The Top of the World

by Ethan Joella

A heartbreaking, life-affirming new novel by Ethan Joella—author of the Read with Jenna Bonus Pick A Little Hope—about a young woman searching for answers about her brother’s last days.

June 1975. Maggie Bishop has just graduated high school, the future hers to embrace—but she’s still reeling from the death of her older brother, Chip. A devastating diagnosis the summer before prompted Chip to leave home for a few months, never revealing where he went. Maggie’s search for clues leads her to The Red Maple Inn, a mountaintop resort in the Poconos.

At the Red Maple, Maggie is welcomed into a tight-knit community. As she unravels secrets about her brother’s final days, she begins to connect with the people he loved, and whose lives he touched. Through the warmth of strangers, Maggie begins to heal and is able to help others cope with loss.

Set in a nostalgic resort town over two transformative summers, this dual-narrative novel explores sibling relationships, coming of age, and the quiet power of human connection. Perfect for fans of emotional storytelling and small-town summer books, The Top of the World is a timeless story about memory, grief, second chances, and hope.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Contemporary, Historical, Adult, Adult Fiction

272 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication June 30, 2026

About the author

Ethan Joella teaches English and psychology at the University of Delaware and specializes in community writing workshops. His work has appeared in River Teeth, The Cimarron Review, The MacGuffin, Delaware Beach Life, and Third Wednesday. He is the author of A Little Hope, which was a Read with Jenna Bonus Selection and A Quiet Life. He lives in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, with his wife and two daughters.

Reviews

[Meagan (Meagansbookclub) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always a delight to read Ethan’s books! Character driven and very heart felt.

I also appreciate a book that’s under 300 pages! He packed a punch in every page.

[Leisa Back Porch Pages · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨My first read of 2026, and it took me five days to finish because I didn’t want it to end. That’s a rarity for me. I wanted to savor every page and linger just a little longer because it was that good. There’s something so tender and heartfelt about loving a book so much that you read it slowly just to keep it from ending.

✨The story unfolds over the course of two years in the mid-‘70s with alternating timelines and points of view. The storytelling is filled with family, friends, laugh out loud humor, heartbreaking loss and is written with such emotional depth that I was completely immersed in it. Every character is someone the reader can’t help but love, and the pacing is perfectly measured, building to a conclusion that is as hopeful as it is heartbreaking.

✨ Finding light and hope in the midst of despair is the story we all need in 2026, and Ethan Joella has told it with extraordinary heart and insight.

✨ There is a major cameo from A QUIET LIFE. So if you haven’t read that one, pick it up – before or after this book. Really, just read them both. Better yet, read all of Ethan Joella’s books. You can thank me later.

🌿Read if you like:
✨Found family
✨Poconos settings
✨70s nostalgia
✨Catcher in the Rye
✨The Velveteen Rabbit
✨Coming of age
✨Friendship stories
✨Family fiction
✨Smiling through tears

Available June 30. Don’t miss this one!

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve absolutely loved all of Ethan Joella’s previous books. I was over the moon when I received an ARC of his newest book, The Top of the World.

It saddens me to say that this was my least favorite. The story was very heartfelt and the setting sounded beautiful. I had a hard time getting into the story and connecting with the main characters. For such a character-driven story, I just couldn’t relate to Maggie and Chip, and I found the first half to be quite slow.

I will definitely be reading anything Joella writes, but this wasn’t my favorite.

3.5 stars

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Goodreads and the publisher for the Advanced Reader Copy of this book! Ethan Joella is one of my favorite authors and I couldn’t have been more ecstatic when I saw that I won my most anticipated book of the year! Just like his three previous books, this one was another five star reads for me, and dare I say my favorite. I absolutely loved the 1970’s Pocono resort setting and Chip & Maggie were such amazing characters who seemed so realistic. The secondary characters and their backstories added so much to this novel. I only wish it was longer because I loved it so much!

[Kari Ann Sweeney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've thoroughly enjoyed Ethan Joella's backlist titles and his upcoming release THE TOP OF THE WORLD is another win.

This is a beautifully quiet yet poignant story of love, loss and family that is balanced by joy and hope. Set in 1975 and told through dual POVs, the story centers on Maggie, who travels to a resort in the Poconos seeking answers about her brother’s final days. I felt connected to so many of the characters—not just Maggie and Chip, though their journey is at the heart of the novel

It is bittersweet and emotional and just made me feel good. It made me feel like I was wrapped up in tenderness. . I found myself tearing up at times, which happens every time I read one of his books.

