a wall flower, because sometimes it’s better to stay quiet when the alternative is to be told that you’re doing or saying everything wrong. They seem to be the only ones who don’t know what happened years ago when their family shattered and went off in different directions.
When their beloved Aunt Robbie summons the large, estranged family together for a gathering at their broken-down family cabin on Crooked Lake, instead of getting the answer, Aunt Robbie delivers some devastating news. Avery and Jax learn that by the end of the summer, the island that’s been a part of their family for generations is going up for sale.
Forced to stay on the island with their estranged family to get it into shape to sell, Avery and Jax begin to dig through the history of the long-abandoned house and its contents… including a sprinkling of diary pages that were hidden around the island decades ago, the summer their family was torn apart.
In this alternating narrative by bestselling author Erin Soderberg Downing, two cousins are finally beginning to understand the joy of family--however cracked and imperfect theirs might be. But if they have any chance of gluing their broken family back together, they’ll have to first figure out what happened then.
Avery is a firecracker. In a crayon box of colors, she’s the shocking pink and laser lemon, when all she wants is to be a quiet tan or soft cornflower blue. Her cousin, Jax, is a wall flower, because sometimes it’s better to stay quiet when the alternative is to be told that you’re doing or saying everything wrong. They seem to be the only ones who don’t know what happened years ago when their family shattered and went off in different directions.
When their beloved Aunt Robbie summons the large, estranged family together for a gathering at their broken-down family cabin on Crooked Lake, instead of getting the answer, Aunt Robbie delivers some devastating news. Avery and Jax learn that by the end of the summer, the island that’s been a part of their family for generations is going up for sale.
Forced to stay on the island with their estranged family to get it into shape to sell, Avery and Jax begin to dig through the history of the long-abandoned house and its contents… including a sprinkling of diary pages that were hidden around the island decades ago, the summer their family was torn apart.
In this alternating narrative by bestselling author Erin Soderberg Downing, two cousins are finally beginning to understand the joy of family--however cracked and imperfect theirs might be. But if they have any chance of gluing their broken family back together, they’ll have to first figure out what happened then.
240 pages, Hardcover
Published September 2, 2025
15 people are currently reading
3493 people want to read
About the author
Erin Soderberg Downing
57 books272 followersI read and write lots of funny, adventurous, & heartwarming books for kids, tweens, and teens (and even a few romantic comedies for adults, too!) that are ultimately about finding your place, finding your people, and finding your voice. I always love book recommendations, so please send them my way. As a reader, I'm partial to contemporary romantic comedy, thrillers that keep the pages turning and have well-built characters, funny/original voices, quirky characters, and always kids' books with humor and heart.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
September 20, 2025
I am begging you once again to not sleep on middle grade novels.
I think a lot about grief and my relationship to it as someone who has been intimately acquainted with incredibly large losses my entire life. My life has been shaped quite honestly by the loss of my dad at 12, and it’s been 25 years now. Reading books that explore grief in kids just really, really gets to me.
@narrator_pete mentioned that he worked on this book and it was a beautiful story so naturally, I was sold. It does an incredible job of weaving layers of grief, a mystery, and complex family dynamics. It packs a huge emotional punch. The further I got into this story, the more I wanted to solve the mystery of the family with Avery and Jax. And that ending? I was weeping in my bed finishing this story tonight.
A true gem of a novel.
I think a lot about grief and my relationship to it as someone who has been intimately acquainted with incredibly large losses my entire life. My life has been shaped quite honestly by the loss of my dad at 12, and it’s been 25 years now. Reading books that explore grief in kids just really, really gets to me.
@narrator_pete mentioned that he worked on this book and it was a beautiful story so naturally, I was sold. It does an incredible job of weaving layers of grief, a mystery, and complex family dynamics. It packs a huge emotional punch. The further I got into this story, the more I wanted to solve the mystery of the family with Avery and Jax. And that ending? I was weeping in my bed finishing this story tonight.
A true gem of a novel.
September 1, 2025
Many thanks to the author for sending me an advance copy of this book. It’s out tomorrow, so I finished it just in time! All opinions are my own.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. Told in two voices, cousins Jax and Avery are spending the summer with their extended family on the island their parents grew up going to every summer as kids. Until, they stopped. Since then, their parents and siblings haven’t been close, and nobody talks about that last summer. So when their Aunt Robbie announces that she is sick and wants the family to clean up the island to possibly sell it, the cousins start digging in to what happened all those years ago. Suspenseful and perfect for readers in grades 6-8. #mglit #librarian #librariansofinstagram #middleschoollibrarian
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. Told in two voices, cousins Jax and Avery are spending the summer with their extended family on the island their parents grew up going to every summer as kids. Until, they stopped. Since then, their parents and siblings haven’t been close, and nobody talks about that last summer. So when their Aunt Robbie announces that she is sick and wants the family to clean up the island to possibly sell it, the cousins start digging in to what happened all those years ago. Suspenseful and perfect for readers in grades 6-8. #mglit #librarian #librariansofinstagram #middleschoollibrarian
May 13, 2025
Erin Soderberg Downing, author of the wonderful The Great Peach Experiment series and standalones including Controlled Burn and Just Keep Walking, gives middle grade readers another realistic fiction filled with so much heart and plenty of other elements that will keep them engaged all the way until the satisfying end. In What Happened Then, a fractured family is called together for one last chance to heal a long buried hurt with 12 year old cousins Jax and Avery leading the way. Told in their two perspectives along with pages from a decades old diary and set on the family’s long owned island amid well-worn cabins, swimming and jumping off spots and even a gnome/fairy garden, the two begin a search for all the missing pages in an effort to discover what caused the break up of the family and heal those wounds before the vacation spot is sold and each individual family goes their separate ways.
