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The Top of the World: A Novel
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.
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.
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 30, 2026
About the author
Ethan Joella
8 books915 followersEthan 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 599 reviews
August 5, 2026
Devastating. Heartbreaking. Emotional. Transformative…
Chip and Maggie Bishop are siblings, one year apart in age. Shortly after Chip graduates high school in June 1974, he's diagnosed with terminal cancer. Without telling his family, he decides to leave for the summer to live someplace where no one knows he's sick.
In June 1975, Maggie graduates and remains frozen by Chip's death. Her grief is intense, and her search for Chip's whereabouts last year leads her to The Red Maple Inn, a mountaintop resort in the Poconos. She longs to meet the people Chip spent his last summer with, and from whom she hopes to find the answers to her questions...
The Top of the World is Ethan Joella's fourth book, and I’ve read and enjoyed all of them. One of my favorite contemporary authors, he tackles challenging topics about family and their day-to-day lives. I love Joella’s writing style—how he keeps the world moving around the characters and their conversations by pulling objects surrounding them into focus. It never fails to draw me further into the moment.
An immersive reading experience, the audiobook is narrated by Ryan Do and Mia Hutchinson-Shaw, who voice the alternating first-person perspectives of Chip and Maggie. I'm glad I waited for the release of the audiobook, as it's my preferred format for this story.
The Top of the World has alternating perspectives from Chip and Maggie—each with their own story to tell about the same place, visited for different reasons, one year apart. It's a quietly emotional read about familial grief, sibling relationships, and the power of human connection. I know what sibling grief feels like, and it was just what I needed at exactly the right time!
4⭐
Thank you to Scribner and Ethan Joella for the DRC via NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Chip and Maggie Bishop are siblings, one year apart in age. Shortly after Chip graduates high school in June 1974, he's diagnosed with terminal cancer. Without telling his family, he decides to leave for the summer to live someplace where no one knows he's sick.
In June 1975, Maggie graduates and remains frozen by Chip's death. Her grief is intense, and her search for Chip's whereabouts last year leads her to The Red Maple Inn, a mountaintop resort in the Poconos. She longs to meet the people Chip spent his last summer with, and from whom she hopes to find the answers to her questions...
The Top of the World is Ethan Joella's fourth book, and I’ve read and enjoyed all of them. One of my favorite contemporary authors, he tackles challenging topics about family and their day-to-day lives. I love Joella’s writing style—how he keeps the world moving around the characters and their conversations by pulling objects surrounding them into focus. It never fails to draw me further into the moment.
An immersive reading experience, the audiobook is narrated by Ryan Do and Mia Hutchinson-Shaw, who voice the alternating first-person perspectives of Chip and Maggie. I'm glad I waited for the release of the audiobook, as it's my preferred format for this story.
The Top of the World has alternating perspectives from Chip and Maggie—each with their own story to tell about the same place, visited for different reasons, one year apart. It's a quietly emotional read about familial grief, sibling relationships, and the power of human connection. I know what sibling grief feels like, and it was just what I needed at exactly the right time!
4⭐
Thank you to Scribner and Ethan Joella for the DRC via NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
July 8, 2026
Two teenagers in dual narratives, one year apart in 1974 and 1975 spending their summers working at a resort in the Poconos. Chip in the last months of his life needs time on his own as he deals with a terminal diagnosis. A year later his younger grieving sister Maggie goes to the same place wanting to know more about how her beloved older brother spent his last days.
Ethan Joella writes heartbreaking stories about death and how the loved ones left behind deal with their grief. This is the third novel I have reading by Joella and I discovered that his stories in spite of the sadness, end up being uplifting and about living . I delayed reading this advanced copy. I knew what it was about and wasn’t sure I wanted to immerse myself in sadness of it right now. Then I read my good friend Jonetta’s beautiful review . She encouraged me to “go for it” even though the story is tragic because it was uplifting. She was so right . Even though it was tough read, I really am so glad I read it and had the chance to meet some incredible characters.
Maggie is welcomed with open arms by the community at the Red Maple Inn as soon as they find out she’s the sister of their dear friend Chip. During Maggie’s summer there and through Chip’s alernating narrative of his time there, we meet wonderful characters some of whom are carrying burdens of loss and grief of their own . While I loved Chip and Maggie, my favorite character was Chip’s best friend Vicky who gave him his dying wish and brought a “little hope” to Maggie and her family. It’s a moving story reminding us that it is the connections and bonds born out of caring and compassion that sustain us through the tough times as well as the good.
Jonetta’s review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I received a copy of this from Simon & Schuster through Edelweiss.
Ethan Joella writes heartbreaking stories about death and how the loved ones left behind deal with their grief. This is the third novel I have reading by Joella and I discovered that his stories in spite of the sadness, end up being uplifting and about living . I delayed reading this advanced copy. I knew what it was about and wasn’t sure I wanted to immerse myself in sadness of it right now. Then I read my good friend Jonetta’s beautiful review . She encouraged me to “go for it” even though the story is tragic because it was uplifting. She was so right . Even though it was tough read, I really am so glad I read it and had the chance to meet some incredible characters.