[Lovemybooks2020 Cindy Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my last book of 2025 and it did not disappoint. I enjoy Ethan Joella’s very simple but yet deeply meaningful stories. I loved the setting for this one. And as usual, Ethan delivered another beautiful story!⁣
⁣
It’s a heartbreaking, life-affirming new novel about a young woman searching for answers about her brother’s last days.⁣
⁣
Set in a nostalgic resort town over two transformative summers, this dual-narrative novel explores sibling relationships, coming of age, and the quiet power of human connection. Perfect for fans of emotional storytelling and small-town summer books, 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙏𝙤𝙥 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 is a timeless story about memory, grief, second chances, and hope.⁣
⁣
Thanks to @scribnerbooks and @joellawriting for my arc! I fell in love with Chip, just like everyone else in the story. As with all his stories, Ethan had me smiling, crying, savoring and just plain thinking about the meaning of life and the human spirit all throughout the pages. You won’t want to miss his latest book. ⁣

[Madeleine Overturf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ethan’s writing is beautiful as always. Just as wonderful as an author as he is as a person! This book will make you want to book a trip to the Poconos ASAP.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the kind of novel that I dream of: likable characters, a “mystery” of sorts (not really a mystery, but a slow roll out of “what the heck happened last summer”), extremely digestible (aka short, aka meaning I would pick up the book whenever I could) chapters, and so many emotions! I’ve read all of Joella’s works, and will continue to in the future, but I think this is my favorite to date. Thank you for Maggie & Chip’s stories.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Kristen Amen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent novel by one of my favorite authors! It's well-written, emotional, yet also highly readable as well as unforgettable. Thanks to Edelweiss+ for the ARC.

[Kell C · Rating 5 out of 5]

If June's late evenings had an official representative, it'd be Ethan Joella. The Top of the World is my second Joella read (the prior, The Same Bright Stars)--and true to form it's set in a small, community-knit seaside town whose earned familiarity equips its cast to shine a truthful light on the everyday actions and choices that define the life of its focal character: Here, a sister's quest to understand the youthful brother she just suddenly has lost to cancer.

Honest and humbly inquisitive about the lives most of us lead in one way or another, I find Joella's summer-set slice-of-life writing captures what makes summers unique and so nostalgic, and, here, the growth in coming of age universally relatable.

Contemporary fiction and grounded family drama readers, as well as those with siblings whom they seek to understand, I recommend Top of the World for your beach bag, firepit side table, or weekend/commuter tote.

Thanks to Scribner, Simon & Schuster for an advanced reader's copy.

[Crystal Dalton · Rating 5 out of 5]

** Thank you to Scribner Books and the author for this ARC of The Top of the World! **

My book reviews are slightly different than most, as I write more about the emotional impact of a book rather than the more technical aspects. With that said, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and felt all the feels. Grief was the prevailing ‘theme’ of this book, and that in and of itself interested me. As a person who is all too familiar with grief and the myriad emotions that come with it, I found myself relating to the characters on a deeply personal level. I cried a lot while reading this book, especially at the end. The Top of the World is a beautiful book that heralds the importance of family, friends and the communities that heal us as we navigate the challenges of grief. I also loved reading about places I’m familiar with by an author that is from my home state and teaches at my college Alma Mater.

[Leslie Hagel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ethan Joella is back with another heart felt and moving story set in the Poconos. The Pennsylvania setting of my college years drew me right into this story. The references to the 1970s provided nostalgic memories of my childhood.

Maggie Bishop is searching for answers about her brother Chip’s last days. When her brother was diagnosed with a fatal disease the year before, he disappeared for a few months before he died. Now a year later Maggie is trying to come to terms with her loss and decides to find out where he went. When her search leads her to The Red Maple, a Pocono resort, Maggie begins to learn about his secrets and his relationships with the people the connected with while there.

The story alternates between Maggie’s and Chip’s points of view and gradually reveals their relationship as siblings. Part coming of age story and part family saga, the author handles the subject of grief with kindness, compassion and hope. I laughed and cried all while falling in love with the characters. A 5 star read I will highly recommend!