A long time ago, two parents brought their five children to the island every summer for a time to “follow their bliss” and explore to their heart’s content. The group wasn’t perfect, James was bullied and demeaned by his father, one sister was mean, another left out of all her siblings adventures because of her age, one attempted to keep all bumps in the road smoothed over and James’ twin who was simply boring. Now, Aunt Robbie has assembled her remaining three siblings and their families for the news of her ALS diagnosis, decisions to be made about the island home and, hopefully, some sort of reconciliation and healing of the rift that formed after the death of a sister and their subsequent silence over the events surrounding her death. Downing blends Jax and Avery’s search for clues from the diary pages with powerful descriptions giving readers a crystal clear view of the island, cabins and boathouse, and each distinct personality and manages to lead the narrative a certain direction and then throw in a wrinkle that changes everything. The large family fracture and smaller problems within the families of each of the four siblings add aspects that will allow those readers to make personal connections, further cementing their investment in the story. The ending is satisfying but not perfect which will likely please middle grade students who know that a mixed bag conclusion is ultimately the right thing.
Highly recommended for those in grades 4-7. Text is free of profanity, sexual content and violence. The death of the lynchpin sibling is sad but not overly graphic or disturbing. The families represent a debilitating illness, a stay at home dad, two parents on the verge of divorce, a workaholic, and a father who has become what he endured as a child as well as parents who are supportive and kind, and kids who just want to be loved, enjoy life and have a purpose.
Pg. 135 “This … is our chance to escape from the anchors other people have tied to us and show everyone that we can do more, that we can shape our own adventure.”
Thanks for the print arc, Erin Downing and Scholastic.
A long time ago, two parents brought their five children to the island every summer for a time to “follow their bliss” and explore to their heart’s content. The group wasn’t perfect, James was bullied and demeaned by his father, one sister was mean, another left out of all her siblings adventures because of her age, one attempted to keep all bumps in the road smoothed over and James’ twin who was simply boring. Now, Aunt Robbie has assembled her remaining three siblings and their families for the news of her ALS diagnosis, decisions to be made about the island home and, hopefully, some sort of reconciliation and healing of the rift that formed after the death of a sister and their subsequent silence over the events surrounding her death. Downing blends Jax and Avery’s search for clues from the diary pages with powerful descriptions giving readers a crystal clear view of the island, cabins and boathouse, and each distinct personality and manages to lead the narrative a certain direction and then throw in a wrinkle that changes everything. The large family fracture and smaller problems within the families of each of the four siblings add aspects that will allow those readers to make personal connections, further cementing their investment in the story. The ending is satisfying but not perfect which will likely please middle grade students who know that a mixed bag conclusion is ultimately the right thing.
Highly recommended for those in grades 4-7. Text is free of profanity, sexual content and violence. The death of the lynchpin sibling is sad but not overly graphic or disturbing. The families represent a debilitating illness, a stay at home dad, two parents on the verge of divorce, a workaholic, and a father who has become what he endured as a child as well as parents who are supportive and kind, and kids who just want to be loved, enjoy life and have a purpose.
Pg. 135 “This … is our chance to escape from the anchors other people have tied to us and show everyone that we can do more, that we can shape our own adventure.”
Thanks for the print arc, Erin Downing and Scholastic.
July 1, 2025
Riveting from the first page! I read this in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down, yet I enjoyed watching the mysteries unfold and the characters grow through each chapter. The island setting is perfect, and I just loved Jax and Avery! I can’t wait to share this with students in the fall (which will still feel like summer here)!
September 28, 2025
This was my second Erin Soderberg Downing and I'm hooked for life. This was such a well-constructed story about an extended family that is dealing with childhood trauma.
I loved the different perspectives, it gave such a vivid picture of this family and what they were going through. Ultimately this a story about suppressed grief and how the death of a sibling put a wedge into the relationships in this family and how they healed.
Because of the themes of grief and sickness (there is an aunt who was recently diagnosed with ALS and she only has 2 years to live), I would recommend this to ages 10+ Downing's books make for great tween reading!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
I loved the different perspectives, it gave such a vivid picture of this family and what they were going through. Ultimately this a story about suppressed grief and how the death of a sibling put a wedge into the relationships in this family and how they healed.
Because of the themes of grief and sickness (there is an aunt who was recently diagnosed with ALS and she only has 2 years to live), I would recommend this to ages 10+ Downing's books make for great tween reading!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
January 5, 2026
Mystery isn’t my top genre of choice but I really enjoyed this one! Both main characters are coming of age and learning to be okay with themselves and their families. Would recommend 3rd-6th graders but note that the mystery is how their aunt died so warn sensitive readers before reading.
July 14, 2025
Absolutely loved this new one by Erin Soderberg Downing! Thanks to Scholastic for sharing an early copy.
Twelve year old Avery & her parents travel to a remote island in the middle of Crooked Lake. The cabin and its guest houses have been owned by her mom’s family for years, but they’ve been left uncared for and have become run-down. When Avery’s Aunt Robbie summons her estranged family to come together to make a decision about the cabin’s future, she also shares surprising news about her health and why this decision must happen now.
Arriving on the island, Avery is excited to get to know her extended family better, especially her cousin Jax who is quiet and shy to her loud and outgoing. As they begin to dig through decades worth of history in the main cabin, the two uncover pages from a diary from the summer that shattered their parents’ lives. Thus begins an adventure to search the island for the rest of the missing diary pages to put together the pieces in hopes of gluing their fractured family back together again.
Told by both Avery & Jax and a “then” narrator, this middle grade mystery will have readers turning the pages to find out what really happened back then. Preorder now - publishes September 2nd!
Extended matter includes step-by-step directions for rock painting.
