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In Between Days
A stunning and uplifting contemporary YA about a young teen who explores her queerness and navigates her grief through an unlikely friendship with her deceased father’s boyfriend.
When her mother refuses entry to a stranger named Richard at her father’s funeral, 17-year-old Mira Howard doesn’t understand why. But snooping through her father’s things reveals that Richard was her father’s boyfriend—a boyfriend she never knew about. In fact, Mira never even knew for sure that her dad was gay. Hoping to feel more connected to her late father, Mira reaches out to Richard without telling her mom, who is still angry from the divorce. As Mira and Richard become closer, Mira gains more and more insight into the side of her father that she never got to see.
Grieving that she never got to connect with her dad about their shared queerness, Mira asks that Richard teach her “how to be queer” while she navigates a new crush on her co-worker, which brings her out of her diary and into the real world.
But as Mira grows more confident in herself, she finds it hard to keep her relationship with Richard a secret, questioning why her family never talked about her father’s sexuality in the first place. Soon Mira has to decide if she wants to keep the peace or honor her father’s memory by being her truest self.
An epistolary novel told through diary entries, text messages, and book reviews, IN BETWEEN DAYS is a story about queerness, grief, and families—both ones we are born into and ones we create.
When her mother refuses entry to a stranger named Richard at her father’s funeral, 17-year-old Mira Howard doesn’t understand why. But snooping through her father’s things reveals that Richard was her father’s boyfriend—a boyfriend she never knew about. In fact, Mira never even knew for sure that her dad was gay. Hoping to feel more connected to her late father, Mira reaches out to Richard without telling her mom, who is still angry from the divorce. As Mira and Richard become closer, Mira gains more and more insight into the side of her father that she never got to see.
Grieving that she never got to connect with her dad about their shared queerness, Mira asks that Richard teach her “how to be queer” while she navigates a new crush on her co-worker, which brings her out of her diary and into the real world.
But as Mira grows more confident in herself, she finds it hard to keep her relationship with Richard a secret, questioning why her family never talked about her father’s sexuality in the first place. Soon Mira has to decide if she wants to keep the peace or honor her father’s memory by being her truest self.
An epistolary novel told through diary entries, text messages, and book reviews, IN BETWEEN DAYS is a story about queerness, grief, and families—both ones we are born into and ones we create.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published May 12, 2026
About the author
Camryn Garrett
6 books886 followersCamryn Garrett was born and raised in New York. In 2019, she was named one of Teen Vogue’s 21 Under 21 and a Glamour College Woman of the Year. Her first novel, Full Disclosure, received rave reviews from outlets such as Entertainment Weekly, the Today Show, and The Guardian, which called a “warm, funny and thoughtfully sex-positive, an impressive debut from a writer still in her teens.” Her second novel, Off the Record received three starred reviews. Her third novel, Friday I’m in Love, was an IndieNext Pick and received a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly. Camryn is also interested in film and recently graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. You can find her on Twitter @dancingofpens, tweeting from a laptop named Stevie.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
December 24, 2025
In Between Days is a short epistolary novel about a seventeen-year-old girl who loses her dad and then finds out he had a boyfriend.
Let’s start with the cover because that alone deserves five glorious stars. So, so beautiful.
I liked the rawness and messiness of this story. Mira is grieving, but also trying to keep on living after her dad passes away. Told over the course of just one month, those in between days, this story explores what grief does to you even when you just want to move on because otherwise…
Richard, Mira’s dad’s boyfriend, was such a great character. I understood so well where he came from and he was incredibly sweet, even when Mira was pretty bitchy at times. She was not the only one grieving. He was too, but she did not really see that. And that fits a YA story about a grieving teen, including the egotistical parts.
Even though I really loved the story, there were also a few things I liked a little less. The timeframe was short and things happened fast, and for me that did not always work well. I could have done without the relationship stuff with Ginny for example. Or cover a bit more time than just a few weeks.
The other thing I was not a fan of were the constant HP references, even if they were on the negative side.
I doubted about my rating, and if I’m being honest I’m still going back and forth. In the end, I’m going to round my 3.5 star rating down to three. I might round it up in the future, I just don’t know.
Thank you Disney Hyperion and NetGalley, for this ARC.
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Let’s start with the cover because that alone deserves five glorious stars. So, so beautiful.
I liked the rawness and messiness of this story. Mira is grieving, but also trying to keep on living after her dad passes away. Told over the course of just one month, those in between days, this story explores what grief does to you even when you just want to move on because otherwise…
Richard, Mira’s dad’s boyfriend, was such a great character. I understood so well where he came from and he was incredibly sweet, even when Mira was pretty bitchy at times. She was not the only one grieving. He was too, but she did not really see that. And that fits a YA story about a grieving teen, including the egotistical parts.
