Doubles

by Nora Gold

Doubles takes place in 1968 in an institution for troubled youth, and is told from the perspective of a brilliant, spunky, 12-year-old girl who is obsessed with math. Engagingly written and often funny, this novella explores how a sensitive young teenager changes over a six-month period from a polite, quiet “good girl” into a delinquent. Although set in the past, Doubles has direct relevance to today, with our recently heightened awareness of the harsh reality in some of our residential institutions during that era (including for Indigenous children, but not only).

Genres: Novella, Fiction, Historical Fiction

94 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 1, 2026

Reviews

[Shelley's Book Nook · Rating 4 out of 5]

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⭐⭐⭐⭐
Doubles
Nora Gold
Publication Date: May 1st 2026
Literary Press Group of Canada | Guernica Editions
86 Pages
Amazon | Bookshop.org
Genre: General Fiction | Novellas & Short Stories | Women's Fiction

I don’t have any power; I’m just a kid. Well okay, a teenager now. Still, the grownups have all the power here. They’re Moscow and I’m little Prague.

This is a short book (novella), but it's very hard-hitting. I was only two years old in 1968 when this story takes place, but I really felt a kinship with 12-year-old girl. Like me, she excels in math, and that was more common in boys than girls back in the day. Her mother has passed away, and her father is having a breakdown, so she is shipped from the family farm to a home (really not homey at all, though) for troubled youngsters.

She is reassured this is for her protection, not as a punishment, but she quickly realizes that not being a troublemaker makes her ripe for being picked on. This story just goes to show how a vulnerable young lady was failed by the system meant to protect her.

I liked the way a lot of the story was told through journal entries. It made the book feel more personal, and her wit and charm shine through. She uses numbers to calm her chaotic life; it makes her world seem less confusing. Over the six months we spend with her, she starts as a good-natured girl and turns into a juvenile delinquent.

Her loss of innocence shows how being locked up changes her. Even though it is set in 1968 (Beatles references!), it still holds true today—these institutions are failing our youth. But the best part is that these very heavy themes don't distract from her resilience. She has suffered so much loss: her parent, her home, and her innocence. This was a wonderful story that was very character-driven with lots of emotional depth and intelligence, even though our main character is only 12 years old... and you can't help but root for her. I often asked myself, did she always have this in her, or did where she was make her that way? love books about the human condition, and it was a wonder to meet her. It’s always a pleasure when a book can bridge the gap between decades and make a fictional character’s troubles feel so up close and personal.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Liralen · Rating 4 out of 5]

1968: A girl is sentenced to stay in an institution for troubled youth for reasons she only sort of understands. She's twelve, and what she does understand is that numbers make sense in a way that people don't. She understands that home might not be a safe place, but this institution is not much better. She understands, eventually, that it might be a long time before she gets out. And she understands that this might be the thing that breaks her.

My I is fading so fast that it might not be here tomorrow. Soon all that will be left of me is the She that the counselors observe. (loc. 672*)

This is a tight, short, intense book. It's designed to make your heart quietly break for this girl, who has—through no fault of her own—virtually no options left. A math book in the institution library gives her some hope, but...there's not much else that does. There's the occasional adult who is kind, but many of them are overtly out for their own interests or just don't care; like our narrator, they too have perhaps gotten more jaded over time.

We see the events of this story through our narrator's lens as a child, not as someone looking back, so the change is gradual and subtle—a girl changing from someone innocent, someone with hope, to someone hardened and more desperate.

Though this takes place in 1968, much of it feels relevant for today, too—nothing I've read suggests that institutions are happier places for children now than they were then, and although there are different options in place for children for whom home is not safe, well...nothing I've read suggests that those options are great either.

Highly recommend; this is tightly written and quietly devastating.

*Quotes are from an ARC and may not be final.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 or 4.75 rounded up

For such a short story, this one packs a punch. It wasn't a shocking, twisty, gasp-out-loud sort of unsettling feeling that washed over me as I read, but more so a sink-into your skin feeling. It was like an insect burrowing, leaving you feeling itchy as it travels through you slowly.