Favorite lines:
ARC p135:
“…all she wants for each of us is to find our own way in this world. By picking our own path, she said. By doing what gives us joy and not what makes someone else happy.”
ARC p234:
“I’ve started to realize that everyone’s full of surprises. No one strives to be totally predictable, or dreams about being just one type of person or another. We all have a whole lot of secret pieces of ourselves that we stuff away, because we’re not comfortable sharing them with the world just yet.”
Twelve year old Avery & her parents travel to a remote island in the middle of Crooked Lake. The cabin and its guest houses have been owned by her mom’s family for years, but they’ve been left uncared for and have become run-down. When Avery’s Aunt Robbie summons her estranged family to come together to make a decision about the cabin’s future, she also shares surprising news about her health and why this decision must happen now.
Arriving on the island, Avery is excited to get to know her extended family better, especially her cousin Jax who is quiet and shy to her loud and outgoing. As they begin to dig through decades worth of history in the main cabin, the two uncover pages from a diary from the summer that shattered their parents’ lives. Thus begins an adventure to search the island for the rest of the missing diary pages to put together the pieces in hopes of gluing their fractured family back together again.
Told by both Avery & Jax and a “then” narrator, this middle grade mystery will have readers turning the pages to find out what really happened back then. Preorder now - publishes September 2nd!
Extended matter includes step-by-step directions for rock painting.
Favorite lines:
ARC p135:
“…all she wants for each of us is to find our own way in this world. By picking our own path, she said. By doing what gives us joy and not what makes someone else happy.”
ARC p234:
“I’ve started to realize that everyone’s full of surprises. No one strives to be totally predictable, or dreams about being just one type of person or another. We all have a whole lot of secret pieces of ourselves that we stuff away, because we’re not comfortable sharing them with the world just yet.”
September 6, 2025
I’ve loved and enjoyed all of Erin’s books, but this one surpasses them all. I read the novel and could not stop reading or put it down. I was swept up into the world of the characters on the island. The mystery added greatly to the overall story. I then read the story to my class and they so enjoyed. I teach fourth grade. Can’t wait to share the powerful story with my new group of students. Get this book now and you will not be disappointed.
April 28, 2025
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Avery and her mom Eleanor and dad travel to the island her mom's family owns in the middle of Crooked Lake when her Aunt Robbie wants everyone to gather for one last get together and decide what to do with the property. Jax, along with his father, James, is there as well along with Aunt Robbie and Aunt Di and her family. There's a big house on the property, but also guest cabins that haven't been used since Avery's grandfather died. When Aunt Robbie announces that she has ALS and will probably be gone in two years, she makes it clear that even though her mother left her the property, she feels that it is up to the entire family to decide its fate. James, who has always been difficult, immediately wants to sell everything and be done with it. Avery, who is interested in the unmentioned youngest sibling about whom no one talks, is enthralled with this mystery when she finds pieces of an old journal around the island. As the family works on cleaning out the house, Avery and Jax try to figure out what happened, and uncover a lot of bad feelings among the remaining siblings that will effect the fate of the property. Avery comes to love the island, as well as Aunt Robbie, and wants to find a way for her aunts and uncles to make peace with the past.
Strengths: There is something appealing about going to an island and meeting up with family one hasn't seen in a long time and uncovering family secrets. The Crooked Lake property is so well described that I could SMELL the cabins! Finding a 30-40 year old diary (Alexander's The Dead Girl's Diary or Ford's The Lonely Ghost also include these documents) is enthralling, and Avery and Jax work well together to solve the mystery. Each character has other problems as well; Avery is impulsive and loud, and has trouble with self regulation, while Jax has a troubled relationship with his father. I loved Aunt Robbie, and was sad that she was so ill, but it was nice that her family was able to rally around her. I don't want to ruin the family secret, but it was satisfying that all of the siblings thought they were responsible, and had felt guilty for years, and that when they finally talked about the issue, they realized that none of them were at fault. This is another great title by Downing, who also wrote Just Keep Walking and When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Peach Pie.
Weaknesses: In the middle of the book, Avery decides that the journal was written by Aunt Robbie, and I figured all along that it was. There's a name change, and I somehow got very turned around by this, but it could just be me.
What I really think: There must be any number of old family lodges, camps, and larger houses that are impossible for younger generations to keep up. This reminded me a bit of Matson's The Firefly Summer, Baron's The Gray, or Haddix's The Mysteries of Trash and Treasure. There need to be more middle grade books that investigate the cultural phenomenon of Cabbage Patch Kids! (I was in high school, and remember selling patterns to grandmothers to make clothes for these dolls. Their stories of waiting in line to buy them were something else!)
Avery and her mom Eleanor and dad travel to the island her mom's family owns in the middle of Crooked Lake when her Aunt Robbie wants everyone to gather for one last get together and decide what to do with the property. Jax, along with his father, James, is there as well along with Aunt Robbie and Aunt Di and her family. There's a big house on the property, but also guest cabins that haven't been used since Avery's grandfather died. When Aunt Robbie announces that she has ALS and will probably be gone in two years, she makes it clear that even though her mother left her the property, she feels that it is up to the entire family to decide its fate. James, who has always been difficult, immediately wants to sell everything and be done with it. Avery, who is interested in the unmentioned youngest sibling about whom no one talks, is enthralled with this mystery when she finds pieces of an old journal around the island. As the family works on cleaning out the house, Avery and Jax try to figure out what happened, and uncover a lot of bad feelings among the remaining siblings that will effect the fate of the property. Avery comes to love the island, as well as Aunt Robbie, and wants to find a way for her aunts and uncles to make peace with the past.