Maggie is welcomed with open arms by the community at the Red Maple Inn as soon as they find out she’s the sister of their dear friend Chip. During Maggie’s summer there and through Chip’s alernating narrative of his time there, we meet wonderful characters some of whom are carrying burdens of loss and grief of their own . While I loved Chip and Maggie, my favorite character was Chip’s best friend Vicky who gave him his dying wish and brought a “little hope” to Maggie and her family. It’s a moving story reminding us that it is the connections and bonds born out of caring and compassion that sustain us through the tough times as well as the good.
Jonetta’s review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I received a copy of this from Simon & Schuster through Edelweiss.
October 24, 2025
Spent a lot of time with this. 😏
May 9, 2026
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.
I also appreciate a book that’s under 300 pages! He packed a punch in every page.
August 8, 2026
3.5🌟
This is my first read from this author.
We have two protagonists, Chip and Maggie who are brother and sister and in their late teens. This is a coming of age novel that transpires over two transformative summers.
We start in 1975. (This is my birth year, so I appreciated the details highlighted in this book.). Elton John to Jaws, there were great references throughout.
While the subject matter is heavy, this novel leaned heavily to be a YA novel. The writing was good; enough that it was an easy, short read. However, there was little depth to the characters and I credit this to the age range.
It left me wanting more.
Overall a good read, that will not be memorable.
This is my first read from this author.
We have two protagonists, Chip and Maggie who are brother and sister and in their late teens. This is a coming of age novel that transpires over two transformative summers.
We start in 1975. (This is my birth year, so I appreciated the details highlighted in this book.). Elton John to Jaws, there were great references throughout.
While the subject matter is heavy, this novel leaned heavily to be a YA novel. The writing was good; enough that it was an easy, short read. However, there was little depth to the characters and I credit this to the age range.
It left me wanting more.
Overall a good read, that will not be memorable.
June 18, 2026
(4.5 stars)
Thank you to Scribner Books for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of The Top Of The World by Ethan Joella. It’s another winner from this author.
If you’re looking for something that’s NOT an action-filled thriller, you’ve come to the right place. On Top Of The World started off a bit slow for me, but I soon grew attached to the characters and kept turning the pages to see what was going to be revealed next.
The book is mostly a meditation on grief and on the ways we can move on from heart-shattering sadness. The time is the mid-1970s and the place is eastern Pennsylvania, mainly the Pocono Mountains. For me, this time and place was nostalgic and Joella certainly popped contemporary references in here and there, to underline the times. (Remember the Nixon/Watergate scandal, for one?)
Chip was a year older than his sister Maggie. They were super close when they were growing up and remained that way through their teen years. Then Chip got very sick during his senior year of high school. It’s not a spoiler to say that Chip dies in the fall after his graduation. But over that summer, he leaves home to work at a lovely resort in the Poconos. He wanted to be around people who didn’t know about his health situation and just BE, as much as he could. But he never told his family where he went. Only his friend Vicky knew. The next summer, Maggie figures it out and after her graduation heads there herself, to see if she can reconstruct what Chip’s last summer was like, who he knew there, etc. We get chapters from Chip’s summer in 1974 and Maggie’s summer in 1975.
I loved meeting all the people at the Red Maple Inn! They were such an interesting assortment of people. There’s one young man, Elliot, who had a terrible experience in Vietnam and is trying to deal with PTSD. He broke my heart, and reminded me of someone I knew back then (when we had a mild earthquake, he thought he was back there and under attack).
And if you love books, there’s a lot in here about Catcher In The Rye and The Velveteen Rabbit.
The Top Of The World is both heartwarming and heartbreaking and I loved it.
Thank you to Scribner Books for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of The Top Of The World by Ethan Joella. It’s another winner from this author.
If you’re looking for something that’s NOT an action-filled thriller, you’ve come to the right place. On Top Of The World started off a bit slow for me, but I soon grew attached to the characters and kept turning the pages to see what was going to be revealed next.
The book is mostly a meditation on grief and on the ways we can move on from heart-shattering sadness. The time is the mid-1970s and the place is eastern Pennsylvania, mainly the Pocono Mountains. For me, this time and place was nostalgic and Joella certainly popped contemporary references in here and there, to underline the times. (Remember the Nixon/Watergate scandal, for one?)
Chip was a year older than his sister Maggie. They were super close when they were growing up and remained that way through their teen years. Then Chip got very sick during his senior year of high school. It’s not a spoiler to say that Chip dies in the fall after his graduation. But over that summer, he leaves home to work at a lovely resort in the Poconos. He wanted to be around people who didn’t know about his health situation and just BE, as much as he could. But he never told his family where he went. Only his friend Vicky knew. The next summer, Maggie figures it out and after her graduation heads there herself, to see if she can reconstruct what Chip’s last summer was like, who he knew there, etc. We get chapters from Chip’s summer in 1974 and Maggie’s summer in 1975.
I loved meeting all the people at the Red Maple Inn! They were such an interesting assortment of people. There’s one young man, Elliot, who had a terrible experience in Vietnam and is trying to deal with PTSD. He broke my heart, and reminded me of someone I knew back then (when we had a mild earthquake, he thought he was back there and under attack).