[Joe H · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is beautiful! I have been a fan of Joella’s writing since his first book, A Little Hope.
The author has the ability to write a heartfelt story about grief. He includes the good and bad parts and really pulls you into the story.
I loved the overlapping character from A Quiet Life, his second novel. I think this could be his best work so far!

Thank you NetGalley and Scribner for the early copy.

[Tyler Goble · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read an ARC via NetGalley on my iPad. Great story! Slow-going in terms of pacing but it reads the way a work of authentic historical fiction should—clearly well-researched and has a real sense of time and place. Chip and Maggie’s storylines were beautiful. The supporting characters were awesome— Rhonda, Vicky, Elliott, and Nancy. Solid, happy ending despite the grief and tragedy the story is rooted in. When it comes out this July, don’t miss this book! Now *I’m* wanting to go vacation up in the Poconos!

[Larry H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five years ago, I received a surprise piece of bookmail: Ethan Joella’s debut novel, A Little Hope . I loved that book fiercely, and each subsequent book cemented him on my list of favorite authors. Thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for the advance copy of his upcoming book, which was utterly beautiful!

“My dear, you’ve got to focus on the pieces. We will never forget what we’ve lost, we will never be the same because of it, but we can build something new. That’s the key. That’s what your brother taught me. Remember what’s lost, but try to build something else.”

In the summer of 1975, Maggie is reeling from the death of her older brother, Chip. She’s just graduated from high school and the thought of being home, dealing with her grief and her grieving parents, is totally unappealing. She needs something, but can’t figure out what that is.

A year earlier, after Chip graduated from high school and received bleak news about his health, he needed to get away. He left home and headed to the Poconos, to find a job at the luxurious Red Maple Lodge. He was gone for the summer but when he came back, he didn’t tell his family where he was or what he did, only that it was his experience.

Maggie decides to follow in her brother’s footsteps. She heads to the Red Maple Lodge, in the hope that she can find people who knew Chip, and could tell her about his last summer. She finds that in a few short months, Chip left an indelible mark on those he worked with and for. Maggie is able to start healing and planning for her future, thanks to the memories that people shared.

Ethan Joella’s writing weaves a spell with its simple beauty, through evocative imagery and rich emotions. His books always touch my heart and make it soar, and this one was simply amazing.

It will publish 6/30.

Check out my best reads of 2025 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2026/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2025.html .

See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.

Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/getbookedwithlarry/.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ethan Joella's "A Quiet Life" has long been one of my favorite novels, so I jumped at the chance to get an early read of his upcoming book. For fans of his work, "The Top of The World" stays true to Joella's subtle and thoughtful prose, building a cast of characters that readers can't help but come to love.

In summer of 1974, Chip Bishop has his whole life turned upside down. Posed to enter college as a star athlete, a life-changing diagnosis abruptly changes his life and he suddenly leaves home, reappearing home months later after spending time working at the Red Maple Inn in the Poconos. For his younger sister Maggie, those months are a pressing mystery and after his passing shortly after, she sets out for the Red Maple Inn for answers to her many questions as to how her brother spent some of the final months of his life. Determined to get a job at the inn as well, Maggie is quickly introduced to the community that came to know her brother - from the larger-than-life owner Rhonda Simmons, to the elusive bartender Elliot, the GM Paige, and many more. In the weeks that follow, Maggie soon comes to see the inn through the eyes of her brother and grows closer to each of the staff at Red Maple Inn, learning more about each person's past and struggles.

True to Joella's style, this novel is very much a character-driven work that focuses on unraveling the many layers of each individual that's introduced. The work alternates between Chip's perspective in the summer of 1974 and Maggie's in 1975, revealing chapter by chapter more about each of the protagonists and the supporting characters. There are some difficult and weighty topics that are introduced over the course of the story, focusing on the many forms of grief and loss as well as post-Vietnam War trauma, especially on the younger soldiers - but this is adeptly balanced by the moments of hope found in compassion and community. You truly come to root for each of the characters in this novel, and the final ending is inspiring and uplifting.

Very much a recommended read when "The Top of the World" is published in June 2025!

[Angie Carducci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here I am writing this review after midnight, because I simply had to finish this book tonight. I needed to know how things turned out for these characters I’d spent just a few days with, but felt deeply invested in.

Ethan Joella is one of my must-read authors and I think it’s because his books are so full of the beautiful side of humanity, the good that somehow shines through the most tragically bad, the found families and the people who step up, the constant undercurrent of hope. And what does our world need right now more than a little hope (pun not intended re: one of the author’s prior novels)?

In the mid-1970s, Maggie is struggling with the loss of her older brother Chip from leukemia, and one way she thinks she might find some closure is by figuring out what he did in the last few months of his life, when he escaped to work at a honeymoon resort in the Poconos and find a little of himself before his time was up. We see her timeline, and his the year before. Chip is barely a high school graduate and his terminal diagnosis is so deeply unfair, but he arrives at the Red Maple determined to keep his secret and be like everyone else. Rhonda, the owner, also has a secret and much deeply unfair grief to bear. Hawk, one of Chip’s roommates, has intense struggles with PTSD from serving in the war. And then there’s Nancy, who may be what Chip came here looking to find.

Chip and Maggie’s dual journeys are lovely to watch unfold. I always leave Joella’s novels with deep resonance with some of the imagery, and here it’s the ants, who can have their nest destroyed and immediately begin marching toward creating the next thing. When we’re forced to, we simply find ways to carry on, because what other choice is there? Life finds a way — and there are developments I never saw coming for both Chip and Maggie that only added to the warm feelings you’ll take away from this surprisingly life-affirming book.

This publishes June 30 and you should do yourself a favor and read it as soon as you can. Thank you so much #Scribner #JoellaWriting #NetGalley for the advance read.

[Samantha (WLABB) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The summer of '74 was going to be his last, and Chip was determined to make it a summer to remember. After his death, his sister Maggie returns to the resort where Chip spent his last few months in an effort to uncover more about him and to work through her grief.

I am a solid fan of Joella's. All his books manage to touch my heart, and The Top of the World was no exception. My heart ached for Chip as it's difficult thinking of a recent high school graduate preparing to die, but I sure admired his spirit. He was determined to live those last few months to the fullest. He connected with so many people during his time at the resort and embedded himself in these people's memories. He did some small things and made some big moves too that filled my heart with joy because I wanted him to experience as much as he could in his short life. This resort was like Chip's alternate universe where he could pretend his wasn't dying, and it was beautiful the way these people embraced and in turn, welcomed his sister into their fold.

In the author's note, Joella talks about how he wanted to feature the Poconos in all its glory. I spent quite a bit of time up there as a tri-state area resident, and who can forget the days of the heart and champagne glass shaped tubs. But Red Maple wasn't that, it was a classic resort with a lot of heart mostly due to the incredible people who ran it. Each had some of their own pain, but they formed a family that took care of each other, and their family was made even better by Maggie and Chip.

Overall: A beautiful tale of living life to the fullest and the importance of connection which really tugged at my heartstrings.


*ARC provided by publisher

BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS

[blythe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, this review is early, as this book doesn’t publish until five months from today, but it’s been a month since I read it and in the last week two instances reminded me of this book, which I’m taking as signs to share my thoughts. Sutton Foster covered The Carpenters song Top of the World when I saw her in concert last Saturday, and then, while reading the recent release See You At the Summit, a mountain in Whistler with a ski run called Top of the World is referenced. Ok, I’m finally sharing my love for The Top of the World! Thank you so much to Scribner and NetGalley for early access in exchange for my honest opinions.
One of the reasons I read this book so early was because I had made plans to meet up with the author, as our holiday vacations in South Carolina happened to overlap for a day. Ethan is one of the kindest and most positive authors that I’ve interacted with, and it was so fun to meet in person last month. I love the lyrical way he writes about people and places, and I was particularly excited for this Poconos setting. Growing up in Northwest NJ, very close to the Poconos, I remember seeing ads and billboards for the cheesy resorts, and my high school’s Project Graduation was held at a slightly more modern resort in the Poconos. The Top of the World brought me to tears multiple times - I felt so deeply for the characters and their situations. I got teary-eyed when starting to discuss it with him - my mom was all too happy to tell him how I had been sobbing over my Kindle while reading his latest. I truly loved the characters and what they went through (and am tearing up even now thinking about them). I wish I could give each of them a big hug.
While The Top of the World doesn't publish until June, Ethan has three beautiful novels that I also loved - A Little Hope, A Quiet Life, and The Same Bright Stars. Please do yourself a favor and read these beautiful and moving stories - and perhaps join me in preordering this one.

[Jayme C (Brunetteslikebookstoo) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Melancholy

SUMMER 1974

18 year old Chip Bishop has terminal Cancer. He has decided that he no longer wants more treatments that make him feel awful and will only add just a few more months to his life-instead choosing to have one last adventure instead. After seeing a brochure for the Red Maple Inn and Cottages in the nearby Poconos, he packs his bags, and heads there hoping for a Summer job where he can live a life where nobody will know that he is dying.

JUNE 1975

Maggie Bishop, newly graduated from High School, is still grieving the passing of her older brother Chip. Her search for “ a way forward” leads her to The Red Maple Inn. Perhaps being around the people who spent her brother’s last months with him, will bring her closure.

As she learns about how Chip spent final days, and how he touched lives of those who called “The Red Maple Inn” home-Maggie begins to heal. It seems like Chip managed to pack quite a bit of living into his last months!

The story unfolds from the alternating POV’s of Chip and Maggie offering a look at sibling bonds, a bit of nostalgia, and finding new hope on the other side of grief.

I discovered Ethan Joella’s work last year when I read “The Same Bright Stars” which I also described as MELANCHOLY and HOPEFUL. Obviously writing these kinds of stories is the author’s niche, although that one resonated more, perhaps because this one is more “coming of age” which isn’t a favorite for me personally.

I would call this one beautiful in its simplicity-although I found it to be a bit slow. It didn’t move me to tears despite the subject matter-focusing more on the JOY that Chip found during his last few months on Earth.

3.5 stars ⭐️

A buddy read with DeAnn! Be sure to watch for her thoughts too!

Expected publication date: June 30, 2026

Thank You to Scribner for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. As always, these are my candid thoughts.

[Beth Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

Taking place over the summers of 1974 and 1975, Chip was going to start college in the fall of 1974, but a leukemia diagnosis changes that. So that summer he takes off to work at the Red Maple Inn in the Poconos without telling his family. Trying to be a normal kid and hiding a debilitating illness, he meets an assortment of workers there and has some experiences he would not otherwise have.

One year later, his sister Maggie follows the trail to the Rep Maple Inn to discover how her brother spent his previous summer. There, she meets the same unforgettable people and connects with her brother.

This novel has a different vibe than Joella’s previous works, and I really enjoy that it is so much more distinct. (Am I the only one who mixes up A QUIET LIFE and A LITTLE HOPE?) Set in the mid-1970s, Vietnam’s impact is part of this story along with the brother-sister relationship. Of course, his standard of moving forward after grief is there too.

I did take off half a star because I don’t believe it was articulated why Chip ran away to the Red Maple Inn in the first place. Did I miss it? Did he see an advertisement for it? Did his family used to go there? Did a friend mention it? That part seemed quite random … unless I missed the reason. Also, the parents are non-entities in this novel. Wouldn’t they be climbing the walls if their very ill son ran away?

This is now my favorite Ethan Joella novel!

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for an Advance Reader Copy. My review is completely my own.

It publishes June 30, 2026.

[Laura Donovan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, Ethan Joella does it again. Ethan is so skilled at taking the saddest reality of life itself - dead children - and still giving us some hope and light in the midst of the worst kind of loss. I devoured this book about a young girl studying her terminally ill brother’s last big adventure in order to feel connected to him after his passing. Chip is very much a teenage boy who has so much growing up and maturing to do when his body fails him. The author writes of Chip’s fatigue and collapse with such accuracy and sadness. Chip also finds himself in a love triangle, which are common at his age and hey, maybe it feels good to be so desired at the end of one’s life. I could not bear to cover some of the topics Ethan Joella includes in his work, particularly this one, but I trust him as an author not to leave me feeling only despair by the end of his books. He gives us something to hope for when all seems lost. It’s never too late to find community or be brave. After my dad died in 2006, I moved to NYC in part to feel connected to his favorite city in the world. I visited his favorite haunts and tried finding his old apartment on 86th Street. I have been in Chip’s sister’s shoes. This book felt relatable and realistic to me. I also loved Chip’s passion for CATCHER IN THE RYE and THE VELVETEEN RABBIT. Chip is like the bunny who comes back in another form to say hello to his best friend and Holden Cauffield at the same time, forever young.