Strengths: There is something appealing about going to an island and meeting up with family one hasn't seen in a long time and uncovering family secrets. The Crooked Lake property is so well described that I could SMELL the cabins! Finding a 30-40 year old diary (Alexander's The Dead Girl's Diary or Ford's The Lonely Ghost also include these documents) is enthralling, and Avery and Jax work well together to solve the mystery. Each character has other problems as well; Avery is impulsive and loud, and has trouble with self regulation, while Jax has a troubled relationship with his father. I loved Aunt Robbie, and was sad that she was so ill, but it was nice that her family was able to rally around her. I don't want to ruin the family secret, but it was satisfying that all of the siblings thought they were responsible, and had felt guilty for years, and that when they finally talked about the issue, they realized that none of them were at fault. This is another great title by Downing, who also wrote Just Keep Walking and When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Peach Pie.
Weaknesses: In the middle of the book, Avery decides that the journal was written by Aunt Robbie, and I figured all along that it was. There's a name change, and I somehow got very turned around by this, but it could just be me.
What I really think: There must be any number of old family lodges, camps, and larger houses that are impossible for younger generations to keep up. This reminded me a bit of Matson's The Firefly Summer, Baron's The Gray, or Haddix's The Mysteries of Trash and Treasure. There need to be more middle grade books that investigate the cultural phenomenon of Cabbage Patch Kids! (I was in high school, and remember selling patterns to grandmothers to make clothes for these dolls. Their stories of waiting in line to buy them were something else!)
October 6, 2025
Jax and Avery are 12-year-old first cousins. They barely know each other, having seen each other most recently at their grandmother’s funeral 2 years ago. Jax’s dad and Avery’s mom are twins and the oldest of 5 siblings; Jax and Avery know that the youngest sister passed away at a young age, but they don’t even know her name, let alone how she died. One thing they do have in common is they both love their Aunt Robbie, so they are cautiously curious when Robbie organizes a family reunion on the island where the siblings used to spend every summer, in the middle of Crooked Lake. Robbie has gathered her siblings and their families together in hopes of one last fun summer, as she reveals that she has been diagnosed with ALS and that their mother left her the island in her will. She wants her siblings’ help to clean and organize the cabins, and decide whether to sell it or somehow keep it in the family. There is a great deal of tension in the various relationships, but as the summer progresses Jax and Avery bond as they explore the island and try to relive some of their parents’ happier adventures with the guidance of Aunt Robbie. As they explore, they also uncover a set of diary pages hidden in Folger’s coffee cans all around the island; these pages hold the key to understanding what happened to their aunt, as well as the estranged nature of the remaining siblings, and possibly a way for them all to move forward as a family.
What Happened Then stands out with its unique story line: it is a multilayered family drama, a nostalgic summer adventure, and a mystery all in one, featuring short chapters which alternate perspectives and first person narration among Jax, Avery, and the diary pages. The mystery of the missing aunt is compelling, and the natural setting provides an exciting backdrop to the family saga. But readers will really be intrigued by the shifting relationships between various family members - the sibling bickering alternating with heartfelt talks among the grownups, the way the whole crew rallies around Aunt Robbie in her illness, the cute little cousins who provide some light moments, and especially the bond that develops between Jax and Avery. They are awkward tweens, who each describe social struggles at school: Avery for being too impulsive and outgoing with Jax too withdrawn and uninvolved. They are both contending with family problems as well. Jax’s demanding father, James, ridicules his son for his lack of athleticism and other faults; as the kids learn more about the family’s past they realize that James seems to be replicating his relationship with his own father. Avery’s father is at the island but spends most of his time trying to find wi-fi so he can get work done, and she gradually realizes that her parents’ marriage is in trouble. As these two cousins work together to navigate this unusual summer and their family’s murky past, they unravel a surprising twist, and discover that their friendship will last past August. Characters present as white. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...
What Happened Then stands out with its unique story line: it is a multilayered family drama, a nostalgic summer adventure, and a mystery all in one, featuring short chapters which alternate perspectives and first person narration among Jax, Avery, and the diary pages. The mystery of the missing aunt is compelling, and the natural setting provides an exciting backdrop to the family saga. But readers will really be intrigued by the shifting relationships between various family members - the sibling bickering alternating with heartfelt talks among the grownups, the way the whole crew rallies around Aunt Robbie in her illness, the cute little cousins who provide some light moments, and especially the bond that develops between Jax and Avery. They are awkward tweens, who each describe social struggles at school: Avery for being too impulsive and outgoing with Jax too withdrawn and uninvolved. They are both contending with family problems as well. Jax’s demanding father, James, ridicules his son for his lack of athleticism and other faults; as the kids learn more about the family’s past they realize that James seems to be replicating his relationship with his own father. Avery’s father is at the island but spends most of his time trying to find wi-fi so he can get work done, and she gradually realizes that her parents’ marriage is in trouble. As these two cousins work together to navigate this unusual summer and their family’s murky past, they unravel a surprising twist, and discover that their friendship will last past August. Characters present as white. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...
January 7, 2026
MrsK's Review: GR 5-7 Realistic Fiction/Mystery
Meet Avery a fourteen-year-old who is determined to engage her family in uncovering the truth and mending their differences. She is exuberant, inquisitive, and speaks her thoughts rather loudly. She loves and accepts everyone, after all they are family... right!
Meet her cousins: Jax who is reluctant towards any type of attention, especially if it draws his dad's focus on what he is or isn't doing, and Finley who is younger, bouncy, and somewhat clingy yet always ready for an adventure. Then there is Hazel and Hugo who are six-year-old twins.
They have been gathered on "their" island. Why did their Aunt Robbie "command" them to gather this summer? The adults seem very reluctant and "put-out" about getting together, what could be so bad about spending a few days on a family island? If the adults have decided to sell their family retreat, why not fix it up and enjoy one last family vacation?
