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Let’s Get Together
Boston Globe–Horn Book Award–winning author Brandy Colbert gives The Parent Trap a fresh, funny, and delightfully unexpected update in this story of two girls—one raised by her single father, the other in the foster care system—who meet by chance . . . only to discover they’re identical twins.
Kenya Norwood likes things just the way they are. She's lived all her life in Pasadena with her dad and grandmother, she's attended the same school with the same friends since pre-K, and whether it's at outdoor club or her own lunch table, she loves being the center of attention. Even as she's about to start middle school, she knows one thing for sure: none of that is going to change.
For Liberty Perry, change is all she's ever known. Her mother disappeared when she was a toddler, and ever since, she's never stayed in one place for very long. But her new foster mother, Joey, seems different. Maybe in this home, in this school, change won't come so quickly.
Except everything changes the day the girls meet—and Kenya and Liberty discover they are identical.
Neither Kenya nor Liberty is ready to find out she has a twin sister (in fact, they're both unsure if they even want one), and when the girls learn the truth of how they were separated, it's clear that no one else in their lives was ready for this, either. But soon, they realize that the connection they share might be even stronger than the things that kept them apart—and that teaming up might be the only way to set everything right.
Kenya Norwood likes things just the way they are. She's lived all her life in Pasadena with her dad and grandmother, she's attended the same school with the same friends since pre-K, and whether it's at outdoor club or her own lunch table, she loves being the center of attention. Even as she's about to start middle school, she knows one thing for sure: none of that is going to change.
For Liberty Perry, change is all she's ever known. Her mother disappeared when she was a toddler, and ever since, she's never stayed in one place for very long. But her new foster mother, Joey, seems different. Maybe in this home, in this school, change won't come so quickly.
Except everything changes the day the girls meet—and Kenya and Liberty discover they are identical.
Neither Kenya nor Liberty is ready to find out she has a twin sister (in fact, they're both unsure if they even want one), and when the girls learn the truth of how they were separated, it's clear that no one else in their lives was ready for this, either. But soon, they realize that the connection they share might be even stronger than the things that kept them apart—and that teaming up might be the only way to set everything right.
304 pages, Hardcover
Published September 9, 2025
6 people are currently reading
3360 people want to read
About the author
Brandy Colbert
26 books1,243 followersBrandy Colbert was born and raised in the Missouri Ozarks. She lives and writes in Los Angeles.
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July 31, 2025As a longtime Hayley Mills girlie, I absolutely died when I saw this and had to read it immediately. It is so charming and delightful, and I appreciated the subtle nod to the two versions of this movie (didja catch it? "Actually, they camp in both versions"). This is such a great update and correction to the original story (at least the original movie; I've never read the book) and I love everything about it.
June 22, 2025
What an absolutely delightful read! Brandy Colbert’s take on The Parent Trap story is full of unique ideas for why the girls were split up, how they learn about one another, and the schemes that they cook up together. Kenya and Liberty were both incredibly fleshed out characters, it was so interesting to see how each of them reacted to finding out they had a sister and learning their full family backstory. I loved the explorations of how families can take different shapes.
In addition to the twin/family storyline, there’s a lot of interesting stuff going on with them starting middle school, making friends, and having crushes. Overall I think this is just a stellar middle grade title. I’d definitely recommend it to readers who enjoy contemporary MG stories with an emphasis on family. But I also think it could be fun for anyone who is a fan of the different Parent Trap iterations and is interested in seeing that story star two Black girls.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
In addition to the twin/family storyline, there’s a lot of interesting stuff going on with them starting middle school, making friends, and having crushes. Overall I think this is just a stellar middle grade title. I’d definitely recommend it to readers who enjoy contemporary MG stories with an emphasis on family. But I also think it could be fun for anyone who is a fan of the different Parent Trap iterations and is interested in seeing that story star two Black girls.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
August 20, 2025
Fans of Sister Sister and The Parent Trap will love this MG spin on the split twin trope!