Following the young narrator through written answers to prompts and then through her own diary/journal entries was engaging, and I thought it did a great job of allowing information about her character, situation, family, and experiences be 'told' and 'shown' in a good balance, seeming natural through how she is writing/responding because of the execution. I did find myself doing a double-take at times because some of the jumps in her focus while writing made me forget 'where'/'when' she was at a given time while writing, but that was probably just me as a reader (it's normal in journaling to jump around in your thoughts, time, and memories, I just struggled personally while reading it as a story).

In addition to the excellent structure and writing itself (I often struggle with children's POVs, but didn't with this one!), the story itself was resonating. It's a subtle slow-burn that delivers on its promises of peeking into residential institutions. My heart ached for the narrator as her mental health continued to devolve; going from having so much hope and optimism for her future, for 'escape' and 'rescue,' even just for excitement over learning and math, to being numb, continuously let-down, and dejected was heartbreaking.

The way her and the other children are treated by the counselors at the institution sparked a little flame in me - this might be because I could relate a bit. While definitely not the same situation (her reasons for being in the institution being related to her family), I've spent time in an inpatient setting for mental health, an IOP program, and a residential home in the past. I was 'only' in each for about one month and was incredibly affected by the treatment and experience[s] of being there. I cannot imagine enduring it for 6 months, as our narrator does in this story. Yet, having had these experiences, I think the story does a great job with reflecting the reality - not only the treatment of children at the hands of counselors, but also the mental effects of being there. Just as the narrator experiences, you lose yourself, lose hope, lose sight of feeling loved, lose trust, lose excitement and enjoyment for literally anything. The narrator sees the 'truth' of some of the other children there, too, that the counselors don't (or won't) see/acknowledge. Again, this is the reality. That is why this one sticks with me so heavily. I could see myself in it.

The ending of the story sat with me and made me feel both a sense of vengeance on behalf of the narrator and other children, as well as a bleak feeling of unease. It was the unease of their situation, their experiences, and their slow decline of who they were. Because of the institution, they become shells of who they once were.

I think the narrator's intentional lack of a name is poignant. I saw it as a reflection of her experience being applicable to 'any' child in a similar situation; it allows readers to see themselves as her. More than that, I think it reflects how she loses herself. Again, she becomes a different person, in a sense. She's a shell of who she was, nameless and 'just another one' in the counselors' eyes.

I think this is an impactful story, and I'd definitely recommend it!

*Thanks to NetGalley and Literary Press Group of Canada for the early copy to read and review.

[Rosh (is back & catching up slowly!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a Nutshell: A literary fiction novella about a young math-obsessed girl caught in an institution. Creative in concept, clever in execution. Dark and disturbing content. A few inclusions made me uncomfortable, though these might not affect all readers. Definitely recommended. Not for children despite the young protagonist.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Plot Preview:

1968. A twelve-year-old girl is angry at being kept in a state-run children’s home. Every day, she waits for someone to come and take her back home. But why is she there? Why is she angry?
The story is told to us in the unnamed narrator’s first-person point-of-view over a period of six months.

I had encountered Nora Gold’s writing through the brilliant flip-book with two literary novellas, “In Sickness and In Health / Yom Kippur in a Gym”. I was impressed enough to know that I would read more of her works. This second encounter of her writing has mostly justified my faith in her.

The plot is quite impressive in an understated way. It begins somewhat light, but as we continue reading, we realise just how dark it is. Listening to a child’s narration on some truly disturbing events is an unsettling experience. At the same time, I can't help praise its imaginative plot development; the structure is really creative.

Spread over six months, the content is actually a part of an exercise conducted by one of the trustees, where the child needs to write her answers to the question posed, one per week. Of course, given the loquacious nature of our lead and her flittery mind, the answers are almost stream-of-consciousness in their approach, with the response going here, there, and everywhere. Keeping track of the question asked is tricky at times, but the narrator always remembers it even when we might not.