When Avery and Jax discover a diary page, they begin their search to know more about their oldest aunt. How did she die? Was it on the island? Why have the adults never mentioned her? Their grandma loved coming to the island, why was she always alone on the island? What is causing this gathering such anguish?
A summer vacation, moments to remember. Memories resurfaced. When the time comes to leave, will the adults realize that what they have is worth mending?
This is story is beautifully woven with enduring emotions, adventurous discoveries, renewing connections and hope from a young spirit yearning for her family to be... family!
Gather others, share this journey, this is a forever destination for your bookshelf,
MrsK https://mrskbookstogo.blogspot.com/
Meet Avery a fourteen-year-old who is determined to engage her family in uncovering the truth and mending their differences. She is exuberant, inquisitive, and speaks her thoughts rather loudly. She loves and accepts everyone, after all they are family... right!
Meet her cousins: Jax who is reluctant towards any type of attention, especially if it draws his dad's focus on what he is or isn't doing, and Finley who is younger, bouncy, and somewhat clingy yet always ready for an adventure. Then there is Hazel and Hugo who are six-year-old twins.
They have been gathered on "their" island. Why did their Aunt Robbie "command" them to gather this summer? The adults seem very reluctant and "put-out" about getting together, what could be so bad about spending a few days on a family island? If the adults have decided to sell their family retreat, why not fix it up and enjoy one last family vacation?
When Avery and Jax discover a diary page, they begin their search to know more about their oldest aunt. How did she die? Was it on the island? Why have the adults never mentioned her? Their grandma loved coming to the island, why was she always alone on the island? What is causing this gathering such anguish?
A summer vacation, moments to remember. Memories resurfaced. When the time comes to leave, will the adults realize that what they have is worth mending?
This is story is beautifully woven with enduring emotions, adventurous discoveries, renewing connections and hope from a young spirit yearning for her family to be... family!
Gather others, share this journey, this is a forever destination for your bookshelf,
MrsK https://mrskbookstogo.blogspot.com/
August 22, 2025
What Hapoened Then is an emotional journey to unraveling the reason behind a family trauma that happened in the long ago past. It’s been a huge taboo topic and has eaten away at the family for years. Avery and Jax are the key players in the quest to uncover the mystery of a past traumatic event.
Avery and Jax are cousins visiting a family island for the first time. Most of the family members are estranged and being on the island is very obviously awkward if not painful for the adults and as a result passes down to the kids. . The children don’t know what happened in the past but they are victims of the damage it has caused. These two are determined and hopeful that if they figure out what tragic event occurred, they can confront their family and it could lead to healing.
The story unfolds slowly but us really well done. It’s a beautiful setting and the characters and their dynamics are emotionally complex. The main characters are quite likable but struggle with identity. Jax was not masculine enough for his father and Avery is very self conscience and views herself as too much and annoying as she feels others perceive her.
I highly recommend this novel for readers in grades 4-7. Topics include a debilitating illness, a stay at home dad, parents on the verge of divorce, a workaholic parent and children seeking love and acceptance accompanied by a life they can enjoy and find purpose.
Avery and Jax are cousins visiting a family island for the first time. Most of the family members are estranged and being on the island is very obviously awkward if not painful for the adults and as a result passes down to the kids. . The children don’t know what happened in the past but they are victims of the damage it has caused. These two are determined and hopeful that if they figure out what tragic event occurred, they can confront their family and it could lead to healing.
The story unfolds slowly but us really well done. It’s a beautiful setting and the characters and their dynamics are emotionally complex. The main characters are quite likable but struggle with identity. Jax was not masculine enough for his father and Avery is very self conscience and views herself as too much and annoying as she feels others perceive her.
I highly recommend this novel for readers in grades 4-7. Topics include a debilitating illness, a stay at home dad, parents on the verge of divorce, a workaholic parent and children seeking love and acceptance accompanied by a life they can enjoy and find purpose.
June 24, 2025
Erin Soderberg Downing has hit it out of the park with her latest middle grade novel. Set on an off the grid island accessed only by boat, and told in alternating narratives, cousins Avery and Jax are summoned to the island with their families by their favorite aunt. Their parents seem apprehensive, even annoyed to be returning to where they spent their family summers as children. Avery and Jax are determined to uncover the secretive cloud that hangs over their parents and their siblings, a cloud that never left the island, a mystery that no one speaks of and likely has to do with the death of their sister who is never mentioned or named. The adults, however, are hyper-focused on clearing out the family cabins, cleaning up the island, and preparing it for new owners. Between random moments of joy and happy memories, Avery and Jax try to get the grown ups to shed light on what happened, but find only unwillingness to open up and share details of the pain that accompanied the good times. Instead the two teens are forced to piece together what happened through journal entries randomly hidden around the island and solve the mystery before their parents finish the clean up and pack up to return home. This story has great twists and turns and is hard to put down. Kids are going to love it.
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September 13, 2025When it was announced that Avery and her family would be joining her mother's siblings on an island that used to be a vacation spot for their families for years, she is excited but also a bit nervous. She would be there with no cell service and aunts and uncles and cousins she hadn't seen for years.
Upon arrival on the island, Avery loved the old main house. Each family would be sleeping in cabins scattered over the island. The cabins needed a good cleaning and repairs due to been abandoned since the family visited long ago. She found this interesting, but that was not the case for everyone.
Avery is the same age as her cousin Jax. At first, they don't seem to have much in common. In a few short days, and after learning about Aunt Robbie's health news and her plans for reuniting the family before deciding to sell the house and buildings, both Avery and Jax are determined to learn as much as possible about the past. Finding bits and pieces of a journal written by one of their aunts, helps them, but they only have a few short weeks to put all the pieces together.