👯♀️
Kenya loves living with her and grandmother in Pasadena, but when a new girl moves in who looks just like her, it shakes Kenya’s life up. Now all anyone can talk about is the new girl, Liberty, who is a foster kid finally in what could be a forever home situation. When Kenya’s father sees Liberty for the first time after the two get into an altercation, he realizes it’s his long lost daughter. Both girls don’t know what this means for their future or if they even want to be in one another’s lives.
👯
Loved. Loved this book so much and yes, that has a lot to do with my love for twin stories, but @brandycolbert does a phenomenal job taking a popular story and making it feel fresh and new. The audiobook was very well done also. This title releases September 9–be sure to get your hands on it then!
CW: medical content, physical assault, parental abandonment, drug use, drug abuse, death of a parent (discussed), grief, foster care system, bullying
👯♀️
Kenya loves living with her and grandmother in Pasadena, but when a new girl moves in who looks just like her, it shakes Kenya’s life up. Now all anyone can talk about is the new girl, Liberty, who is a foster kid finally in what could be a forever home situation. When Kenya’s father sees Liberty for the first time after the two get into an altercation, he realizes it’s his long lost daughter. Both girls don’t know what this means for their future or if they even want to be in one another’s lives.
👯
Loved. Loved this book so much and yes, that has a lot to do with my love for twin stories, but @brandycolbert does a phenomenal job taking a popular story and making it feel fresh and new. The audiobook was very well done also. This title releases September 9–be sure to get your hands on it then!
CW: medical content, physical assault, parental abandonment, drug use, drug abuse, death of a parent (discussed), grief, foster care system, bullying
August 25, 2025
Such a wonderful, touching book!
Kenya has been looking forward to school starting again. She’s got Outdoor Club to continue, and a great group of friends to start middle-school with. This could be her year!
Liberty is grateful that she has the support of her foster mom to help her start 6th grade. Her experiences at other schools have often been not so positive. Living with Joey has been great so far, so Liberty hopes her first year of middle school will go well, also.
These two girls are in for the literal surprise of a lifetime!
The author declares right up front that this novel is a shout-out to an “oldie-but-goodie” movie, the original “Parent Trap” from the 60’s. That’s why I was thrilled to have my request from Netgalley approved! I’ve been a fan of anything “Parent Trap” related since childhood; movie sequels, re-makes, books, etc. Brandy Colbert does a marvelous job of putting modern twists on this beloved story of two only children who discover their “twin-ness” by pure accident!
*I received a digital copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.*
Kenya has been looking forward to school starting again. She’s got Outdoor Club to continue, and a great group of friends to start middle-school with. This could be her year!
Liberty is grateful that she has the support of her foster mom to help her start 6th grade. Her experiences at other schools have often been not so positive. Living with Joey has been great so far, so Liberty hopes her first year of middle school will go well, also.
These two girls are in for the literal surprise of a lifetime!
The author declares right up front that this novel is a shout-out to an “oldie-but-goodie” movie, the original “Parent Trap” from the 60’s. That’s why I was thrilled to have my request from Netgalley approved! I’ve been a fan of anything “Parent Trap” related since childhood; movie sequels, re-makes, books, etc. Brandy Colbert does a marvelous job of putting modern twists on this beloved story of two only children who discover their “twin-ness” by pure accident!
*I received a digital copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.*
November 20, 2025
A foster girl finds a family. Middle grade with a 6th grader telling the story.
May 21, 2025
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
This reimaging of the classic 1961 The Parent Trap movie, based on the 1949 German book by Erich Kästner, Das Doppelte Lottchen, starts with an important note by Colbert. She loved the movie growing up, but was bothered by the fact that the twins were split up. I recently read the Pushkin Press rerelease of Kastner’s title, and thought the same thing. It’s an interesting story, but how can it be made relevant to today’s young readers? This is how.