A literary fiction work is nothing without a compelling cast of characters. Our protagonist, the unnamed twelve-year-old narrator, is possibly neurodivergent. However, as we get the story in her own first-person POV, and as it is set in 1968 – long before such issues were acknowledged, we don’t know what condition she actually has (assuming she has one.) Heck, we don’t even get to know her name, which is so sad. Staying anonymous further highlights her plight of being yet another unknown caught in the system.

One thing that is very clear about the narrator is her passion for mathematics, even though she claims that she isn't very good at it. All her thoughts involve numbers in some way or the other. These numerical insights can become fascinating or tedious, depending on how much you like maths. I enjoyed her quantitative aptitude as well as her word play. However, she also has preternatural knowledge of some more subjects such as geography, which feels a bit too much at times.

In this novella, we get to see only the main character in detail, but there are several others who walk in and out of her life. Through her frank narration, we see her opinion on those who interact with her in any way, be it her fellow inmates or any of the counsellors or her family members through her flashback memories. These little insights might be sparing, but they tell us enough, often more than our narrator even understands.

This is one thing that struck me the most about the book: there is so much said, but so much more unsaid. Though a fast-paced novella, we need to invest time in reading between the lines so as to get the holistic picture. The writing is very clever in this regard.

Another thing that impressed me was the transition in the thinking and behaviour of our narrator over the course of six months. Despite getting only a first-person version of her own story, we can clearly see the impact of her situation on her personality. Brilliantly done!

Just because the first-person comes from a child narrator, don’t assume that this is a child-friendly book. Some inclusions made me really uncomfortable, not just because of what was happening but because I was hearing such words and observations from a child. I feel quite conflicted about this aspect of the book. Though her naïveté also shows in several scenes, it is quite possible that the narrator’s neurodivergence and her extensive reading ensured a greater adult influence over her thoughts and words. It is also possible that the 1960s counterculture had influence on the thinking of even teens. But my eyes and ears couldn’t handle crude words coming from a child’s thoughts. This might not bother all readers.

The historical feel is quite subtle, though we do hear references to some events from the time period. This can be attributed to the closeted conditions of the narrator.

The ending is the icing on the cake. It is just perfect for the story, leaving us with something instead of everything, but still better than nothing.

Overall, this indie novella would be an excellent option for readers who enjoy character-oriented fiction, preferably those open to some crude content and not affected by triggers related to kids. Had the content not gone so “adult’, I might have liked this even better. But even as is, it is a compelling story that stays in the head long after the last page.

Recommended to literary fiction readers.

4 stars.


My thanks to Literary Press Group of Canada and Guernica Editions for providing the DRC of “Doubles” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I follow the Goodreads rating policy:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Lifelong favourite!
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I loved the book.
⭐⭐⭐ - I liked the book.
⭐⭐ - I found the book average.
⭐ - I hated the book.
The decimals indicate the degree of the in-between feelings.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
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[Aly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quiet but impactful read that follows a 12-year-old slowly revealing who she really is as the story unfolds and she begins to unravel. I loved the question and answer and diary format. It felt intimate and immediate, capturing her voice at that moment in time. Experiencing the complexities of life through the eyes of someone on the edge of adolescence was both heartbreaking and insightful, especially her obsession with numbers as something predictable in a life she can’t control. The slow descent brought on by isolation, grief, and the loss of self was unsettling in the best way, making this a layered story that truly lingers.

Thank you to Literary Press Group of Canada for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Malcolm Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note: I was given a ARC for review.

Doubles is a sixty-page novella, a quick read, something you can start and finish in a few hours. Once started, you’ll probably rip through it like I did. The delightfully clearheaded, funny narrator pulls you through her story, tugging at your heartstrings while you hope, hope, hope, like she does, comprehending that the probability is almost zero that these hopes will be realized, as she does.

Written as diary entries, though we start with six questions a counsellor asks the unnamed narrator at the group home she’s in. The narrator’s twelve years old. She loves math; like, she relates everything in her life to numbers. When she grows up, she wants to be a prime number, for example. Her dad calls her a zero—which she’s OK with, in the way we’re all OK with whatever we’ve been told about ourselves in the safety of our private thoughts, or journals.