Author Erin Soderberg Downing weaves a fascinating tale of family drama that is sure to captivate readers. There are plenty of twists and turns and surprises to keep the pages turning in this middle grade mystery.
Upon arrival on the island, Avery loved the old main house. Each family would be sleeping in cabins scattered over the island. The cabins needed a good cleaning and repairs due to been abandoned since the family visited long ago. She found this interesting, but that was not the case for everyone.
Avery is the same age as her cousin Jax. At first, they don't seem to have much in common. In a few short days, and after learning about Aunt Robbie's health news and her plans for reuniting the family before deciding to sell the house and buildings, both Avery and Jax are determined to learn as much as possible about the past. Finding bits and pieces of a journal written by one of their aunts, helps them, but they only have a few short weeks to put all the pieces together.
Author Erin Soderberg Downing weaves a fascinating tale of family drama that is sure to captivate readers. There are plenty of twists and turns and surprises to keep the pages turning in this middle grade mystery.
April 5, 2025
What Happened Then delves into some pretty heavy issues while solving a decades old family mystery. The family comes back together after being long-fractured for reasons the children don't understand. The two POV characters, Jax and Avery, make it their mission to reunite the family.
Their treasure hunt around the island for clues left from a long-ago summer is one of the most engaging elements, as is the friendship and love that develop between the two as they try to solve the mystery and just spend time with each other and the other cousins.
Both kids are dealing with difficult immediate family dynamics, and neither one feels fully welcome or accepted. I do wish there had been a little more resolution on those elements--Jax's dad in particular displays a lot of cruelty that I'd like to see challenged more explicitly for middle grade readers.
The setting is really fun and idyllic (I wish I had an island to escape to all summer!).
There are a lot of loose threads at the end of the book (Avery's parents, Robbie's future), but most of them leave room for thoughtful discussion with a MG reader.
Thanks to Scholastic for providing this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Their treasure hunt around the island for clues left from a long-ago summer is one of the most engaging elements, as is the friendship and love that develop between the two as they try to solve the mystery and just spend time with each other and the other cousins.
Both kids are dealing with difficult immediate family dynamics, and neither one feels fully welcome or accepted. I do wish there had been a little more resolution on those elements--Jax's dad in particular displays a lot of cruelty that I'd like to see challenged more explicitly for middle grade readers.
The setting is really fun and idyllic (I wish I had an island to escape to all summer!).
There are a lot of loose threads at the end of the book (Avery's parents, Robbie's future), but most of them leave room for thoughtful discussion with a MG reader.
Thanks to Scholastic for providing this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 12, 2025
The idea of a family island and the coming together of adult siblings was what roped me in. As an adult reader, I was lured by a Dan In Real Life-type setting. As a reader, trying to hear the story from a child’s perspective, I was intrigued by the multiple child narrators and the island mystery.
I ended up feeling both sad and uplifted by this story. What I wasn’t expecting to have such a visceral dislike for one of the characters. (I’m certain the writer was intentional about that.)
It was a little confusing hopping back and forth, trying to remember who was sharing from which period of the story. But eventually I caught on. (I listened to the audiobook.)
I enjoyed the rustic island setting and appreciated the very unique personalities. The mystery was fun to follow yet slightly predictable. I feel like I appreciated this story more, as an adult who has made many mistakes in my childhood, than I’d appreciate this story as a child reader. It’s one of those “old soul” kind of books written for middle grade, yet definitely a good fit to suggest to an adult that doesn’t want a 400+ page reading experience.
I ended up feeling both sad and uplifted by this story. What I wasn’t expecting to have such a visceral dislike for one of the characters. (I’m certain the writer was intentional about that.)
It was a little confusing hopping back and forth, trying to remember who was sharing from which period of the story. But eventually I caught on. (I listened to the audiobook.)
I enjoyed the rustic island setting and appreciated the very unique personalities. The mystery was fun to follow yet slightly predictable. I feel like I appreciated this story more, as an adult who has made many mistakes in my childhood, than I’d appreciate this story as a child reader. It’s one of those “old soul” kind of books written for middle grade, yet definitely a good fit to suggest to an adult that doesn’t want a 400+ page reading experience.
September 7, 2025
In WHAT HAPPENED THEN, when their families reunite to spend the summer on an off-grid island that’s been in their family for years, cousins Avery and Jax unravel a long-held family secret. Their Aunt Robbie has called the family together to help restore the neglected property. Avery is excited about learning more about her family, while Jax is more reserved. When they each find pages from a diary from long ago, they work together to find the remaining pages and learn about the events that transpired on the island years ago that changed their family forever.
Told in the alternating perspectives of Avery and Jax interspersed with journal entries from the fateful summer long ago that is the key to the fracture that has haunted their parents for years, the story is fast paced and gripping. The remote setting is vividly described and adds to the tension in the story, which amps up with an unexpected twist. This one’s a great choice for readers who love emotional family stories with complex relationships and those who enjoy tense, well-paced mysteries.
Told in the alternating perspectives of Avery and Jax interspersed with journal entries from the fateful summer long ago that is the key to the fracture that has haunted their parents for years, the story is fast paced and gripping. The remote setting is vividly described and adds to the tension in the story, which amps up with an unexpected twist. This one’s a great choice for readers who love emotional family stories with complex relationships and those who enjoy tense, well-paced mysteries.
September 25, 2025
Two generations full of secrets on one island.
🏝️
Avery has been described as “too much” too many times to count. She wants to change who she is and be more like her cousin, Jax. Jax is a wall flower, afraid to do anything so his father doesn’t criticize him. When their Aunt Robbie calls the family together on Crooked Lake, she drops a bomb on them that changes the trajectory of the rest of the summer. As they try and get their family cabin ready to sell, Avery and Jax find diary pages hidden around the island giving them clues as to what potentially happened to their aunt, who passed away years ago.