And if you love books, there’s a lot in here about Catcher In The Rye and The Velveteen Rabbit.
The Top Of The World is both heartwarming and heartbreaking and I loved it.
August 30, 2026
I have loved Joelle's three previous books, but for whatever reason, this just didn't pull my strings in the same way. Some of it was a little predictable. I hope he's not going to resort to formulaic writing, but I guess if it works, it works.
July 16, 2026
I should have known better. This came from someone I follow over on The ‘Gram so I actually took a gander at the blurb rather than going in with zero info. I should have known better than to finish this during my lunch hour – now I’m sitting here bawling like a G.D. baby.
It’s the start of summer of 1975 and Maggie has decided to retrace her late brother’s footsteps of the previous year and attempt to get a job at the Red Maple Inn in the Poconos. Processing her grief, looking to reconnect with the person she loved oh so much who is now gone, learning about the lives he impacted during his short stay and maybe finding some closure. What a lovely book.
Go out every night with the fireflies. Watch them light up the yard. Firefly season doesn’t last.
January 6, 2026
✨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!
✨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!
June 30, 2026
5 stars. Ethan Joella has that special gift of writing deeply emotional stories that pull right at your heartstrings, and The Top of the World is another tender reminder of just how much feeling he can put on the page.
Set in the Poconos in the 1970s, this story follows eighteen-year-old Chip Bishop who leaves home after receiving a life-changing diagnosis. He spends his final summer in a place that later becomes deeply meaningful to his sister, Maggie, the Red Maple Lodge.
After Chip passes, Maggie’s future is at a standstill, her parent’s grief is too much to deal with. She travels to the Poconos to see the place where her brother spent that summer - the people he met, the moments he lived, the pieces of him his family never got to see. It’s there, with the people that cared so much for him, that she’s finally able to open up and talk about her own loss of him and to plan her future. Love does not end when someone is gone, Maggie’s journey shows how it keeps moving - through memories, through places, and through that ache of wanting to feel close to someone you still love, even when they are no longer here.
This is such a profoundly beautiful story that completely grabs hold and doesn’t let go even after the last page. Loved loved loved. Pub. 6/30/26
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Set in the Poconos in the 1970s, this story follows eighteen-year-old Chip Bishop who leaves home after receiving a life-changing diagnosis. He spends his final summer in a place that later becomes deeply meaningful to his sister, Maggie, the Red Maple Lodge.
After Chip passes, Maggie’s future is at a standstill, her parent’s grief is too much to deal with. She travels to the Poconos to see the place where her brother spent that summer - the people he met, the moments he lived, the pieces of him his family never got to see. It’s there, with the people that cared so much for him, that she’s finally able to open up and talk about her own loss of him and to plan her future. Love does not end when someone is gone, Maggie’s journey shows how it keeps moving - through memories, through places, and through that ache of wanting to feel close to someone you still love, even when they are no longer here.
This is such a profoundly beautiful story that completely grabs hold and doesn’t let go even after the last page. Loved loved loved. Pub. 6/30/26
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
unable-to-finish
August 6, 2026I got to the halfway point before throwing this tepid novel in my giveaway box. It seems to be written to elicit tears, but the heartfelt moments bounced right off my hard heart.
April 18, 2026
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
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
July 5, 2026
4.25 stars Review to follow shortly
July 29, 2026
FINISHED/READ star rating: 3.5 (I want to give it a 4)
POV: two-Maggie & Chip
Setting/time period: summer 1974 (Chip) summer 1975 (Maggie) in Pocono & Easton, Penn
Brief summary: Chip & Maggie are siblings. They are very close and love each other fiercely. Chip is dying from a severe illness and he’s only eighteen. Although this is sad it’s very beautiful and touching. Chip decides instead a hanging around his home dying he wanted to spend some time before he dies on an adventure but doesn’t tell his family where he is going. After he dies Maggie finds out where he went and goes there for some answers.
Updated review:
Liked:
•I loved the Pocono Setting; he described it well. It was beautiful.
•I loved how he was able to make this very sad but was beautiful and touching at same time
• The characters felt real to me
•There were some heartfelt lines that made me tear up and made my heart soar
• Hawk was an interesting character w his ptsd talking about war n its effects
•I loved the sibling relationship it was deep & honest
•There were great characters at the Maple Inn. I loved them all. I want to go stay there and meet everyone 🥰
Disliked:
• It was a bit slow at times. I found myself a little bored at times
• The Characters are a bit simple. I needed more depth
• My biggest complaint are all the cute speeches. It was a bit but too sappy at times. Like everyone was darling, everyone had something cute and thoughtful to say. It felt like sweet magnolias (Netflix) s4 like give me a break!! An entire cast of people don’t talk like this all the time. It’s not realistic. I need more grit more real scenes and characters!!! Ugh 😣. I was a hospice nurse years ago for four years- people are not like this.
•It didn’t feel like the 70s? There were old movies, pay phones, the war, smoking & little politics yes BUT it felt thrown in. The characters felt current. Too modern.
•People are so forgiving and easy going. Like everyone! (Again too cute unrealistic)
My overall thought: even with its flaws I liked this. I don’t usually finish books I think might be a 3 or less but something had me continuing. I did enjoy it!
Would I recommend: yes
My initial assessment:
YES: A book I borrowed from the library to try before I buy (tired buying hundreds books and hating half)
I read first ch or more -first 10-100 pages skim around at times. I read many of my GR friend's reviews. This is what I did and didn't like:
Love this cover and small size.
Loving all this authors books. Love a character driven book about grief & family. Reviewers say it’s very moving & emotional.
POV: two-Maggie & Chip
Setting/time period: summer 1974 (Chip) summer 1975 (Maggie) in Pocono & Easton, Penn
Brief summary: Chip & Maggie are siblings. They are very close and love each other fiercely. Chip is dying from a severe illness and he’s only eighteen. Although this is sad it’s very beautiful and touching. Chip decides instead a hanging around his home dying he wanted to spend some time before he dies on an adventure but doesn’t tell his family where he is going. After he dies Maggie finds out where he went and goes there for some answers.
Updated review:
Liked:
•I loved the Pocono Setting; he described it well. It was beautiful.
•I loved how he was able to make this very sad but was beautiful and touching at same time
• The characters felt real to me
•There were some heartfelt lines that made me tear up and made my heart soar
• Hawk was an interesting character w his ptsd talking about war n its effects
•I loved the sibling relationship it was deep & honest
•There were great characters at the Maple Inn. I loved them all. I want to go stay there and meet everyone 🥰
Disliked:
• It was a bit slow at times. I found myself a little bored at times
• The Characters are a bit simple. I needed more depth
• My biggest complaint are all the cute speeches. It was a bit but too sappy at times. Like everyone was darling, everyone had something cute and thoughtful to say. It felt like sweet magnolias (Netflix) s4 like give me a break!! An entire cast of people don’t talk like this all the time. It’s not realistic. I need more grit more real scenes and characters!!! Ugh 😣. I was a hospice nurse years ago for four years- people are not like this.
•It didn’t feel like the 70s? There were old movies, pay phones, the war, smoking & little politics yes BUT it felt thrown in. The characters felt current. Too modern.
•People are so forgiving and easy going. Like everyone! (Again too cute unrealistic)
My overall thought: even with its flaws I liked this. I don’t usually finish books I think might be a 3 or less but something had me continuing. I did enjoy it!
Would I recommend: yes
My initial assessment:
YES: A book I borrowed from the library to try before I buy (tired buying hundreds books and hating half)
I read first ch or more -first 10-100 pages skim around at times. I read many of my GR friend's reviews. This is what I did and didn't like:
Love this cover and small size.
Loving all this authors books. Love a character driven book about grief & family. Reviewers say it’s very moving & emotional.
August 1, 2026
The Top of the World reminded me why I love reading so much. It gripped me, transported me, and ultimately left me looking at my own life differently. So much heart packed into just 233 pages.
This dual perspective story explores grief, found family, and the kind of loss that changes the shape of your life. Through Maggie and Chip, I was transported to the picturesque Red Maple Inn in the Poconos, where two people carrying heavy burdens somehow find a way to build a life beyond it.
I was especially moved by the way Ethan Joella wrote Chip’s story. Stories about illness can sometimes feel overly sentimental or, on the other end of the spectrum, too clinical. Joella found that beautiful space in between. He wrote Chip’s experience with such humanity and dignity, making his desire to live on his own terms feel incredibly poignant. His story was devastating, but there was so much courage in it, too.
Maggie’s growth was stunning and actually very age appropriate. Her vulnerability was felt and it allowed her to be open to others who were reeling after a loss. She was wise and tender.
Every single supporting character was lovable in their own imperfect way. I was a fan of Vicky and Hawk specifically. I genuinely don’t know how Joella managed to make me care so deeply about so many characters in such a short book.
What stayed with me most was the question at the heart of the story: What does it really mean to live without regret? To make the most of the life we’ve been given, even when it doesn’t look anything like the life we imagined?
I finished this book feeling both heartbroken and hopeful and perhaps a little more determined to find my own version of being on top of the world.
I won’t forget this one.
This dual perspective story explores grief, found family, and the kind of loss that changes the shape of your life. Through Maggie and Chip, I was transported to the picturesque Red Maple Inn in the Poconos, where two people carrying heavy burdens somehow find a way to build a life beyond it.
I was especially moved by the way Ethan Joella wrote Chip’s story. Stories about illness can sometimes feel overly sentimental or, on the other end of the spectrum, too clinical. Joella found that beautiful space in between. He wrote Chip’s experience with such humanity and dignity, making his desire to live on his own terms feel incredibly poignant. His story was devastating, but there was so much courage in it, too.
Maggie’s growth was stunning and actually very age appropriate. Her vulnerability was felt and it allowed her to be open to others who were reeling after a loss. She was wise and tender.
Every single supporting character was lovable in their own imperfect way. I was a fan of Vicky and Hawk specifically. I genuinely don’t know how Joella managed to make me care so deeply about so many characters in such a short book.
What stayed with me most was the question at the heart of the story: What does it really mean to live without regret? To make the most of the life we’ve been given, even when it doesn’t look anything like the life we imagined?
I finished this book feeling both heartbroken and hopeful and perhaps a little more determined to find my own version of being on top of the world.
I won’t forget this one.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
In 1974, 18-year-old Chip Bishop receives a devastating diagnosis. After graduating from high school, he decides to work at The Red Maple Inn, a resort in the Poconos, without informing his family. He is seeking an escape from his illness and chooses a summer filled with accomplishment and new relationships rather than enduring painful and debilitating treatments. The following summer, Chip's sister Maggie travels to The Red Maple Inn, seeking solace at the place where Chip spent the final months of his life, hoping to gain insight from those who knew him. The story alternates between Chip's final summer to Maggie's summer the next year, and her path to healing.
The Top of the World by Ethan Joella is a poignant story. Chip handles his illness with remarkable grace and maturity. His relationship with his family, especially his sister, is heartwarming, making the circumstances even more heartrending. The people he meets at The Red Maple Inn are complex, each grappling with their own sorrow and loss. It's a touching story, and although it's clear from the beginning that Chip will soon be gone, it's impossible to go through his final days without shedding tears along with his family. It was somewhat triggering for me but I'm glad I made it through this beautifully written book. Now, it's time for a rom-com!
Many thanks to Scribner for providing an advance of this moving book.
4.5 stars.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
The Top of the World by Ethan Joella is a poignant story. Chip handles his illness with remarkable grace and maturity. His relationship with his family, especially his sister, is heartwarming, making the circumstances even more heartrending. The people he meets at The Red Maple Inn are complex, each grappling with their own sorrow and loss. It's a touching story, and although it's clear from the beginning that Chip will soon be gone, it's impossible to go through his final days without shedding tears along with his family. It was somewhat triggering for me but I'm glad I made it through this beautifully written book. Now, it's time for a rom-com!
Many thanks to Scribner for providing an advance of this moving book.
4.5 stars.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Another sad but lovely book by masterful author Ethan Joella. This one alternates between two summers in the Poconos in the 1970s. In 1974, 18 year old Chip has just received a devastating diagnosis, and leaves home for the summer without telling anyone where he’s going, ending up at the Red Maple Inn and getting a job there. In 1975, his sister Maggie is still reeling from Chip’s death - and although he came home, he never told anyone where he spent the summer. She finds his name tag from the hotel and journeys there to find some answers, and ends up spending a transformative summer there herself.
It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of Ethan Joella, and with this fourth novel he confirms his talent again. It was one of my most anticipated books of 2026 and it did not disappoint! I was entranced by the characters and the parallel summers structure, could picture everything, and not only cried during the book but was the kind where I had to let out a little sob on finishing. Would it be too much to call him the next Ann Patchett or Anna Quindlen? He’s just so amazing at writing books that are somehow heartbreaking and life-affirming at the same time - quiet, character-driven novels that pack an amazing amount of emotional punch into their short length.
4.5 stars
Thanks to Scribner for my e-ARC (out 6/30/26); all opinions are my own.
It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of Ethan Joella, and with this fourth novel he confirms his talent again. It was one of my most anticipated books of 2026 and it did not disappoint! I was entranced by the characters and the parallel summers structure, could picture everything, and not only cried during the book but was the kind where I had to let out a little sob on finishing. Would it be too much to call him the next Ann Patchett or Anna Quindlen? He’s just so amazing at writing books that are somehow heartbreaking and life-affirming at the same time - quiet, character-driven novels that pack an amazing amount of emotional punch into their short length.
4.5 stars
Thanks to Scribner for my e-ARC (out 6/30/26); all opinions are my own.
August 10, 2026
In this heartbreaking and emotional story, we are fed the breadcrumbs of Chip & Maggie Bishop’s special brother/sister bond and relationship in a dual narrative with alternating chapters. It is set in the 1970s, and it is such a nostalgic era for me.
There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.
— Albert Einstein
In the last summer of his life, Chip steals away to The Red Maple Inn, a resort in the Poconos, to try to forget about his health problems and to experience life on his own terms.
“Despite his hopes for a miracle, everything in him told him it was futile, and as he got ready for high school graduation, which he knew was important to his parents, he made a deal with himself that he would do something just for him.”
Maggie is grieving and trying to come to terms with this great loss when she decides to follow Chip’s last footsteps and return to the Poconos and see if she can find people who knew him and to help her to understand why he went there in the first place.
“The loss of him was giant, like not seeing the moon anymore. So Red Maple was where he had gone that summer? Why?”
“Maybe the people there could tell her about who, in his last good moments, her brother had been.”
This is a quietly tender book that resonated with me in a bit of an emotional way. I have lost 3 brothers to cancer, and it made me think of the different relationships that I had with each of them. 🥹 The way that the characters deal with grief in the story is a personal journey, and I found that meaningful.
CA | Contains triggers for cancer, terminal illness and some strong language here and there.
There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.
— Albert Einstein
In the last summer of his life, Chip steals away to The Red Maple Inn, a resort in the Poconos, to try to forget about his health problems and to experience life on his own terms.
“Despite his hopes for a miracle, everything in him told him it was futile, and as he got ready for high school graduation, which he knew was important to his parents, he made a deal with himself that he would do something just for him.”
Maggie is grieving and trying to come to terms with this great loss when she decides to follow Chip’s last footsteps and return to the Poconos and see if she can find people who knew him and to help her to understand why he went there in the first place.
“The loss of him was giant, like not seeing the moon anymore. So Red Maple was where he had gone that summer? Why?”
“Maybe the people there could tell her about who, in his last good moments, her brother had been.”
This is a quietly tender book that resonated with me in a bit of an emotional way. I have lost 3 brothers to cancer, and it made me think of the different relationships that I had with each of them. 🥹 The way that the characters deal with grief in the story is a personal journey, and I found that meaningful.
CA | Contains triggers for cancer, terminal illness and some strong language here and there.
July 1, 2026
Devastating. Heartbreaking.
But, a gift - of time, people, of friends.
I love when I start a book by an author whom I’ve read before. As soon as I get into the story, I remember their other books and their writing. This one felt so familiar in the ways Ethan Joella builds community and family. He takes these small moments to build such love and care. All of his books are this way.
This one alternates between two pov, a brother and sister: Maggie and Chip in the mid 1970s. Maggie is on a quest to learn more about how her brother spent a summer, in the Poconos at the Red Maple Inn. Chip has received a devastating diagnosis and wants to experience a summer on his own terms.
It’s such a great summer read - most of the book takes place in summer, at this beautiful resort doing all the summer things. But it is also for the heavier moments of going through something hard. The cast of characters is so well-developed - it’s hard to not love them all, along with all their human flaws (which Joella shows us make them who they are).
I always look forward to his next book, and I’m so glad he shared this one with us!
“...to me, l'd be glad I was being remembered, that someone couldn't forget me. It would mean so much."
…
“But I'd also want to know there were still things making you laugh and smile. That would be important to me." Ch 20
“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.” Ch 23
“A book is never finished.
You never really forget it. It's always existing, always there for someone to take off the shelf and remember. Lives and books are the same.” Ch 24
“I think happiness comes in a lot of different shapes, like individual holes in a beehive. The hive might fall and break into pieces, but when you pick it up, there are still some perfectly assembled areas.” ch 40
“She thinks of how every life is a medley of happy and tragic, broken and fixed, known and unknown paths.” Ch47
“He's never seen anything like it. He's at the top of the world, looking out at everything, and he's so happy he found out that view existed.”
P 232”
But, a gift - of time, people, of friends.
I love when I start a book by an author whom I’ve read before. As soon as I get into the story, I remember their other books and their writing. This one felt so familiar in the ways Ethan Joella builds community and family. He takes these small moments to build such love and care. All of his books are this way.
This one alternates between two pov, a brother and sister: Maggie and Chip in the mid 1970s. Maggie is on a quest to learn more about how her brother spent a summer, in the Poconos at the Red Maple Inn. Chip has received a devastating diagnosis and wants to experience a summer on his own terms.
It’s such a great summer read - most of the book takes place in summer, at this beautiful resort doing all the summer things. But it is also for the heavier moments of going through something hard. The cast of characters is so well-developed - it’s hard to not love them all, along with all their human flaws (which Joella shows us make them who they are).
I always look forward to his next book, and I’m so glad he shared this one with us!
“...to me, l'd be glad I was being remembered, that someone couldn't forget me. It would mean so much."
…
“But I'd also want to know there were still things making you laugh and smile. That would be important to me." Ch 20
“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.” Ch 23
“A book is never finished.
You never really forget it. It's always existing, always there for someone to take off the shelf and remember. Lives and books are the same.” Ch 24
“I think happiness comes in a lot of different shapes, like individual holes in a beehive. The hive might fall and break into pieces, but when you pick it up, there are still some perfectly assembled areas.” ch 40
“She thinks of how every life is a medley of happy and tragic, broken and fixed, known and unknown paths.” Ch47
“He's never seen anything like it. He's at the top of the world, looking out at everything, and he's so happy he found out that view existed.”
P 232”
March 20, 2026
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!
August 30, 2026
I've read a couple of Ethan Joella's previous novels and they've left me with the sense that he is a very empathetic and caring human. No different here.
This one had two handicaps from the start for me:
1. It felt like YA, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's marketed as adult fiction and I wasn't looking for YA.
2. There is terminal illness. This is not a spoiler. It's in the synopsis and present from the first page.
I tend to have an aversion to cancer used as a plot device in fiction. It's just how I feel.
For the first 50+ pages I came VERY close to abandoning it.
Neutral:
• My grandparents lost two sons to cancer, my dad's younger brothers, a year and a half apart in the late 70's at the ages of 19 and 20. Diagnosed the summer they were 14 and 15, they spent the prime of their youth dealing with treatments and illness. A terrible, terrible thing. Those losses have been present around me all my life, fresh during my formative years. The character ages and the 70's setting made this hit close to home. Deeply felt, but maybe not in great ways.
• It has a Hallmarky feel. I'm not particularly for or against that. Kindof gimicky, but also successful in making me tear up.
Negative:
I was firmly not in favor of areas of lack of communication that were major contributors to the plot. I found it hard to believe.
Positives:
• I liked the post-Vietnam PTSD thread of the story. It added a layer of depth and history.
• I liked that there are dogs, Birdy Girl and Taffy. They play minor roles, but books are always made better with dogs in them.
• The Poconos!! The setting reminded me of Dirty Dancing - I was glad the author mentioned it in his acknowledgements.
• There are positive messages on grief and living.
Overall, 3.5 stars, which I might reluctantly round up to 4. Chip's story, being young and dying, is heartbreaking. Heavy, serious topics, but it leans light, YA, Hallmarky. I don't think it targets the right audience. If this were a YA novel, I might think more of it, but as an adult novel, it wasn't as satisfying.
This one had two handicaps from the start for me:
1. It felt like YA, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's marketed as adult fiction and I wasn't looking for YA.
2. There is terminal illness. This is not a spoiler. It's in the synopsis and present from the first page.
I tend to have an aversion to cancer used as a plot device in fiction. It's just how I feel.
For the first 50+ pages I came VERY close to abandoning it.
Neutral:
• My grandparents lost two sons to cancer, my dad's younger brothers, a year and a half apart in the late 70's at the ages of 19 and 20. Diagnosed the summer they were 14 and 15, they spent the prime of their youth dealing with treatments and illness. A terrible, terrible thing. Those losses have been present around me all my life, fresh during my formative years. The character ages and the 70's setting made this hit close to home. Deeply felt, but maybe not in great ways.
• It has a Hallmarky feel. I'm not particularly for or against that. Kindof gimicky, but also successful in making me tear up.
Negative:
I was firmly not in favor of areas of lack of communication that were major contributors to the plot. I found it hard to believe.
Positives:
• I liked the post-Vietnam PTSD thread of the story. It added a layer of depth and history.
• I liked that there are dogs, Birdy Girl and Taffy. They play minor roles, but books are always made better with dogs in them.
• The Poconos!! The setting reminded me of Dirty Dancing - I was glad the author mentioned it in his acknowledgements.
• There are positive messages on grief and living.
Overall, 3.5 stars, which I might reluctantly round up to 4. Chip's story, being young and dying, is heartbreaking. Heavy, serious topics, but it leans light, YA, Hallmarky. I don't think it targets the right audience. If this were a YA novel, I might think more of it, but as an adult novel, it wasn't as satisfying.
July 25, 2026
𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗦
It’s 1975, the heyday of resorts in the mountains where families and couples can go to escape everyday life.
It’s also the place Maggie’s brother disappeared to months before he died.
Eighteen year old Chip, knowing he was dying and frustrated by that having become his defining factor, finds himself at Red Maple Inn in the Poconos. He’s given a job, a place to live, and a chance to just be another young guy living out the best summer.
Maggie is still reeling from his death - her brother, her best friend. And so, the next summer, it is she who shows up at the resort looking for what, she isn’t sure.
But these people knew Chip - surely through their stories, she’ll feel better.
𝗙𝗘𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦
I sobbed. The book tells you what’s coming and yet I sobbed. The ending is predictable and yet I still sobbed. It’s a little bit precious, but guys. The sobbing.
Extremely effectively told in three POVs and in three different times, important events are revealed In interesting and unexpected ways.
Joella makes the smart choice to put the reader in Maggie’s POV but also in Chip’s.
it felt very much a book about accepting the hand you’ve been dealt and going out on your own terms.
Honestly, I wish Travis would have made a cameo appearance here. (iykyk)
𝗩𝗜𝗕𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗖𝗞
Dirty Dancing plus a little God of the Woods and a whole lot of those books kids of the 70s were forced to read in school that made us sob in front of our peers.
𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗗
Where are my “devastate me” book friends? Hi. This one’s for you.
𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗞𝗦
I was thrilled to receive a gorgeous finished copy from @scribner. This is out now.
It’s 1975, the heyday of resorts in the mountains where families and couples can go to escape everyday life.
It’s also the place Maggie’s brother disappeared to months before he died.
Eighteen year old Chip, knowing he was dying and frustrated by that having become his defining factor, finds himself at Red Maple Inn in the Poconos. He’s given a job, a place to live, and a chance to just be another young guy living out the best summer.
Maggie is still reeling from his death - her brother, her best friend. And so, the next summer, it is she who shows up at the resort looking for what, she isn’t sure.
But these people knew Chip - surely through their stories, she’ll feel better.
𝗙𝗘𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦
I sobbed. The book tells you what’s coming and yet I sobbed. The ending is predictable and yet I still sobbed. It’s a little bit precious, but guys. The sobbing.
Extremely effectively told in three POVs and in three different times, important events are revealed In interesting and unexpected ways.
Joella makes the smart choice to put the reader in Maggie’s POV but also in Chip’s.
it felt very much a book about accepting the hand you’ve been dealt and going out on your own terms.
Honestly, I wish Travis would have made a cameo appearance here. (iykyk)
𝗩𝗜𝗕𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗖𝗞
Dirty Dancing plus a little God of the Woods and a whole lot of those books kids of the 70s were forced to read in school that made us sob in front of our peers.
𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗗
Where are my “devastate me” book friends? Hi. This one’s for you.
𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗞𝗦
I was thrilled to receive a gorgeous finished copy from @scribner. This is out now.
August 31, 2026
This was just maudlin. I get that it was a book about grief, but there was nothing really new, nothing all that inspiring. I never really connected with the characters. Perhaps I also need to be coming of age for this one to work.
August 11, 2026
What a friggin' breathe of fresh air.
It has been so long since I read a book that could even dream of sniffing the air of a 5 star. I needed this to remind me why I love reading.
I loved this book so much.
I don't know what it was about this one that hit me just right but I was into it from page one and it never let me down.
I didn't love his last book so I was nervous this might be the same but this was much for reminiscent of my first Ethan Joella experience and I am a fan. This is my new favorite book of his.
I needed a good cleansing book cry and this delivered.
As for content: about 10 F words or so.
It has been so long since I read a book that could even dream of sniffing the air of a 5 star. I needed this to remind me why I love reading.
I loved this book so much.
I don't know what it was about this one that hit me just right but I was into it from page one and it never let me down.
I didn't love his last book so I was nervous this might be the same but this was much for reminiscent of my first Ethan Joella experience and I am a fan. This is my new favorite book of his.
I needed a good cleansing book cry and this delivered.
As for content: about 10 F words or so.
June 2, 2026
Absolutely beautiful. I didn’t want it to end.
July 30, 2026
3.5☆
Rtc
Rtc
July 26, 2026
Maggie is on a quest to learn more about her older brother, Chip, who recently passed away. She visits the Red Maple Inn, a resort in the Poconos where Chip spent a lot of his last days. In the process of searching for answers about Chip, Maggie learns a lot about herself too as she tries to navigate life now without her brother.
While the 1970s era and resort setting deliver strong summer vibes, The Top of the World is about much more — family, friendship, grief, and living life. It’s a moving story and like Ethan Joella’s other two books I’ve read, I really liked it.
While the 1970s era and resort setting deliver strong summer vibes, The Top of the World is about much more — family, friendship, grief, and living life. It’s a moving story and like Ethan Joella’s other two books I’ve read, I really liked it.
July 27, 2026
3.5 star rating
December 11, 2025
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.
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.
September 20, 2026
I have never been disappointed with a novel written by Ethan Joella. This one, though not my favourite of his, was a satisfying and emotional read.
Essentially a story about sibling relationships, it explores how much, and how little, we know our siblings. Sometimes, in the case of these characters, it is only after one of them dies that the knowing really blossoms.
Chip Bishop is just a teenager when he receives a devastating, terminal diagnosis. Wanting to temporarily escape his home and family and experience a bit of life on his own, he goes to work at The Red Maple Inn in the Poconos, without telling his family where he is going. There he meets many people, all the while keeping his illness a secret so as not to let it define who he is. He makes some true friends, and more importantly, finds love.
Told in a dual timeline format, in this case only a year apart, the second timeline follows Chip's younger sister, Maggie. Devastated by the passing of her beloved brother, Maggie also travels to the Red Maple Inn in the hope that she will discover more about Chip. She too begins working at the Inn and meets many of the people who were important to Chip in his last days.
Both Chip and Maggie have transformative experiences at the Red Maple Inn. The novel leans toward melodrama, and takes the reader through a vast array of emotions. This story is about bereavement and grief, while at the same time it delivers many heart-warming, and heart-lifting moments. The 1970s setting evokes a certain amount of nostalgia and makes some of the scenes more believable.
"The Top Of The World" was a novel with deeply layered, very likeable characters. The setting was very atmospheric, and the plot well paced. A book about the grief, hope, and the powerful effect of human connection, this will be enjoyed by many.
Essentially a story about sibling relationships, it explores how much, and how little, we know our siblings. Sometimes, in the case of these characters, it is only after one of them dies that the knowing really blossoms.
Chip Bishop is just a teenager when he receives a devastating, terminal diagnosis. Wanting to temporarily escape his home and family and experience a bit of life on his own, he goes to work at The Red Maple Inn in the Poconos, without telling his family where he is going. There he meets many people, all the while keeping his illness a secret so as not to let it define who he is. He makes some true friends, and more importantly, finds love.
Told in a dual timeline format, in this case only a year apart, the second timeline follows Chip's younger sister, Maggie. Devastated by the passing of her beloved brother, Maggie also travels to the Red Maple Inn in the hope that she will discover more about Chip. She too begins working at the Inn and meets many of the people who were important to Chip in his last days.
Both Chip and Maggie have transformative experiences at the Red Maple Inn. The novel leans toward melodrama, and takes the reader through a vast array of emotions. This story is about bereavement and grief, while at the same time it delivers many heart-warming, and heart-lifting moments. The 1970s setting evokes a certain amount of nostalgia and makes some of the scenes more believable.
"The Top Of The World" was a novel with deeply layered, very likeable characters. The setting was very atmospheric, and the plot well paced. A book about the grief, hope, and the powerful effect of human connection, this will be enjoyed by many.
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