Kenya Norwood has been going to Biddy Mason Community School for her entire school career. She lives with her father, Wes, and her grandmother, Cookie. She has two good friends, Imani, who is Black like Kenya, and Willa, who is white. Her mother abandoned the family when Kenya was very young, and no one ever talks about her. Liberty has quite a different life. She is starting her tenth new school because she has been in the foster care system since she was an infant, and knows practically nothing about her parents. She has a really good foster mother now, Joey, who is supportive and fun. When Liberty starts at Biddy Mason, she is mistaken for another girl. Kenya also is confused, and when the two finally meet, they realize they share the same umber skin, dimpled chin, and unusual hazel eyes. Kenya is not happy with the interloping doppelganger, especially when her crush, Cameron, seems to be unable to tell the two apart… or is he more interested in Liberty? Cherry-Anne comes to Kenya’s aid and befriends her, but also asks her insensitive questions about being in foster care. When both girls end up in the outdoor explorers’ club (with Cameron!), the rivalry intensifies, and comes to a crisis at the school dance. After a fight, both girls’ parents are called in, and the truth emerges: Liberty likely IS Kenya’s twin, who was taken by their mother. She struggled with drug addiction, and even though the father and grandmother tried very hard to find the two, the mother did not want to be found, and eventually passed away. After a paternity test, Wes is revealed as the father, which puts Liberty in an awkward position. She wants to be with her father, but Joey was set to adopt her, and she really loves Joey as well. It doesn’t take long for Liberty and Kenya to hatch a plan to get their parents together so that everyone can be one happy family. This involves canceling a Thanksgiving dinner order so that Kenya’s family has to meet Joey’s parents, and a camping trip that goes fairly smoothly. There are still some problems, like Liberty’s anxiety over the whole situation that results in a panic attack at a haunted house. This ends on a happy but realistically inconclusive note; Wes and Joey get along well, but are still not a couple by the end of the book.
Strengths: This was exactly what I wanted in a retelling of Kastner’s tale! It has a great setting (I really want to go to Pasadena and visit Bungalow Heaven now!), supportive adults, and a plausible reason for the twins to have been separated that is realistic and not mean. Kenya’s reaction to Liberty is understandable, as is Liberty’s desire to be with both Wes and Joey. The inclusion of Cameron, Kenya’s crush, gives this another fun level of drama for tweens. The issue of drug addiction, and its effect on the family, is explained well, and even addresses the fact that the father had a brief problem as well. There is a touching scene where Cookie takes both girls to the house where they all lived together. Some local history is included as well, with Biddy Mason, a formerly enslaved woman who owned property in the area.
Weaknesses: It seemed a little unrealistic that Kenya’s father and grandmother wouldn’t have told her about her mother, considering how many children are being raised by one parent or by grandparents these days, but every family is different, and the plot does revolve around this secrecy!
What I really think: I really enjoyed this one, and it was a relief to read something that was generally upbeat even though it had children with serious issues. I will definitely purchase this one for my library, and see it being popular with readers who like books about twins like Meyer and Levy’s Let It Glow, Johnson and Wright’s Twins, Kim’s On Thin Ice, Benway’s The Girls of Skylark Lane ,or DeVillers and Roy’s (who are twins!) 2010 Trading Faces.
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https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
This reimaging of the classic 1961 The Parent Trap movie, based on the 1949 German book by Erich Kästner, Das Doppelte Lottchen, starts with an important note by Colbert. She loved the movie growing up, but was bothered by the fact that the twins were split up. I recently read the Pushkin Press rerelease of Kastner’s title, and thought the same thing. It’s an interesting story, but how can it be made relevant to today’s young readers? This is how.