[Lyon.Brit.andthebookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Report: The Top of the World by Ethan Joella

Set in the summer of 1975…The Top of the World follows Maggie as she stands on the edge of adulthood while quietly drowning in grief after the loss of her brother…Chip. Searching for answers about where he spent his final months…Maggie finds herself at the Red Maple Inn in the Poconos…a nostalgic…mountaintop retreat filled with strangers who slowly begin to feel like family. As secrets unfold and connections deepen…Maggie learns that healing doesn’t come from answers alone…but from the people willing to hold space for your pain🧡

The Poconos setting was such a fun place to visit. Retro…nostalgic and steeped in the kind of quiet magic I love. Between pop culture memories (yes, Jersey Shore Family Vacation where they stay in the Poconos 😂) and family stories of summers past…it felt like stepping into a living memory. And the story itself is classic Ethan Joella: tender…heartbreaking and hopeful all at once. His writing captures life in a way that makes me hesitate to face it but somehow feel stronger every time I return. There’s humor tucked into the hard moments…love woven through the loss and an overwhelming sense of gratitude that we get to experience stories like this 📖✨

Thank you @scribner for the ecopy!

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Lyon.brit.A...

[Angie Miale · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dual timeline story of 1975, when Maggie is heading to a resort in the Poconos to work and discover what her brother did when he was there the previous summer prior to his untimely death from leukemia. Maggie is grieving the loss of her older brother and remembering him at his best. She wonders why he chose to leave in the midst of being a cancer patient and didn’t tell his family where he was. She soon learns they were like a camp family and mostly didn’t know he was sick.

The timeline jumps back and forth from 1975 Maggie to 1974 Chip, when he is living the last few months of his life and working at the resort.

I knew this would be a book about grief and moments of human connection, I knew it would be sad. This is purely devastating, it’s 50% grieving (Maggie) and 50% dying and dealing with dying (Chip). This is written with so much personal wisdom and raw emotion. It was so sad to think of Chip wanting to feel alive by hiding his treatment. There are also some lovely small town minor characters that rounded out the lovely setting.

Do I recommend it? Definitely, if you are in the mood for a good mournful cry.

Thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for the ARC. Book to be published June 29, 2026.

[Fred · Rating 4 out of 5]

This a poignant, at times heartbreaking, story of a dying young man, and the sister who searches for the story of his last summer, set against a backdrop of 1970s Poconos summer culture. I grew up in the Catskill Mountains during the summer, and the hotel culture Joella describes is spot-on. I was both a guest and employee of these mountain hotels, and the life of the staff at such a spot is very well drawn. The author captures the behind the scenes world of hotels very well. The people enjoy drama, relationships, heartbreaks, and fun all of their own, removed from the guests, who barely acknowledge their existence. It's clear the author wants to convey a nostalgia for a time and place, and succeeds. I was swept away by the world he creates.

As to the story, it is a touching story of a boy who faces the greatest challenge of his life - dying. And then it's the story of his close sister who is searching for a little tiny more of a glimpse into his life, because she misses him so much. The story is told in alternating chapters from his point of view in summer 1974, and from hers, summer of 1975, as well as a heartbreaking interlude describing Chip's final days in autumn 1975.

Good read

[DeAnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 heartbreaking stars

This was my first read by this author, but I’ve been curious to try him out.

The story is set in the mid-1970s and is family-focused and a coming-of-age story. The point of view alternates between siblings Maggie and Chip. Maggie’s story is about coping with the death of her brother and the journey she undertakes to retrace his final steps.

At age 18, Chip spent his final summer away in the Poconos, working at a resort. Maggie discovers where he was and decides that she needs to visit there as well. Maggie gets a summer job there and learns more about her brother and the people he connected with that summer.

Chip’s story is heartbreaking: he knows his days are limited, yet he wants to experience so much more of life.

Grief is a tricky thing to write about, and the experience is different in every situation. It seems especially unfair for death to occur while someone is young. This one does have a beautiful setting, but I didn’t quite connect with the characters.

Jayme and I had another shared buddy read of this one. Be sure to read her review to see what she thought of this one.

My thanks to Scribner for the opportunity to read and honestly review this one. Scheduled to release on 6.30.2026.

[Bookblurbs13 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you @scribnerbooks & @joellawriting for my #gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

There is just something about Ethan Joella’s writing that hits me exactly where it hurts the most.

This story is quiet and simple on the surface - everyday people in their everyday lives - but the impact is anything but small. Joella has a remarkable gift for showing how ordinary people can profoundly change others simply by existing. I felt like I was right there with these characters the entire time, feeling everything that they were feeling.

The setting itself was healing. Red Maple felt like a breath of fresh air, the kind of place you understand instantly. It reminded me of a place that my family has been going to for 20 years, which made it feel even more personal.

Chip broke my heart. His slow decline was so gut-wretching to watch. I respected his desire to just run away from his life and his diagnosis and live a normal life one last time. The impact his arrival and eventual departure from Red Maple had on so many people was devastating and beautiful all at once.

Then you have Maggie. Her story hurt in a completely different way. Her chapters by Chip’s hospital bed, especially toward the end, were killers. I almost have to warn you that if you have a close relationship with a sibling like I do, that parts will make you sob for the relationship these two are losing. Watching her travel to Red Maple to understand her brothers last days, and be welcomed so fully because of who he was to everyone there, felt magical.

Yes, this book is about loss, but it’s also about deeply profound healing and how regular, everyday people can have significant impacts on others just through existing. It’s about both the simplicity and complexity of human beings.

Thank you, Ethan Joella, for always writing such raw and real characters. I couldn’t recommend this one more.

[Read Rest Recharge · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Top of the World follows Maggie Bishop, a recent high school graduate grieving the loss of her big brother, Chip. Unable to bear the gloomy atmosphere at home, she follows in his footsteps and gets a summer job at the Red Maple Inn, where he once worked. Readers will love this character-driven novel with a bit of cozy mystery in which a sister unravels the story of her brother’s final summer.”

This book tells the story of two siblings using a dual narrative style and is set in the Poconos over the course of two summers, 1974 and 1975, which are described with perfection. Joella explores their relationship as well as their developing connections and relationships with others. Their character-driven story is bittersweet but also a “feel-good” one in how they handle grief and loss.

There is a quote from Desmond Tutu, “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all the darkness,” which conveys exactly how I feel when I read a book by Ethan Joella, and his latest, The Top of the World, continues that feeling with his emotional storytelling. He writes about characters who have faced difficult and sometimes life-changing situations, but there is always hope and light at the end of the story. Without a doubt, I can also state that this is my favorite book of his to date.

To make sure you're ready for its June release, put this book on your reading list right away. Have your best friend read, or your book club. You will want to discuss it with someone. And if you haven’t read anything by the author so far, I recommend that you start now.

Thank you to Scribner, Edelweiss, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased and unsolicited opinion.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Top of the World by Ethan Joella felt like a blend of Dirty Dancing and A Walk to Remember, with a mix of romance, self-discovery, and emotional depth. The story follows Maggie, who is grieving the loss of her older brother and trying to piece together where he spent his last summer—and why it mattered so much to him.

At its core, the book explores love, loss, and the bigger question of what makes life worth living. There are some really touching moments, especially in the way the importance of relationships is shown. However, the pacing didn’t quite work for me—the plot wasn’t as propulsive as I would have liked, and at times it felt like it was drifting and there were some points of the story that felt random and underdeveloped. Overall, it’s a reflective and emotional read with a strong premise, but it didn’t fully deliver on its potential for me. #NetGalley #TheTopOfTheWorld #EthanJoella

[Ryan Brandenburg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the fourth novel I’ve read by Ethan Joella. I find his novels are comparable to wrapping up in a cozy blanket on a winter’s day.

I thoroughly enjoyed his upcoming novel, titled “The Top of the World.” The story revolves around two siblings, Chip and Maggie. Tragically, Chip succumbed to a terminal illness shortly after high school, but not before embarking on a memorable summer getaway away from his family. A year later, his sister embarks on a journey to revisit the scenes from his final summer, seeking answers to lingering questions.

I read this book in a single day, primarily during a flight. It’s incredibly well-written and manages to have a lot of depth to the story despite its relatively short length of 272 pages.

If you’re looking for a sweet, comforting story, I’d recommend picking this one up when it releases on June 30, 2026. Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.