🗒️
This MG book gave me We Were Liars vibes, but make it middle grade and dual timelines. This was an intriguing mystery that is filling a gap we have in #mglit Add this to your 4th-7th grade collection and take a look at the extended matter that includes directions for rock painting. @erinsoderbergdowning Thanks @scholastic for the ARC!
CW: child death (recounted), bullying, parental abandonment, divorce (discussed), grief, emotional abuse
🏝️
Avery has been described as “too much” too many times to count. She wants to change who she is and be more like her cousin, Jax. Jax is a wall flower, afraid to do anything so his father doesn’t criticize him. When their Aunt Robbie calls the family together on Crooked Lake, she drops a bomb on them that changes the trajectory of the rest of the summer. As they try and get their family cabin ready to sell, Avery and Jax find diary pages hidden around the island giving them clues as to what potentially happened to their aunt, who passed away years ago.
🗒️
This MG book gave me We Were Liars vibes, but make it middle grade and dual timelines. This was an intriguing mystery that is filling a gap we have in #mglit Add this to your 4th-7th grade collection and take a look at the extended matter that includes directions for rock painting. @erinsoderbergdowning Thanks @scholastic for the ARC!
CW: child death (recounted), bullying, parental abandonment, divorce (discussed), grief, emotional abuse
March 29, 2025
One secret. Two generations.
Dual POVs of similarly aged cousins but dissimilar in every other way.
Avery's 'voice' is bright as her personality. She's also intuitive and reflective. She clearly sees how others (school acquaintances and even family) view her.
Jax's 'voice' is more subdued. The reader later discovers the why behind it.
All in all author's metaphor of colors in a crayon box is needless to say, an apt one.
What makes this an engaging read is the treasure hunt of sorts entwined in a mystery worthy of the classic girl and boy detectives, "Nancy Drew" and "Encyclopedia Brown".
There's a bit of a dark turn in the book that didn't see from the blurb. A description of a 'heart-clencher" doesn't go far enough to describe the event for me.
This ARC was provided by the publisher, Scholastic | Scholastic Press, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
#WhatHappenedThen #NetGalley
Dual POVs of similarly aged cousins but dissimilar in every other way.
Avery's 'voice' is bright as her personality. She's also intuitive and reflective. She clearly sees how others (school acquaintances and even family) view her.
Jax's 'voice' is more subdued. The reader later discovers the why behind it.
All in all author's metaphor of colors in a crayon box is needless to say, an apt one.
What makes this an engaging read is the treasure hunt of sorts entwined in a mystery worthy of the classic girl and boy detectives, "Nancy Drew" and "Encyclopedia Brown".
There's a bit of a dark turn in the book that didn't see from the blurb. A description of a 'heart-clencher" doesn't go far enough to describe the event for me.
This ARC was provided by the publisher, Scholastic | Scholastic Press, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
#WhatHappenedThen #NetGalley
June 16, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.5/5
What Happened Then messed with my head in the best way.
It’s giving ✨emotional damage✨ but like… beautifully written. Tessa goes back to the place where something awful happened years ago—and slowly, piece by piece, the truth starts unraveling. The vibes? Moody lake days, buried memories, messy family energy, and that eerie feeling you get when you know something’s off but can’t quite name it.
This book is soft and heavy at the same time. Not a thriller, but it keeps you hooked. Quietly intense. Thoughtful. Sad. Real. And that one reveal?? Yeah, I had to just sit there for a second.
If you’re into slow-burn emotional reads with mystery layered in, this one’s calling your name.
Read if you like:
🧠 memory gaps + buried secrets
🌫️ that lowkey eerie aesthetic
💔 soft but soul-punchy writing
🏞️ nostalgic small town/lakehouse vibes
Not me still thinking about it days later.
What Happened Then messed with my head in the best way.
It’s giving ✨emotional damage✨ but like… beautifully written. Tessa goes back to the place where something awful happened years ago—and slowly, piece by piece, the truth starts unraveling. The vibes? Moody lake days, buried memories, messy family energy, and that eerie feeling you get when you know something’s off but can’t quite name it.
This book is soft and heavy at the same time. Not a thriller, but it keeps you hooked. Quietly intense. Thoughtful. Sad. Real. And that one reveal?? Yeah, I had to just sit there for a second.
If you’re into slow-burn emotional reads with mystery layered in, this one’s calling your name.
Read if you like:
🧠 memory gaps + buried secrets
🌫️ that lowkey eerie aesthetic
💔 soft but soul-punchy writing
🏞️ nostalgic small town/lakehouse vibes
Not me still thinking about it days later.
November 14, 2025
Jax and Avery are cousins who don't know each other very well. Their worlds collide one summer when their Aunt Robbie, the children's favorite, calls the family together on the private island where their parents spent summers as children. Now adults Avery and Jax's parents, aunts, and uncles have grown apart, their bonds tested by a mysterious tragedy from the last summer the whole family spent on the island. Avery's colorful personality is too much for some people to handle; Jax feels like he's never going to be good enough to please his demanding father. There is a balance between the current issues that family members are dealing with and the decades old mystery Avery and Jax attempt to unravel as they explore the island. The idea of freedom on a rustic private island will appeal to many readers and the message of being true to who you are will resonate as well.
Recommended for readers in grades 4-7.
Recommended for readers in grades 4-7.
August 12, 2025
Avery and Jax are cousins who couldn’t be any different, Avery is outspoken and prone to just blurt out whatever is on her mind. Jax is more quiet and reserved and does what he can to not be seen. The families end up reuniting for one last summer on the family’s secluded island where they are unplugged basically. While helping clean up the attic they find a diary missing pages and Avery just so happens to have a page from the same diary thus setting Avery and Jax off on a hunt to find the rest of the pages and solve the secret their families don’t speak about. This was a very fast read that deals with finding ones self and not being embarrassed, secrets and how guilt can tear you apart, if you talk about things you can help each other through the hard times.