Kenya Norwood has been going to Biddy Mason Community School for her entire school career. She lives with her father, Wes, and her grandmother, Cookie. She has two good friends, Imani, who is Black like Kenya, and Willa, who is white. Her mother abandoned the family when Kenya was very young, and no one ever talks about her. Liberty has quite a different life. She is starting her tenth new school because she has been in the foster care system since she was an infant, and knows practically nothing about her parents. She has a really good foster mother now, Joey, who is supportive and fun. When Liberty starts at Biddy Mason, she is mistaken for another girl. Kenya also is confused, and when the two finally meet, they realize they share the same umber skin, dimpled chin, and unusual hazel eyes. Kenya is not happy with the interloping doppelganger, especially when her crush, Cameron, seems to be unable to tell the two apart… or is he more interested in Liberty? Cherry-Anne comes to Kenya’s aid and befriends her, but also asks her insensitive questions about being in foster care. When both girls end up in the outdoor explorers’ club (with Cameron!), the rivalry intensifies, and comes to a crisis at the school dance. After a fight, both girls’ parents are called in, and the truth emerges: Liberty likely IS Kenya’s twin, who was taken by their mother. She struggled with drug addiction, and even though the father and grandmother tried very hard to find the two, the mother did not want to be found, and eventually passed away. After a paternity test, Wes is revealed as the father, which puts Liberty in an awkward position. She wants to be with her father, but Joey was set to adopt her, and she really loves Joey as well. It doesn’t take long for Liberty and Kenya to hatch a plan to get their parents together so that everyone can be one happy family. This involves canceling a Thanksgiving dinner order so that Kenya’s family has to meet Joey’s parents, and a camping trip that goes fairly smoothly. There are still some problems, like Liberty’s anxiety over the whole situation that results in a panic attack at a haunted house. This ends on a happy but realistically inconclusive note; Wes and Joey get along well, but are still not a couple by the end of the book.
Strengths: This was exactly what I wanted in a retelling of Kastner’s tale! It has a great setting (I really want to go to Pasadena and visit Bungalow Heaven now!), supportive adults, and a plausible reason for the twins to have been separated that is realistic and not mean. Kenya’s reaction to Liberty is understandable, as is Liberty’s desire to be with both Wes and Joey. The inclusion of Cameron, Kenya’s crush, gives this another fun level of drama for tweens. The issue of drug addiction, and its effect on the family, is explained well, and even addresses the fact that the father had a brief problem as well. There is a touching scene where Cookie takes both girls to the house where they all lived together. Some local history is included as well, with Biddy Mason, a formerly enslaved woman who owned property in the area.
Weaknesses: It seemed a little unrealistic that Kenya’s father and grandmother wouldn’t have told her about her mother, considering how many children are being raised by one parent or by grandparents these days, but every family is different, and the plot does revolve around this secrecy!
What I really think: I really enjoyed this one, and it was a relief to read something that was generally upbeat even though it had children with serious issues. I will definitely purchase this one for my library, and see it being popular with readers who like books about twins like Meyer and Levy’s Let It Glow, Johnson and Wright’s Twins, Kim’s On Thin Ice, Benway’s The Girls of Skylark Lane ,or DeVillers and Roy’s (who are twins!) 2010 Trading Faces.
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
August 11, 2025
5 stars
I truly adore Colbert's middle grade and YA, and I love that this author's books are so varied in genre and scope. This newest one, _Let's Get Together_, is a wonderful addition to the Colbert collection.
The moment I saw this title, even before I saw the cover and well before I investigated a synopsis, the song "Let's Get Together" (ya ya ya!) from _The Parent Trap_ was playing loudly in my head. Let's just say it hasn't really stopped since I started and have now recently finished the novel, and I'm not mad at it. The good news is that this novel is an updated trapping of the parents, so it's right on brand (and I feel less bananas).
Kenya and Liberty are both shocked when everyone at school points out that each girl has a doppleganger somewhere on campus. There's a moment when one believes this is a likely result of racism (i.e., the notion that members of specific groups are indistinguishable to onlookers with different identities), which is just another example of the smooth way in which Colbert introduces reality - even when it's difficult - in an age appropriate but confronting manner. It turns out, though, that these girls actually do look very much alike, and this is fascinating because one is a long-term resident of Pasadena with her dad and grandma and the other is a relatively recent transplant into a new foster home with her foster mother, Joey. When the girls get a better sense of their connection, they want the best of both worlds, and what could be better than to get single dad and single foster mom to join forces into one big happy family?!
I absolutely adored these girls, especially Liberty (though Kenya holds her own, too), and the modern update on an old classic is spot on. Colbert addresses challenges with the foster system, with real-life obstacles faced by people even when they have young kids, and a number of other sociocultural issues. Every one of these situations is managed in an age appropriate and audience aware manner. Not everything has a happy outcome, and that's okay. Resilience, forgiveness, and acceptance matter most, and all of these vital motifs come through clearly (among many others).