Even though I really loved the story, there were also a few things I liked a little less. The timeframe was short and things happened fast, and for me that did not always work well. I could have done without the relationship stuff with Ginny for example. Or cover a bit more time than just a few weeks.
The other thing I was not a fan of were the constant HP references, even if they were on the negative side.
I doubted about my rating, and if I’m being honest I’m still going back and forth. In the end, I’m going to round my 3.5 star rating down to three. I might round it up in the future, I just don’t know.
Thank you Disney Hyperion and NetGalley, for this ARC.
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Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
~~Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Publishing Worldwide for the ARC!~~
3.5/5 stars rounded down!
This was good! A couple things held it back, but I would still feel happy if I saw someone reading this out and about.
The biggest thing that this book sets out to do, exploring themes of grief over death and the secrets loved ones never tell, are done wonderfully. You really feel for Mira throughout the whole thing. Not only does her dad die suddenly and tragically via heart attack, but then learning said dad was queer and kept it hidden from you out of shame is so rough. The teen's feelings are rightfully all over the place, and her couple spells of her mistaking strangers for her dad was so heartbreaking.
Her relationship with Richard, though awkward at times, provided some warmth and needed connection she needed. Richard himself is a very interesting character, because his past with Mira's dad and mom puts into perspective why things were hidden from Mira for so long. You also feel for him because he's also grieving his boyfriend but was barred from all the grieving rituals with Mira's family. Him becoming Mira's number one support was so sweet, and I loved that he genuinely tried to be a guide to queerness despite not having it all together himself.
Despite my praises, I felt some other things were either lacking, too short, and not needed.
Lacking: The exploration of Mira's other relationships. Mira has, like, three other significant people in her life before Richard. Her mom, her brother, and her best friend Zee. The brother barely accounts for much because he's pretty much a non factor. Mira compares herself to him because he's more put together than she is, but it doesn't feel that significant to the overall story. They only have one real conversation at the end of the book and that was it. Taking him out wouldn't change much. Zee is almost as absent but has more of a presence. They were unavailable because of school or something, but I wish they were somewhat more physically there and be more than the best friend character to Mira, because they struggled with nothing. The most disappointing was the mom. I know she's avoidant, reflecting Mira's dad in a way, but everything she revealed about her feelings in the end could've been sprinkled over time rather than all at once. Like I said, her past with the dad and Richard make her interesting, and I wish we got to see more of that.
Too short: The period which the story takes place is about a month. I really feel like the story could've gone on until the end of summer at most, but everything happening in the span of weeks feels so rushed. This book could really use the extra time to flesh out relationships and characters.
Not needed: The romance. Mira getting into a relationship, her first ever, so soon after her dad dying doesn't sit right with me. Don't get me wrong, Mira and Ginny have some cute moments, but it kinda took away from the things I wanted more, primarily the grief exploration with her family and Richard.
All in all, this is a good book, but it's a couple big things that hold it back from being great.
3.5/5 stars rounded down!
This was good! A couple things held it back, but I would still feel happy if I saw someone reading this out and about.
The biggest thing that this book sets out to do, exploring themes of grief over death and the secrets loved ones never tell, are done wonderfully. You really feel for Mira throughout the whole thing. Not only does her dad die suddenly and tragically via heart attack, but then learning said dad was queer and kept it hidden from you out of shame is so rough. The teen's feelings are rightfully all over the place, and her couple spells of her mistaking strangers for her dad was so heartbreaking.
Her relationship with Richard, though awkward at times, provided some warmth and needed connection she needed. Richard himself is a very interesting character, because his past with Mira's dad and mom puts into perspective why things were hidden from Mira for so long. You also feel for him because he's also grieving his boyfriend but was barred from all the grieving rituals with Mira's family. Him becoming Mira's number one support was so sweet, and I loved that he genuinely tried to be a guide to queerness despite not having it all together himself.
Despite my praises, I felt some other things were either lacking, too short, and not needed.
Lacking: The exploration of Mira's other relationships. Mira has, like, three other significant people in her life before Richard. Her mom, her brother, and her best friend Zee. The brother barely accounts for much because he's pretty much a non factor. Mira compares herself to him because he's more put together than she is, but it doesn't feel that significant to the overall story. They only have one real conversation at the end of the book and that was it. Taking him out wouldn't change much. Zee is almost as absent but has more of a presence. They were unavailable because of school or something, but I wish they were somewhat more physically there and be more than the best friend character to Mira, because they struggled with nothing. The most disappointing was the mom. I know she's avoidant, reflecting Mira's dad in a way, but everything she revealed about her feelings in the end could've been sprinkled over time rather than all at once. Like I said, her past with the dad and Richard make her interesting, and I wish we got to see more of that.