Thank you Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
September 21, 2025
Erin Soderberg Downing is becoming a can’t miss author for me. I’ve been anxiously awaiting this book since hearing her talk about it a few months ago. It did not disappoint.
Told in dual narration from cousins Avery and Jax while they are staying at a family island. Jax and Avery don’t know each other because their parents and their other siblings are not close. Aunt Robbie has gotten everyone on the island to prepare to sell the place. Jax and Avery find some old diary pages and it sends them on a mission to find the other entries and to learn the family secret that has torn the family apart.
The themes surrounding secrets, grief, family, and being true to yourself make this a powerful and memorable story. While it gave me some We Were Liars vibes, these characters were much more likable. Read this one. You won’t be disappointed.
Told in dual narration from cousins Avery and Jax while they are staying at a family island. Jax and Avery don’t know each other because their parents and their other siblings are not close. Aunt Robbie has gotten everyone on the island to prepare to sell the place. Jax and Avery find some old diary pages and it sends them on a mission to find the other entries and to learn the family secret that has torn the family apart.
The themes surrounding secrets, grief, family, and being true to yourself make this a powerful and memorable story. While it gave me some We Were Liars vibes, these characters were much more likable. Read this one. You won’t be disappointed.
October 6, 2025
When Avery and Jax join the rest of their extended family at their family cabin on Crooked Lake for the summer they both wonder why they’ve never been there before. As they both explore the island they begin to unravel a family secret that has been buried long ago, and just might explain why their family has stayed away from Crooked Lake.
I enjoyed this #mysterybook quite a bit. The chapters shifted between Avery and Jax’s points of view. We got to learn more about the past through diary entries that they found around the island, which was kind of like a little treasure hunt. The chapters were short and easy to read, and honestly I wanted to know what happened all those years ago. It definitely gave me We Were Liars vibes, but more #mg than #ya.
Who will like it?
✅ Fans of mysteries
✅ Fans of family secrets being revealed
✅ Fans of dual POVs
I enjoyed this #mysterybook quite a bit. The chapters shifted between Avery and Jax’s points of view. We got to learn more about the past through diary entries that they found around the island, which was kind of like a little treasure hunt. The chapters were short and easy to read, and honestly I wanted to know what happened all those years ago. It definitely gave me We Were Liars vibes, but more #mg than #ya.
Who will like it?
✅ Fans of mysteries
✅ Fans of family secrets being revealed
✅ Fans of dual POVs
November 11, 2025
In Erin Soderberg Downing’s “What Happened Then,” cousins, a boy and a girl, get dragged by their families to a remote island for the summer. A calamity years ago broke the extended family apart, and the cousins attempt to find out what happened. They chance upon their aunt’s childhood diary of their last summer on the island, but the final pages are missing. Through the summer, the teens hunt for the remaining pages, in order to piece together the puzzle and solve the mystery. The narrator alternates between Avery and Jax, one an intense extrovert, the other a sensitive introvert, their chapters interspersed with found diary pages. The book is part mystery, part drama, tinted with nostalgia for childhood summers. “What Happened Then” is thoughtful and engaging, with adventure, friendship, and a meditation on family. A thoroughly enjoyable read for grades 5-7.
January 11, 2025
I had the opportunity to read this book very early, and I am so glad that I did because it was incredible and unforgettable. WHAT HAPPENED THEN takes readers on a journey to an island in the middle of a lake where extended family members who have been estranged for years finally come together, and two cousins piece together clues to find out what happened so long ago to break their family apart. The setting is a character in its own right, and there's an incredible, brilliantly-written plot twist. I highly recommend this book to absolutely everyone, but make sure you read it when you have time to keep going because it is truly impossible to put down. I wish I could give it more than five stars.
April 22, 2025
Told in alternating points of view, Aunt Robbie has asked the families to get together on the island to fix things and get rid of stuff if they’re selling the island. Jax and Avery find pages of a diary and wonder what’s the mystery of when their parents were kids? They both want to find more pages to figure everything out. Avery wonders why things are so different now with the families. Avery finds out her Aunt Robbie blames herself for something that happened to her sister. Was she really at fault?
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
September 17, 2025
I loved this middle grade novel! A family reunites a generation later on their family island (it’s a great setting that feels believable and gives summer camp vibes!). The story is told through two middle-school cousins as well as a diary from the generation before. The family is disconnected and hold feelings of guilt and resentment. I loved the cousins and their love and acceptance of one another. I loved the mystery of what unfolded that tore the family apart. I loved the generational mistreatment of fathers to sons, and noticing that it was not ok for dads to expect their sons to only do “manly” things. Very sweet, believable, likable characters!
February 10, 2025
I enjoyed everything about this book, especially the dual perspectives of cousins, Avery and Jax. Seeing the same situations through the eyes of two very different personalities provided me with new and different details to the various experiences this family went through while on the island. This book is a page-turner that kept my full attention for hours, as I couldn’t wait to find out the who, the what, and the why of the family mystery that the cousins were eager to also figure out. I highly recommend this book, for children and adults!
April 9, 2025
Erin Soderberg Downing is such a talented writer - I love her work. I got a chance to read an early copy of WHAT HAPPENED THEN, and now I can't wait for everyone else to get a chance to read it as well. It's a story about mending broken family ties and being true to yourself--wrapped in a well-paced, gripping mystery. The main characters, Jax and Avery, are relatable and authentic; I found myself rooting for both of them instantly. This definitely belongs in all school libraries and would be a terrific classroom book club selection.
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