I started this book a super fan of this author's and I'm finishing it with an even greater appreciation for her. Colbert is a force in the MG and YA worlds, and I know so many young readers have been helped by her characters. That trend will undoubtedly continue with this excellent read.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Clarion Books for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I truly adore Colbert's middle grade and YA, and I love that this author's books are so varied in genre and scope. This newest one, _Let's Get Together_, is a wonderful addition to the Colbert collection.
The moment I saw this title, even before I saw the cover and well before I investigated a synopsis, the song "Let's Get Together" (ya ya ya!) from _The Parent Trap_ was playing loudly in my head. Let's just say it hasn't really stopped since I started and have now recently finished the novel, and I'm not mad at it. The good news is that this novel is an updated trapping of the parents, so it's right on brand (and I feel less bananas).
Kenya and Liberty are both shocked when everyone at school points out that each girl has a doppleganger somewhere on campus. There's a moment when one believes this is a likely result of racism (i.e., the notion that members of specific groups are indistinguishable to onlookers with different identities), which is just another example of the smooth way in which Colbert introduces reality - even when it's difficult - in an age appropriate but confronting manner. It turns out, though, that these girls actually do look very much alike, and this is fascinating because one is a long-term resident of Pasadena with her dad and grandma and the other is a relatively recent transplant into a new foster home with her foster mother, Joey. When the girls get a better sense of their connection, they want the best of both worlds, and what could be better than to get single dad and single foster mom to join forces into one big happy family?!
I absolutely adored these girls, especially Liberty (though Kenya holds her own, too), and the modern update on an old classic is spot on. Colbert addresses challenges with the foster system, with real-life obstacles faced by people even when they have young kids, and a number of other sociocultural issues. Every one of these situations is managed in an age appropriate and audience aware manner. Not everything has a happy outcome, and that's okay. Resilience, forgiveness, and acceptance matter most, and all of these vital motifs come through clearly (among many others).
I started this book a super fan of this author's and I'm finishing it with an even greater appreciation for her. Colbert is a force in the MG and YA worlds, and I know so many young readers have been helped by her characters. That trend will undoubtedly continue with this excellent read.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Clarion Books for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
December 23, 2025
Kenya and Liberty couldn't be more different. Liberty has grown up in foster care, used to moving at a moment's notice and having to figure out the rules for every new place. At least now she's been with Joey, a playwright, for several months, and it's the best place she's ever lived. She's not looking forward to starting yet another new school, though. Kenya has been raised by her father and grandmother, and is the queen of the school--she's super-popular and knows everyone, and is so excited for the start of sixth grade--especially seeing quiet Cameron again. But then...Liberty shows up. And she looks exactly like Kenya--like, exactly exactly. WTH? And then Kenya finds Liberty everywhere she goes--in her outdoor club, being friends with Cameron, and generally stealing her thunder. Liberty doesn't see what the big deal is, but Kenya is incensed, and lets Liberty know--and it doesn't go well. It ends up with both girls in the office, parents called, and when Kenya's father walks in and sees Liberty? The whole story changes. Because they are, indeed, identical twins. Will this work out like the classic Parent Trap?
I really enjoyed this. I thought it was a believable take on Parent Trap, with fewer hijinks. The girls were well-drawn and quite distinct, as were their families/found families. In the audio version, their parts are read by different people (I'm pretty sure), which was really helpful. It was compulsively readable. I liked how Liberty illustrated how not to talk to kids in foster care, which hopefully readers will put into action if they run into foster kids at school. I also liked that Kenya and her dad loved outdoor activities, because that's not that common to find in books with Black protagonists, unfortunately. Overall, this was a winner for me.
I really enjoyed this. I thought it was a believable take on Parent Trap, with fewer hijinks. The girls were well-drawn and quite distinct, as were their families/found families. In the audio version, their parts are read by different people (I'm pretty sure), which was really helpful. It was compulsively readable. I liked how Liberty illustrated how not to talk to kids in foster care, which hopefully readers will put into action if they run into foster kids at school. I also liked that Kenya and her dad loved outdoor activities, because that's not that common to find in books with Black protagonists, unfortunately. Overall, this was a winner for me.
September 7, 2025
Thanks @harperkids @brandycolbert #LetsGetTogether @tlcbooktours #gifted
This middle grade novel is a take on The Parent Trap and since I love both versions of the movie - I was excited to see how Colbert would make it her own. Kenya is excited to start sixth grade until she finds out everyone thinks the new girl, Liberty, looks just like her. Liberty is in foster care and used to moving houses and schools, but her new foster mom, Joey wants to adopt her.
This was a really fresh spin and yes certain elements from the movies are there - a fight scene that pushes the twins together and a plot to get their parents together - but there’s also something new and different about it. I enjoyed how Colbert wove in some LA history and information about foster care.
The twins act age appropriate with Kenya having the typical angst of boys and friends and Liberty dealing with all the emotions that come with being in foster care. And while, Colbert deals with big emotions and topics, I felt it was handled well and with young readers in mind.
The nod to the movies and the author’s note were great.
I’d recommend this for kids in upper elementary to middle school.
Parents make it a fun book club experience by reading together then watch and compare to the movies. If you’re into it, you could even go camping (or sleep on your living room floor).
This middle grade novel is a take on The Parent Trap and since I love both versions of the movie - I was excited to see how Colbert would make it her own. Kenya is excited to start sixth grade until she finds out everyone thinks the new girl, Liberty, looks just like her. Liberty is in foster care and used to moving houses and schools, but her new foster mom, Joey wants to adopt her.
This was a really fresh spin and yes certain elements from the movies are there - a fight scene that pushes the twins together and a plot to get their parents together - but there’s also something new and different about it. I enjoyed how Colbert wove in some LA history and information about foster care.
The twins act age appropriate with Kenya having the typical angst of boys and friends and Liberty dealing with all the emotions that come with being in foster care. And while, Colbert deals with big emotions and topics, I felt it was handled well and with young readers in mind.
The nod to the movies and the author’s note were great.
I’d recommend this for kids in upper elementary to middle school.
Parents make it a fun book club experience by reading together then watch and compare to the movies. If you’re into it, you could even go camping (or sleep on your living room floor).
November 17, 2025
I've never seen the Parent Trap so I have no context but I know that Colbert always writes winners because her characters have heart and three dimensions and there's always a solid storyline to follow that even though it's not earth shattering, is comforting and reflective. In this story, two girls end up at the same school and it's uncanny how similar they look. And lo and behold, they were twins, separated. The mother left Kenya with the father and grandmother and took off, only to give up the one she took and that girl ended up going into foster care, but her new placement, with a woman named Joey, seems to be her final home since Joey has expressed interest in adopting her.
But when the girls actually realize they are (and confirm) that they're twins, new ideas emerge including possibly getting their father to get together with Liberty's foster mom. Will it work or will they find a happy in between to give them all a dose of happily ever after even when things took a while to unfold.
One of the things I liked most is giving language to Liberty to address awkward interactions that new people she met would ask about her foster care situation. It was heartening to give others who read the book an opportunity to empower them to say it's not okay to ask intrusive questions about those circumstances.
But when the girls actually realize they are (and confirm) that they're twins, new ideas emerge including possibly getting their father to get together with Liberty's foster mom. Will it work or will they find a happy in between to give them all a dose of happily ever after even when things took a while to unfold.
One of the things I liked most is giving language to Liberty to address awkward interactions that new people she met would ask about her foster care situation. It was heartening to give others who read the book an opportunity to empower them to say it's not okay to ask intrusive questions about those circumstances.
September 8, 2025
I really enjoyed reading this one. I thought it was going to be kind of parent trappy, and it was similar in some ways, but it really had it's own story line.
Kenya and Liberty don't know what to do when they start school together and are seeing someone with their face in the halls. They get in a fight at the mixer, which then leads to their parents getting involved and they learn more about their story.
Liberty has been in foster care as long as she can remember and to find her family now gives her mixed emotions. I can understand why she has mixed emotions because she has finally found a family where she feels at home and doesn't know how she fits into her family.
Kenya loves the attention she has always received but with Liberty she is afraid people will forget her.
The girls work hard to move past all of this and create friendship.
A good middle grade book about finding family.
Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.
Kenya and Liberty don't know what to do when they start school together and are seeing someone with their face in the halls. They get in a fight at the mixer, which then leads to their parents getting involved and they learn more about their story.
Liberty has been in foster care as long as she can remember and to find her family now gives her mixed emotions. I can understand why she has mixed emotions because she has finally found a family where she feels at home and doesn't know how she fits into her family.
Kenya loves the attention she has always received but with Liberty she is afraid people will forget her.
The girls work hard to move past all of this and create friendship.
A good middle grade book about finding family.
Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.
August 18, 2025
I'd give this middle grade novel to fifth or sixth graders who like realistic fiction. Twins Liberty and Kenya were separated as toddlers and reunited in middle school when Liberty enrolls in Kenya's school. I loved the scenes where adults and classmates were mixing them up, and the tension leading up to the girls' families realizing that they actually were siblings. This mostly-humorous-but-sometimes-serious take on The Parent Trap was a fun read.
November 24, 2025
A modern parent trap featuring twins Liberty, a foster kid all her life, and Kenya, who has grown up with her father and grandmother. When Liberty starts yet another new school, everyone seems to know who she is, mistaking her for Kenya. Everyone thinks the girls are doppelgangers but when they get into a fight and their parents are called, Kenya’s father and grandmother are shocked to discover Liberty, their long-lost daugher/grand-daughter.
September 4, 2025
When Liberty shows up for her first day of 6th grade at yet another new school, everyone thinks she looks just like Kenya. This twist on Parent Trap is filled with 6th-grade drama but also love. There is depth to this story that should appeal to readers in 4th-6th grade. ARC courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley.
June 15, 2025
Absolutely riveting! What a masterclass in writing character! I was completely invested in these girls and their journey toward family from the start and it kept building throughout the story. I literally could not put it down and read it in one sitting. Middle grade readers will be riveted. Highly recommend. ARC read
July 12, 2025
I really enjoyed this new take on “Parent Trap.” The characters were solidly written with depth, sensitivity, and relatability. I appreciated Colbert’s more realistic approach to the separation of the twins and why the dad and grandfather were so secretive. Definitely a fun satisfying read.
September 22, 2025
This is a fun update to The Parent Trap and Colbert always writes such great characters, so I was happy to see Kenya and Liberty reunited. Is it bad that I also wanted Joey and Wes to fall in love just like the two girls?
December 1, 2025
4.25 stars! Brandy Colbert can not write a bad book and I love that. This was such a cute middle grade twist on The Parent Trap but still touched on serious topics such as the foster care system and more. I think it’s critical that middle grade novels have the balance that this book exhibited
August 17, 2025
too cute!
Want to read
August 22, 2025This looks like a cross between Sister Sister and The Parent Trap and I’m here for it!
August 23, 2025
Totally understand the fascination with The Parent Trap.
September 9, 2025
Beautifully engaging re-telling of a classic.
September 18, 2025
Super fun and inclusive retelling of The Parent Trap. Great characters and I learned something about what it’s like to be in foster care. Highly recommend this book for kids in grades 3-6
September 22, 2025
This was so so so good.
The Parent Trap elements were there, but I love how Brandy added her own twist to it
The Parent Trap elements were there, but I love how Brandy added her own twist to it
September 27, 2025
Very cute re-telling of the parent trap. I wish I had a middle grade buddy to pass it to!
November 8, 2025
cute well written. enjoyed the quick read and happy story
November 17, 2025
Great read for teens and yound women about friendship,secrets, and jealousy.
November 26, 2025
Liberty lives w her foster mom and starts at a new school. Everyone thinks she looks just like Kenya. When they see each other they wonder what’s going on. Could they be twins?What happens now?
September 4, 2025
Brandy Colbert takes on The Parent Trap? Yes please.
In Let's Get Together, everyone's favorite secret-twins movie gets a modern twist. For Kenya, starting grade 6 is just another move in the right direction. She has a happy life with her father and grandmother, and she sees no reason for a new direction. But for Liberty, things are more complicated—she's in the best foster home she's ever had, but her entire living memory is nothing but uncertainty. And Kenya is the biggest uncertainty she's seen in a while—because although Kenya and Liberty have never met before, they're mirror images of each other.
Although this is based on The Parent Trap, in some (limited) ways It Takes Two is a more direct comparison—in The Parent Trap (and yes, you'd better believe that I've seen the 1998 and the 1961 versions, and also read the original Das doppelte Lottchen), the girls are both happy in their single-child-of-a-single-parent lives, not a little spoiled (especially in the film versions), and in their predicament because their parents willingly split them up. It Takes Two mixes it up with doppelgängers rather than twins, and with one girl living in a truly miserable foster care situation. (Man was that movie terrible, and also man did I love it. I wonder whether the library has a copy...?)
Colbert delivers a more realistic take: without spoiling the "how" of the split, I'll say that the reason the girls were split up is, you know, not a case of the parents dividing the assets. And although Liberty has had her fair share of rough foster placements—the book doesn't go into details, and it doesn't need to—she's finally in a good one, one that feels like it could be the real thing...until her world is turned upside down. Again. Now, I've read enough about foster care (although not specifically in a California context) to question some of the details of the book; as far as I know, some of the plot points (like Liberty's foster mother and biological father being able to decide Liberty's medical care) are...very unlikely...but then, this is a middle-grade book and I don't think those details need to be pitch perfect to work. I love how readily Liberty and Kenya take to being sisters—they're cautious (Kenya in particular has to get used to sharing her space), but they want it to work, so (well, for the most part) they try to reach out and put themselves in the other's shoes. I also like that things don't work out exactly as the girls plan—again, no spoilers, but there's another twist of a sort at the end, and it keeps things interesting.
A good one for middle-grade readers...but also for those of us adults who grew up on lost-twin stories and love a fresh take.
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.
In Let's Get Together, everyone's favorite secret-twins movie gets a modern twist. For Kenya, starting grade 6 is just another move in the right direction. She has a happy life with her father and grandmother, and she sees no reason for a new direction. But for Liberty, things are more complicated—she's in the best foster home she's ever had, but her entire living memory is nothing but uncertainty. And Kenya is the biggest uncertainty she's seen in a while—because although Kenya and Liberty have never met before, they're mirror images of each other.
Although this is based on The Parent Trap, in some (limited) ways It Takes Two is a more direct comparison—in The Parent Trap (and yes, you'd better believe that I've seen the 1998 and the 1961 versions, and also read the original Das doppelte Lottchen), the girls are both happy in their single-child-of-a-single-parent lives, not a little spoiled (especially in the film versions), and in their predicament because their parents willingly split them up. It Takes Two mixes it up with doppelgängers rather than twins, and with one girl living in a truly miserable foster care situation. (Man was that movie terrible, and also man did I love it. I wonder whether the library has a copy...?)
Colbert delivers a more realistic take: without spoiling the "how" of the split, I'll say that the reason the girls were split up is, you know, not a case of the parents dividing the assets. And although Liberty has had her fair share of rough foster placements—the book doesn't go into details, and it doesn't need to—she's finally in a good one, one that feels like it could be the real thing...until her world is turned upside down. Again. Now, I've read enough about foster care (although not specifically in a California context) to question some of the details of the book; as far as I know, some of the plot points (like Liberty's foster mother and biological father being able to decide Liberty's medical care) are...very unlikely...but then, this is a middle-grade book and I don't think those details need to be pitch perfect to work. I love how readily Liberty and Kenya take to being sisters—they're cautious (Kenya in particular has to get used to sharing her space), but they want it to work, so (well, for the most part) they try to reach out and put themselves in the other's shoes. I also like that things don't work out exactly as the girls plan—again, no spoilers, but there's another twist of a sort at the end, and it keeps things interesting.
A good one for middle-grade readers...but also for those of us adults who grew up on lost-twin stories and love a fresh take.
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.
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