Too short: The period which the story takes place is about a month. I really feel like the story could've gone on until the end of summer at most, but everything happening in the span of weeks feels so rushed. This book could really use the extra time to flesh out relationships and characters.
Not needed: The romance. Mira getting into a relationship, her first ever, so soon after her dad dying doesn't sit right with me. Don't get me wrong, Mira and Ginny have some cute moments, but it kinda took away from the things I wanted more, primarily the grief exploration with her family and Richard.
All in all, this is a good book, but it's a couple big things that hold it back from being great.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
A novel, told through journal entries, of a young teen coming to terms with the death of her father and the reality of the secrets he kept from her.
I really enjoyed this book and how it explored grief, loss, and the reality that no one is perfect and everyone can have secrets. When Mira discovers that her father apparently was dating a man she’d never met at his funeral, suddenly she realizes that there were sides to him that she never got to see that he’d never shared with her - no matter how much she’d wished him to. Deciding to contact this man, she writes all her thoughts and experiences in her journal entries as she learns more about the secrets her father kept from her, and her grief about his loss.
I liked the writing voice in this book, as you could really feel the voice of 17 year old Mira coming through. It really felt like reading the journal of a real teenager as she comes to terms with the death of her father and the decisions her parents had made but never told her about. There were multiple points where I found myself crying as I experienced her grief alongside her.
Something else I really liked about this book was the decision to have the adults in Mira’s life make mistakes and choose what would objectively be the “wrong” decision - but this book doesn’t have any villains within it. People make mistakes and this book doesn’t shy away from the negative impact those mistakes cause - but also understands that these things are part of being human.
This book was a heartfelt snapshot into the confusing feelings caused when we experience an unexpected loss, and how we move on and accept it despite them leaving behind unanswered questions.
A huge thank you to the author, Netgalley, and Disney Hyperion for providing me this ARC.
I really enjoyed this book and how it explored grief, loss, and the reality that no one is perfect and everyone can have secrets. When Mira discovers that her father apparently was dating a man she’d never met at his funeral, suddenly she realizes that there were sides to him that she never got to see that he’d never shared with her - no matter how much she’d wished him to. Deciding to contact this man, she writes all her thoughts and experiences in her journal entries as she learns more about the secrets her father kept from her, and her grief about his loss.
I liked the writing voice in this book, as you could really feel the voice of 17 year old Mira coming through. It really felt like reading the journal of a real teenager as she comes to terms with the death of her father and the decisions her parents had made but never told her about. There were multiple points where I found myself crying as I experienced her grief alongside her.
Something else I really liked about this book was the decision to have the adults in Mira’s life make mistakes and choose what would objectively be the “wrong” decision - but this book doesn’t have any villains within it. People make mistakes and this book doesn’t shy away from the negative impact those mistakes cause - but also understands that these things are part of being human.
This book was a heartfelt snapshot into the confusing feelings caused when we experience an unexpected loss, and how we move on and accept it despite them leaving behind unanswered questions.
A huge thank you to the author, Netgalley, and Disney Hyperion for providing me this ARC.
Review of advance copy
*Received at BookCon*
This was a short powerful book about grief and the author does an incredible job of wrestling with those feelings, especially about losing a parent. Mira's feelings were raw and I understood the desperate connection to learn about her father after discovering a big part of his life that she didn't know about. Her connection to Richard was awkward, but sweet and I liked seeing them grow and learn more about each other over time. He was the only connection to her father and the only person talking about him so openly. However, I do feel the timeline in the book was really short for all of the things that happened and I wish there were other relationships explored outside of Richard and Mira's crush. I would have liked to see more healing with her mom and brother. I would have liked to see her best friend witness a change in Mira in person instead of through texts. At some points, it did feel that Mira only existed within Richard and her job.
So, overall this gets about a 3.5 for me rounded up.
This was a short powerful book about grief and the author does an incredible job of wrestling with those feelings, especially about losing a parent. Mira's feelings were raw and I understood the desperate connection to learn about her father after discovering a big part of his life that she didn't know about. Her connection to Richard was awkward, but sweet and I liked seeing them grow and learn more about each other over time. He was the only connection to her father and the only person talking about him so openly. However, I do feel the timeline in the book was really short for all of the things that happened and I wish there were other relationships explored outside of Richard and Mira's crush. I would have liked to see more healing with her mom and brother. I would have liked to see her best friend witness a change in Mira in person instead of through texts. At some points, it did feel that Mira only existed within Richard and her job.