As Doubles progresses, we piece together why this youngster is at Valleyview Children’s Farm, even if she does not quite understand it herself and just wants to go home. Valleyview is viciously uninspiring. The kids have no school lessons; the library has only one math textbook, which our narrator works her way through in no time. When she requests volume two, it never arrives: it costs too much.

She and her fellow prisoners—she never sees herself and her fellow children’s farm denizens as anything but prisoners—can’t leave; if they run away, they get solitary confinement. But at least at a prison, they'd get schooling and things to do aside from leafing through old car and fashion magazines or staring at Disney TV. The narrator and her fellow children’s farm captives sit together in a common room, never allowed to be away from the watchful (or not so watchful) eyes of their counsellors. Other kids stare at their hands, slap themselves in the face or attempt pranks for which they get tackled to the ground and, you guessed it, hauled off to solitary confinement. Towards the end of the book, the narrator gets pretty good at staring herself.

Her future looks bleak. If only she could get that math textbook, and keep studying!

Reading Doubles, you get a sense of how kids in 1960s child services systems had basically zero chance of becoming anything other than, if they were lucky, the working poor. You see the dangers around Doubles’ narrator, and how there’s no way she’s going to escape all of them; for one, she’s too young to recognize most.

The ending is perfect and, in a way, redemptive. Hopeful. Some people go through fire and come out solid, strong and untouchable. They go in a fraction and come out a prime number.

This novella is fantastic: well-written, great pacing and tension, with a sharp and unwittingly witty narrator.

[Carla Stockton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nora Gold’s intriguing novella Doubles contains a number of compelling double dilemmas. The young woman at the helm of the story is nameless—and for good reason: her anonymity makes her emblematic of her time, place, and circumstances. She lives amid the turbulence of 1968, when the world feels unmoored and her family has fallen apart. She reveals just enough to draw us in: She lives in an institution called Valleyview Children’s Farm, her mother is dead, and her father’s physical violence has led to her removal from her home. Her younger brother and her grandmother are still at home and need her, yet her sister, the “good” daughter, has become pregnant and fled home to escape their father, who claims she is his favorite. These family and societal complexities create a compelling tension that carries the reader forward.

Doubles unfolds as a riveting stream of consciousness: the inner landscape of a precocious, sensitive, math-loving pre-teen searching for identity and meaning. The questions she asks, and the conclusions she reaches, are insightful and often moving. She is fascinated by contradictions – for example, that World War II was supposed to be the war that ended all wars, but didn’t, that she admires bravery yet her own fears often hold her back. Sketched beautifully and vividly by Gold, this girl reminds us of the complexity of life as experienced by a sensitive young person faced with its many paradoxes, including the inconsistencies and hypocrisies of the adults in charge.

Doubles invites readers into the deeply engaging and often humorous world of a remarkably perceptive pre-teen, and it offers, through Gold’s powerful and unsentimental writing about childhood, insights, truths, and some tantalizing pleasures.

[Tulip_OnTheTBR · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Numbers don’t lie, but they aren't everything either."

As a former math major, I was SO excited to dive into the mind of a 12-year-old math prodigy! 🧮 I totally related to her "math-brain"; numbers are the truth! But man, even for a math lover, this was a heavy, and at times overwhelming, journey into a 1968 institution for troubled youth.

I found this one a bit hard to get through. The story is told through a series of journal entries, and while I get why the author chose that format, it just didn't flow cohesively for me. I kept looking at the page count wondering when we’d reach the end because it felt like it was missing something to pull all the thoughts and events together into a solid plot.

The incident that landed our narrator (did anyone else catch her name? Because I sure didn’t! 🤔) in this facility was incredibly heartbreaking. It’s a quiet, haunting kind of sad because you realize this happens every day; nameless children all over the world becoming "children of the system," forgotten and unloved. While the book frames her journey as a transformation from a "good girl" to a "delinquent," I felt there was a bit of embellishing going on here. You’ll have to be the judge of that yourself!