So, overall this gets about a 3.5 for me rounded up.
May 27, 2026
“At some point, you've got to break the ties of your old memories; otherwise you might miss the chance to make new ones."
✍🏾
After her father’s funeral, seventeen-year-old Mira discovers a hidden part of his life: he had a boyfriend named Richard, something Mira never knew about and never got the chance to discuss with her father as a queer teen herself. As Mira secretly builds a friendship with Richard, she begins learning more about her dad, her own identity, and what it means to embrace queerness openly. Told through diary entries, texts, and book reviews, this epistolary YA novel explores grief, family secrets, and the importance of chosen family.
📚
I really liked the rawness and messiness of this story. Mira is grieving while trying to keep living, and the short timeframe captures how disorienting loss can feel. Richard was a standout character for me: kind, patient, and grieving too. I did wish the timeline had been a bit longer since some relationships developed very quickly, but overall the emotional honesty really worked for me.
CW: parental death, grief, homophobia
✍🏾
After her father’s funeral, seventeen-year-old Mira discovers a hidden part of his life: he had a boyfriend named Richard, something Mira never knew about and never got the chance to discuss with her father as a queer teen herself. As Mira secretly builds a friendship with Richard, she begins learning more about her dad, her own identity, and what it means to embrace queerness openly. Told through diary entries, texts, and book reviews, this epistolary YA novel explores grief, family secrets, and the importance of chosen family.
📚
I really liked the rawness and messiness of this story. Mira is grieving while trying to keep living, and the short timeframe captures how disorienting loss can feel. Richard was a standout character for me: kind, patient, and grieving too. I did wish the timeline had been a bit longer since some relationships developed very quickly, but overall the emotional honesty really worked for me.
CW: parental death, grief, homophobia
May 16, 2026
In Between Days by Camryn Garrett is a moving story of a queer teenager named Mira. The story opens after the death of her father and is largely told in a series of journal entries by Mira in the following month or so.
The death of Mira’s father is the catalyst for this story. Her parents divorced a few years prior, and although Mira maintained a relationship with him, Mira learns more about her fathers life upon his death and is tormented with thoughts of what could have been if only her father was able to be more open about his life with his children.
I have 30 years of life experience on Mira, so some of her choices confounded me but I reminded myself that this is a YA book and I’m just visiting this world.
I won this ARC via Goodreads. My thanks to them and to the publisher, Disney Hyperion.
The death of Mira’s father is the catalyst for this story. Her parents divorced a few years prior, and although Mira maintained a relationship with him, Mira learns more about her fathers life upon his death and is tormented with thoughts of what could have been if only her father was able to be more open about his life with his children.
I have 30 years of life experience on Mira, so some of her choices confounded me but I reminded myself that this is a YA book and I’m just visiting this world.
I won this ARC via Goodreads. My thanks to them and to the publisher, Disney Hyperion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
*4.5 Stars*
I was provided an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really really liked this book. It was pretty different from my usual YA reads. I really like that it was journal entries and the way it spoke about grief and first crushes and so so much more. It felt new and familiar all at once and I was truly captivated. I also liked the job part of this and the relationship between the characters, especially the main character with her family and with Richard. It was all so complex and layered and just so interesting. I was a little less into the crush storyline but I still ended up rooting for those two. It was just a very good book. I felt so much from start to finish. I will be reading more books by Camryn Garrett and I cannot wait.
I was provided an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really really liked this book. It was pretty different from my usual YA reads. I really like that it was journal entries and the way it spoke about grief and first crushes and so so much more. It felt new and familiar all at once and I was truly captivated. I also liked the job part of this and the relationship between the characters, especially the main character with her family and with Richard. It was all so complex and layered and just so interesting. I was a little less into the crush storyline but I still ended up rooting for those two. It was just a very good book. I felt so much from start to finish. I will be reading more books by Camryn Garrett and I cannot wait.
June 2, 2026
4.5 out of 5 Read in audio: I love that this book is told through Mira's journal to process grief, depression, and life without her dad. Trying to find parts of her dad that she didn't get to know or see of her dad's life. Also exploring history and her identity, especially through literature and discussing it with Richard.
I loved the found family feel of the bookstore and the way each employee wanted to work with and loved books. I loved Ginny's passion for children's literature and wanting to write children's books. I loved the focus on Mental Health and the patience we move through grief at our own pace. That parent's are humans and have flaws. I also love seeing the growth with Mira's mom and
I loved the found family feel of the bookstore and the way each employee wanted to work with and loved books. I loved Ginny's passion for children's literature and wanting to write children's books. I loved the focus on Mental Health and the patience we move through grief at our own pace. That parent's are humans and have flaws. I also love seeing the growth with Mira's mom and
May 24, 2026
My dad died from a heart attack, so I was already on edge starting this book. But then my mom called to say she's not going to make it past this year. So this was a hard read for me emotionally.