The ending really left a lot to be desired. It wasn’t a bad read, but it didn't quite stick the landing for me.

I give it 3-stars which isn't bad at all. If you love mathematics or stories about social history, it’s worth a look for the unique perspective, but the rhythm might be a challenge!

Thank you to NetGalley and Guernica Editions for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

[Michele Dawson Haber · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an extraordinary novella – surprising, multi-layered, and so well written. Gold takes unconventional risks in this story and every single one of them work out. First, we never learn the name of our main protagonist, but that doesn’t prevent us from knowing and relating to her on a deep level. Second, because it is structured as journal entries, we enter the protagonist’s world through her reflections and self-reporting, rather than scenes and dialogue. Incredibly, Gold constructs a multi-layered and fully populated narrative this way and she does so from the perspective of an unreliable child narrator. Throughout the story, we witness the dichotomy of a girl who doesn’t understand what is going on around her and also understands all too well. There are so many dichotomies/doubles in this book, and I loved how the author weaved math throughout. Gold resists a happy ending, though the reader desperately wants one for the brilliant and sensitive girl they’ve rooted for and come to love. But we also recognize that it can’t be otherwise. The protagonist has grown out of her innocent love for the invariability and rationality of numbers to recognizing the world is not a zero-sum game, but irrational and duplicitous. Will she be forever damaged by this realization or will she find the power that exists within her to change the equation? The girl and her story will stay with me for a long time, and that is what I call a good book. Brava, Nora Gold!

[A Mac · Rating 4 out of 5]

This literary fiction novella follows a young girl who is sent to a state-run children's institution for her own safety. This influences how the work is set up, as a series of answers to weekly journaling questions the MC is asked to answer. I loved this approach, as it is much fresher than the "dear diary" setup but still lets the stream-of-consciousness and inner thoughts of the MC fill the page. The MC is also highly focused on math and numbers, which of course plays a big role in her musings and answers to the questions. This was highly creative, and more interesting than I usually find math.

Even with this approach, the characters are well developed and come to life throughout, which is a testament to the author's skill. The MC's character growth was also well written, and plainly evident through the shifts in her mindset over the six months of her writing. Seeing everyone through the young MC's perception didn't necessarily create a nuanced view of the characters, but it made the story feel even more realistic.

If you like coming-of-age literary fiction with some darker themes, then this is well worth reading. My thanks to NetGalley and Literary Press Group of Canada for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

And thank you to Rosh for posting such a compelling review about this one and putting it on my radar!

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I originally decided to read this book because of the beautiful cover a the summary, but was surprised by the way the book is structured and the POV.

This book is difficult to rate and leaves you guessing about both what’s happened and how it ends, but there’s a certain beauty and sadness in the guessing that reflects real life.

Pacing
Fast-paced and told in first person through diary entries. Time flow is disjointed and whenever the narrator feels like making an entry, but somehow it captures all of the important pieces of daily life that we as readers need to know. The pacing becomes more faster and frantic as time goes on, mirroring the narrator’s descent into apathy.

Characters
We never learn the name of our narrator, but we do learn about what matters to her, her family and ultimately how she ended up in a “home” and the system. The narration is very well done, perfectly believable to be reading what’s been thought in the mind of a 12 year old battling with her own demons and the progression of those thoughts as she lives in the home. It’s heartbreaking to witness the loss of her freedom and care.

Thank you to the NetGalley Team and Nora Gold for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.

[Lucy Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doubles: A Novella by Nora Gold is a heart-breaking narrative about a twelve-year-old girl coming to terms with abuse, grief and loneliness. Told in first person, the young narrator has been removed from her family home and placed in the institutional Valleyview Home to keep her safe. Gold’s academic career includes research in the area of child welfare, which is poignantly applied in exposing the limitations of such institutions and the depersonalizing experiences that are the hallmark of such long-term care. The vulnerable narrator attempts to navigate the pivot from a happy life on a small farm to an uneasy setting where she is surrounded by other traumatized young people and a revolving door of caregivers. Something of a math prodigy, she is further frustrated when challenging math textbooks are not provided. She questions why she is locked away and isolated when it is her father who should have been restrained and punished. Beautifully written, the narrator’s voice is both convincing and haunting. Gold has challenged her readers with an insightful expose that will linger long after reading it. Recommended.

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Doubles by Nora Gold
Rating: 4/5 stars
I was drawn to this book originally because of the unique cover art but stayed because of the great story line. The book follows a young unnamed girl as she journeys through being in a institution for troubled youth.
This is a very heartbreaking novella. It really explores the effect of how your environment shapes who you become. Her obsession with number seems to be the only thing consistent in her life. You are able to experience the loss of herself in a diary setting, The ages of our narrator is shown through her quick jumping between her thoughts and the reality of her situation. The author did an excellent job of portraying writing of a young girl without it being too much.
The enjoyment of Doubles is solely based on the preference of the reader. Since it is written in a format of diary entries, it reminds me of the Diary of Anne Frank. While the book is well written, it just wasn't my style of book.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to be an ARC reader!

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is difficult rate. There was a lot I enjoyed and found interesting about this however, my rating is based on my overall enjoyment. If you are a fan of epistolary novels or more stream of consciousness and less structure, I think you should give this a try.

This book just made me unspeakably sad, which I know was the intention, for thousands of children that get lost in the system. Whether that is foster care or child welfare systems in the way this book describes them. It is truly heartbreaking in the U.S. (and I am sure in other places, just speaking of what I know) that so little help existed for such a long time. That we can have computers writing emails and self driving cars but have not figured out a way to provide an adequate level of care while also maintaining dignity to millions of people.

If this book is for you, you will love it. It wasn't my cup of tea but that is just down to preferences.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC

[BiblioPeeks · Rating 5 out of 5]

"All I've learned in this place so far is how to stay out of the way of crazy people."

A precocious, curious, and clever twelve-year-old girl is put into a home for delinquent children—much to her dismay and confusion. She's a math prodigy and sees the world in numbers, which is how she attempts to make sense of her surroundings and the aspects of her life not in her control.

The novella unfolds as a writing exercise an instructor gives the girl in which she must answer questions. Over the course of the story, how she came to be there is revealed, as is the devastating effect being there has on her mind. I grew quite attached to her from the very first answer she gave—chuckling throughout at her wit and spunk. Nora Gold is a masterfully poetic writer, deep diving into uncomfortable themes—within this 68-page novella—with literary precision, showcasing depth and humor alike.

DOUBLES is an endearing yet heartbreaking tale about a bright, good-natured child who is displaced into an institutional system and irrevocably affected for the worse. Though this story is set in 1968, its message about disaffected youth is timeless, relevant, and poignant. Expect to read this in one engaging and captivating sitting. You'll laugh, you'll cringe, you'll hope, and ultimately you'll be happy you spent time with this plucky girl and her worldview!
____


Thank you Nora Gold for my gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

[Al Robi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Counting on Something Steadier Than People

Set in the 1960s, this brief but powerful novella follows a young girl whose world unravels after the loss of her mother and the growing violence of her father. Removed from her home and placed in a facility, she learns to rely on the one thing that never fails her—numbers. Math becomes her refuge, its logic and certainty far more dependable than the adults around her.

The story is largely contained within the walls of the institution, where we experience the world through her sharp, fast-moving thoughts. Her mind jumps quickly from idea to idea, yet everything feels intentional, clear, and deeply reasonable. The narrative voice is distinctive and compelling, drawing you into her inner logic and quiet resilience.

With an ending I didn’t see coming, this novella delivers an emotional punch in a short space. A quick, thoughtful read that lingers after the final page.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

[Briann Shear · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nora Gold can pack a lot into 85 pages. Not every child has an easy easy time growing up. The narrator/protagonist of Gold’s novella Doubles is an unnamed twelve-year-old girl who is in an institution for troubled kids. She reveals her story in bits and pieces, her longing to be with family, her sense that it was circumstances that put her in this grim and depressing place with an ever-changing cast of care-givers, her search for answers to the “why” questions she struggles to answer. She is clearly intelligent and loves numbers and math, which seem so concrete and reliable. Gold beautifully writes in this complex character’s voice. As I read my affection for the character grew, along with my hope that her inner strength would save her. Emotional and powerful writing .

[Lawrence Lawson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for early access in exchange for an honest review.

This is a story of a math prodigy in an institution, and it’s told both through the narrator’s answers to some questionnaire prompts and through diary entries. This is a slim work, an afternoon’s read, but it’s chock full of details.

And, for me, that was the problem. There were so many details—of people, of locations, of math problems, of affinity for numbers—but they weren’t anchored to character or plot in any engaging way (for me). For a lot of this read, I found myself saying: so what? There wasn’t much narrative coherence for me.

That said, this is a creative and unique work. It’s worth a read for folks who are interested in the premise of this work.

[Helen Wu ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25

Going in, I kept wondering if she was in jail or detention. I was not prepared for how brutal the environment actually was. The author captures a 12 year old voice so well that I forgot I was reading fiction. Everything is filtered through her logic, her humor, her confusion, and it makes the cruelty feel even sharper. This place is supposed to protect children, yet it reads like a prison. That contrast is haunting. Set in 1968, but it does not feel distant. I do not know what the system looks like now, but I found myself hoping, almost pleading, that it is better than what these kids endured.

Thank you NetGalley and Literary Press Group of Canada for the ARC!

[James Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting way of telling a story, in a series of questions and answers, then as journal entries. A 12 year old girl is removed from her home "for her safety", but Valleyview Home is more of a prison. It's the gradual depersonalization of the unnamed narrator that is fascinating to read/experience. Nora Gold is a wonderful writer.

[Jenna Scribbles · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing short story. You can feel the despair of the main character. Outstanding writing. I’d love to read a full fiction novel by this author.

I received a ARC via NetGalley. Opinions are my own.

[Davida Chazan · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75/5 stars
OMG, this book is SO good. So beautifully written. And I don't usually read books with YA protagonists. But it is very short, and a very quick read, so get yourself a copy and read it.

My full review is here https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2026/05/1...

[Vela · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short read that packs a big punch. I found the mc adorable and quirky and the story was sad and heartbreaking. A lot of emotions in such a small book that brings to light tough topics. 4/5

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novella exceeded my expectations. It is rare for me to attribute five stars to such a short book, but this is worthy of them.

If you would like to read my full review please visit my blog at:

https://leftontheshelfbookblog.blogsp...

[Jenny K (on partial break) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second work by this author, and I enjoyed it just as much as the first.

As I began to write this review, I realized that we're never given the name of the young narrator. That's intentional of course, as is everything in this thought-provoking novella.

The narrator, who we learn also well into the story is only 12 years old, has recently been sent to a "children's farm." She doesn't understand why and wishes to go home.

We find out gradually how she ended up there, and learn about the heartbreaking conditions in the home. We see her change over the course of the story, which takes place over a few months, from a naive child into a jaded adolescent.

The author has an incredible talent for writing profound takes on the human experience.

Thank you to NetGalley, Guernica Editions, and Nora Gold for the opportunity to review an advanced copy.

[Kenyah The Cultivated Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novella had the substance of a full-length novel. I read it in one sitting. The question and answer structure kept me interested and itching to turn the page. There was an endearing stream of consciousness that felt believable from a gifted 12 year old, while heavier topics were addressed mindfully through her lack of knowledge and ensuing curiosity. I felt a range of emotions with the main character, from frustration to humor to sadness. The references to real events were weaved seamlessly and I loved the recognition of the teachers' impact on her life despite her trauma. Doubles is a novella for readers of all ages. It tells a cohesive story but leaves enough to interpretation to inspire thought long after it is finished.


Thank you Netgalley and Guernica Editions for this ARC!