It's written in journal entries which makes for a fast read. Mira was an interesting character to read. She's relatable in a lot of ways and absolutely wild in others. This is a solid story for young queers dealing with grief.
Note: The day we quit putting HP references in queer books can't come soon enough.
Thank you to Disney Hyperion for the opportunity to read and review.
It's written in journal entries which makes for a fast read. Mira was an interesting character to read. She's relatable in a lot of ways and absolutely wild in others. This is a solid story for young queers dealing with grief.
Note: The day we quit putting HP references in queer books can't come soon enough.
Thank you to Disney Hyperion for the opportunity to read and review.
October 6, 2025
A raw, beautiful story about surviving the impossible and learning how to move forward, In Between Days is unflinchingly honest, heartbreakingly soft, and full of quiet strength. For anyone who’s ever felt stuck between one chapter of life and the next, Camryn Garrett’s novel is a powerful reminder that healing doesn’t always look the way you expect — and that starting over is still a form of hope.
February 18, 2026
I received an ARC of In Between Days at NCTE in Denver. I love it and will be promoting it in my presentations about queer representation in YA fiction. Camryn Garrett wrote a page turner with great characters. A+ for all of the allusions to other books written for kids and young adults!
The book will be available for purchase in May of 2026.
The book will be available for purchase in May of 2026.
June 5, 2026
(4.5)
really good!! got me out of my (honestly) year-long reading slump a little bit so maybe i'm finally free. i do think that it took a little too long for shit to hit the fan, and then it was like ahhh holy shit everything is happening at once but i still really loved this book overall. adding it to the contemporary ya stack that i guess i'm building up this year!
really good!! got me out of my (honestly) year-long reading slump a little bit so maybe i'm finally free. i do think that it took a little too long for shit to hit the fan, and then it was like ahhh holy shit everything is happening at once but i still really loved this book overall. adding it to the contemporary ya stack that i guess i'm building up this year!
Want to Read
September 28, 2025"A stunning and uplifting contemporary YA about a young teen who explores her queerness and navigates her grief through an unlikely friendship with her deceased father’s boyfriend."
this sounds phenomenal
this sounds phenomenal
January 19, 2026
This story is truly a gift for young readers (and adult readers, alike). The themes of grief and queerness are intertwined with hope and forgiveness and is written with such a lovely tenderness that feels so warm and so comforting.
I’m so glad this book exists.
I’m so glad this book exists.
December 15, 2025
I haven't read a YA book in about a decade, but this was wonderful to pick up. A queer teenager's wrestle with grief and coming-of-age in New York City.
April 21, 2026
Got me crying on the elliptical
May 12, 2026
Gorgeous, interesting, well-written book with some excellent plotting and a fantastic set of characters that really meditate on family. 5 stars. tysm for the E-ARC.
May 21, 2026
4.5 stars.
May 26, 2026
A very important story involving a young girls late father and learning more about him thru his boyfriend, while she maneuvers thru her own sexual identity. Really good story!
June 2, 2026
If you know me, you know that I loooove books about healing from grief, especially when sadness is evident but it's not the only emotion surrounding it. I'm adding this to my grief recs.
May 22, 2026
This was heavy...like emotionally sit with it for a minute type heavy. While heavy, it was handled with care that I couldn't be mad at it. I just kept wanting Mira to focus on healing and get the answers that she wanted.
The grief in this one? Whew. It wasn't just losing her dad but realizing there was a whole side of her father she never got to know.....that part was TOUGH. Watching her try to navigate her own queerness while unpacking all of that felt really raw and honest.
I felt like the pacing in some of the book was a little off. There were times when i was locked in and others where I had to push through a bit.
Overall, this felt like a emotional journey about identity, grief and truth. It's not an easy read, but it's one that makes you feel everything....and honestly, I was rooting for Mira the entire time.
The grief in this one? Whew. It wasn't just losing her dad but realizing there was a whole side of her father she never got to know.....that part was TOUGH. Watching her try to navigate her own queerness while unpacking all of that felt really raw and honest.
I felt like the pacing in some of the book was a little off. There were times when i was locked in and others where I had to push through a bit.
Overall, this felt like a emotional journey about identity, grief and truth. It's not an easy read, but it's one that makes you feel everything....and honestly, I was rooting for Mira the entire time.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews