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Pumpkin Falls #1
Absolutely Truly
An unsent letter in a first edition copy of Charlotte's Web leads to a hunt for treasure in this heartwarming middle grade mystery from the author of The Mother-Daughter Book Club.
Now that Truly Lovejoy's father has been injured by an IED in Afghanistan and is having trouble finding work back home, the family moves from Texas to tiny Pumpkin Falls, New Hampshire, to take over Lovejoy's Books, a struggling bookstore that's been in the family for one hundred years.
With two older brothers and two younger sisters clamoring for attention, her mother back in school, and everyone up to their eyebrows trying to keep Lovejoy's Books afloat, Truly feels more overlooked than usual. So she pours herself into uncovering the mystery of an undelivered letter she finds stuck in a valuable autographed first edition of Charlotte's Web, which subsequently goes missing from the bookshop. What's inside the envelope leads Truly and her new Pumpkin Falls friends on a madcap treasure hunt around town, chasing clues that could spell danger.
Now that Truly Lovejoy's father has been injured by an IED in Afghanistan and is having trouble finding work back home, the family moves from Texas to tiny Pumpkin Falls, New Hampshire, to take over Lovejoy's Books, a struggling bookstore that's been in the family for one hundred years.
With two older brothers and two younger sisters clamoring for attention, her mother back in school, and everyone up to their eyebrows trying to keep Lovejoy's Books afloat, Truly feels more overlooked than usual. So she pours herself into uncovering the mystery of an undelivered letter she finds stuck in a valuable autographed first edition of Charlotte's Web, which subsequently goes missing from the bookshop. What's inside the envelope leads Truly and her new Pumpkin Falls friends on a madcap treasure hunt around town, chasing clues that could spell danger.
9 pages, Audiobook
First published November 4, 2014
160 people are currently reading
3452 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 728 reviews
June 1, 2020
Absolutely Truly. . . thought we'd never finish it.
Absolutely Truly. . . 100 pages too long.
Absolutely Truly. . . underwhelming to my 9-year-old, 12-year-old and me.
Absolutely Truly. . . 100 pages too long.
Absolutely Truly. . . underwhelming to my 9-year-old, 12-year-old and me.
June 3, 2020
4 stars
This was such a fun read. Maybe a little more...oh, what’s the word? Deep? Realness? Than the Vanderbeeker’s series with Truly’s military father losing an arm while deployed and all the teasing from siblings and schoolmates. But, I did really enjoy this story and all the bookstore parts. (I would say the Vanderbeeker’s series has more of a whimsical vibe than this story, though, this one is more realistic. I comment/compare the two because they are both Middle Grade books with large families and family dynamics.) I definitely am looking forward to reading the next book and hope to get this book for my own collection. Overall pretty clean with mentions of going to church.
Content:
Quite a bit of teasing over names and heights (but most of them are stopped by adults or other kids); Mentions of body noises; 3 dumbs, 3 hecks, 7 morons, 8 duhs, 8 shut ups, and 34 stupids.
This was such a fun read. Maybe a little more...oh, what’s the word? Deep? Realness? Than the Vanderbeeker’s series with Truly’s military father losing an arm while deployed and all the teasing from siblings and schoolmates. But, I did really enjoy this story and all the bookstore parts. (I would say the Vanderbeeker’s series has more of a whimsical vibe than this story, though, this one is more realistic. I comment/compare the two because they are both Middle Grade books with large families and family dynamics.) I definitely am looking forward to reading the next book and hope to get this book for my own collection. Overall pretty clean with mentions of going to church.
Content:
Quite a bit of teasing over names and heights (but most of them are stopped by adults or other kids); Mentions of body noises; 3 dumbs, 3 hecks, 7 morons, 8 duhs, 8 shut ups, and 34 stupids.
November 29, 2014
Warm and loving, this book is one of my favorite middle-grade novels in recent memory. Truly is hilarious and fairly self-aware for a twelve-year-old. Her father, like her whole family dynamic, is complicated, interesting and ultimately hopeful. The mystery was fun, the bookshop setting perfect, and the little town of Pumpkin Falls, "population you've got to be kidding me," adorable. I hope everyone buys this as fast as they can so Frederick will be able to turn this into a series.
January 4, 2016
I must confess I am a little shocked at the high ratings this book has received. I will start off by saying that I understand this book is meant for middle grade readers, but I will also say that I have read many of these stories and they were a thousand times better than this will ever be.
I did not look into Heather Vogel Frederick's background, so I don't know whether this is her first book or not, and honestly, I couldn't care less. When I read a book, whether it's the author's first or last, I am looking to delve into the story and be engrossed by the characters. And the mystery! This IS a mystery novel after all, at least it sells itself as such. And yet, I found the mystery to be extremely mediocre and almost...silly. She tried to add depth by adding a character who has suffered, i.e. the dad, but it just didn't work. In fact, although she could have utilized the dad's character so much more in the story, especially in terms of the family environment, instead we were given boring paragraphs about birds and Truly's obsession with them.
Actually, we were put through some of the most mundanely tedious prose on Truly's name (I was sick of her stupid play on words such as "Truly-in-the-middle-of-a-mess" pg.133), Truly's obsession with birds (not only was she obsessed, but she was super insecure about her love for birds too, pg. 140, an entire page is dedicated to deciding whether her friend is making fun of her or not), Truly's love for swimming, and Truly's descriptions of her family. Yes, Truly is allowed to love birds and express that in the book, in fact, not long after this book I read Wildwood, another middle grade book whose protagonist also has a love of birds in all their forms. However, the author did not choose to spend a huge portion of the book discussing those birds. Give me a break. I want to delve into the mystery, not birds and their types and their entire history.
Let's not get into the dialogue...the conversations between characters were so unrealistic and almost seemed contrived. Exhibit A: " 'How come you have to wear glovth? Pippa had asked this morning, when she saw me putting them in my backpack. 'Because of cootieth?' I had to smile at that logic. I'd forgotten what a big deal cooties are when you're in kindergarten. On the other hand, now that I was actually here in the gym, I was grateful for the gloves. I definitely didn't want Scooter cooties. Scooties? That word popped into my mind and I stifled a giggle." (pg. 157)
Face palm. I just can't. Scooties? REALLY? That whole paragraph dedicated to gloves and...COOTIES? Are middle graders that foolish and simple-minded?
Here's another brilliant sample, "If everything went as planned, Lucas would duck inside the bookstore, Calhoun would come after him just like he and Scooter did before, and bingo, we'd have him cornered. Easy peasy lemon squeezie, right?" (pg. 165)
I'm sorry, what? Easy peasy...what...? I can't even...how can you take this book seriously?
Here's another one, last one I promise. So the context of this excerpt is that Truly's aunt is at the bookstore with Truly and her friends, and she is telling them about her plans to improve sales, so she says: " 'What I'm talking about' - she pauses dramatically - 'is a makeover!' We looked at her blankly. Aunt True didn't wear makeup. Was she planning to start? I didn't see how that was going to boost sales. But it turns out she had something much bigger in mind....She was talking about a bookshop makeover." (pg.196)
NO kidding. How could you have thought she was talking about any other kind of makeover? And since when are makeovers associated only with makeup? Again, did she really have to spell out every single thing to her readers? I may not be her target age group, but even those younger kids don't need this much spoon-feeding. The book is littered with this style of writing, and it gets very frustrating. It took me forever to finish reading this book, and that frustrated me even more.
Definitely not worth the 5 stars that it has been receiving, and readers in the targeted age group should never be underestimated.
I did not look into Heather Vogel Frederick's background, so I don't know whether this is her first book or not, and honestly, I couldn't care less. When I read a book, whether it's the author's first or last, I am looking to delve into the story and be engrossed by the characters. And the mystery! This IS a mystery novel after all, at least it sells itself as such. And yet, I found the mystery to be extremely mediocre and almost...silly. She tried to add depth by adding a character who has suffered, i.e. the dad, but it just didn't work. In fact, although she could have utilized the dad's character so much more in the story, especially in terms of the family environment, instead we were given boring paragraphs about birds and Truly's obsession with them.
Actually, we were put through some of the most mundanely tedious prose on Truly's name (I was sick of her stupid play on words such as "Truly-in-the-middle-of-a-mess" pg.133), Truly's obsession with birds (not only was she obsessed, but she was super insecure about her love for birds too, pg. 140, an entire page is dedicated to deciding whether her friend is making fun of her or not), Truly's love for swimming, and Truly's descriptions of her family. Yes, Truly is allowed to love birds and express that in the book, in fact, not long after this book I read Wildwood, another middle grade book whose protagonist also has a love of birds in all their forms. However, the author did not choose to spend a huge portion of the book discussing those birds. Give me a break. I want to delve into the mystery, not birds and their types and their entire history.
Let's not get into the dialogue...the conversations between characters were so unrealistic and almost seemed contrived. Exhibit A: " 'How come you have to wear glovth? Pippa had asked this morning, when she saw me putting them in my backpack. 'Because of cootieth?' I had to smile at that logic. I'd forgotten what a big deal cooties are when you're in kindergarten. On the other hand, now that I was actually here in the gym, I was grateful for the gloves. I definitely didn't want Scooter cooties. Scooties? That word popped into my mind and I stifled a giggle." (pg. 157)
Face palm. I just can't. Scooties? REALLY? That whole paragraph dedicated to gloves and...COOTIES? Are middle graders that foolish and simple-minded?
Here's another brilliant sample, "If everything went as planned, Lucas would duck inside the bookstore, Calhoun would come after him just like he and Scooter did before, and bingo, we'd have him cornered. Easy peasy lemon squeezie, right?" (pg. 165)
I'm sorry, what? Easy peasy...what...? I can't even...how can you take this book seriously?
Here's another one, last one I promise. So the context of this excerpt is that Truly's aunt is at the bookstore with Truly and her friends, and she is telling them about her plans to improve sales, so she says: " 'What I'm talking about' - she pauses dramatically - 'is a makeover!' We looked at her blankly. Aunt True didn't wear makeup. Was she planning to start? I didn't see how that was going to boost sales. But it turns out she had something much bigger in mind....She was talking about a bookshop makeover." (pg.196)
NO kidding. How could you have thought she was talking about any other kind of makeover? And since when are makeovers associated only with makeup? Again, did she really have to spell out every single thing to her readers? I may not be her target age group, but even those younger kids don't need this much spoon-feeding. The book is littered with this style of writing, and it gets very frustrating. It took me forever to finish reading this book, and that frustrated me even more.
Definitely not worth the 5 stars that it has been receiving, and readers in the targeted age group should never be underestimated.
March 16, 2015
A delightful story where no character is obnoxious, kids act like kids without being sarcastic, and adults are portrayed realistically.
Golden lines...
"He went on to explain that as water cools below the freezing point, the molecules slow down and start to stick together, forming crystals...those stuck-together bits, which were called "frazil."
"You'll note they're roughly one millimeter in diameter," Mr. Bigelow went on. "Very tiny, but small is mighty in this case..." (great discussion about water freezing...) p. 61-62
"There are all different sizes of brave, Truly. There's warrior brave, of course, and there's everyday brave, and every thing in between...Your father is one of the bravest people I know. And not just because of what happened in Afghanistan. It's not easy to completely change course in life the way he has - especially when it wasn't his choice" p 246
"For a brief moment I heard the shouts and cheers of the onloookers from the bleachers, and then the water closed over my head and the world fell away. A current of pure joy coursed through my body. Swimming is probably as close as I'll ever get to flying." 255
"Maybe there had been a change in my father over the past weeks, a slow and gradual shift, quiet as the swing of a pendulum or the rise of a thermometer" 320. (Such beautiful writing)
Golden lines...
"He went on to explain that as water cools below the freezing point, the molecules slow down and start to stick together, forming crystals...those stuck-together bits, which were called "frazil."
"You'll note they're roughly one millimeter in diameter," Mr. Bigelow went on. "Very tiny, but small is mighty in this case..." (great discussion about water freezing...) p. 61-62
"There are all different sizes of brave, Truly. There's warrior brave, of course, and there's everyday brave, and every thing in between...Your father is one of the bravest people I know. And not just because of what happened in Afghanistan. It's not easy to completely change course in life the way he has - especially when it wasn't his choice" p 246
"For a brief moment I heard the shouts and cheers of the onloookers from the bleachers, and then the water closed over my head and the world fell away. A current of pure joy coursed through my body. Swimming is probably as close as I'll ever get to flying." 255
"Maybe there had been a change in my father over the past weeks, a slow and gradual shift, quiet as the swing of a pendulum or the rise of a thermometer" 320. (Such beautiful writing)
January 18, 2018
A cozy mystery for middle grade with a recipe at the end just as it should have. Truly Lovejoy and her family are transplanted to Pumpkin Falls, New Hampshire, after her dad is injured in Afghanistan. She is the middle of five siblings and has hit her growth spurt before the boys her age -- hitting six feet before she has even turned thirteen.
There are many plot threads that the author ties nicely together: new girl in middle school, big town family transplanted to a small town, struggling bookstore, a parent with a war injury and more. Plus there is the mystery of the envelope Truly finds in the pages of an autographed edition of Charlotte's Web. Highly recommended!
There are many plot threads that the author ties nicely together: new girl in middle school, big town family transplanted to a small town, struggling bookstore, a parent with a war injury and more. Plus there is the mystery of the envelope Truly finds in the pages of an autographed edition of Charlotte's Web. Highly recommended!
July 13, 2019
AESTHETIC REVIEW:
The polished floor of a dance studio / musty old book stores / soft and gentle Labradors / bird-watching / owls gliding past a moon / slush melting on old carpet / snowball fights / mysterious messages / daring investigations / military talk/ the shrill of a coach’s whistle at a swim meet / fathers and daughters / icy bridges / frozen waterfalls / the magic transformations of home improvements / the snap and pop of grease on a hamburger grill / the hum of a radiator / socked feet sliding over creaky wooden floors / cracked and worn letters / broken families mended together
The polished floor of a dance studio / musty old book stores / soft and gentle Labradors / bird-watching / owls gliding past a moon / slush melting on old carpet / snowball fights / mysterious messages / daring investigations / military talk/ the shrill of a coach’s whistle at a swim meet / fathers and daughters / icy bridges / frozen waterfalls / the magic transformations of home improvements / the snap and pop of grease on a hamburger grill / the hum of a radiator / socked feet sliding over creaky wooden floors / cracked and worn letters / broken families mended together
October 5, 2015
I'll give it two stars because it was an innocent story suitable for middle grades which I think is rare. However, the name thing was WAY overdone. Okay, her name is Truly Lovejoy, and her aunt is True, her best friend is Cha Cha(who is a dancer), cousin MacKenzie, and then the crazy Shakespeare college president names his son and daughter Romeo and Juliet. I think the author would rather just name characters than put together a cohesive story. Truly's father loses his arm while in the military and to help him her grandparents (his parents) offer to let him have their failing bookstore in New Hampshire in the middle of January while they run off to the Peace Corps. Thanks, mom and dad! His bossy sister True takes over and seems to be the only one who can put this drill sergeant in his place. The only time the grandparents are called upon is when he calls them to tattle that True lost the signed first edition of Charlotte's Web which was somehow going to pay off all their debts and get the bookstore back on its feet. Truly has four siblings who might as well be left out of the book. They interact with her a bit but are so flat they do nothing to further the plot. The cover is so cute, so this is one time that Don't judge a book by its cover works the other way around.
Read
November 30, 2021A cozy mystery for middle grade with a recipe at the end just as it should have. Truly Lovejoy and her family are transplanted to Pumpkin Falls, New Hampshire after her dad is injured in Afghanistan. She is the middle of five siblings and has hit her growth spurt before the boys her age -- hitting six feet before she has even turned thirteen.
There are many plot threads that the author ties nicely together: a new girl in middle school, a big town family transplanted to a small town, a struggling bookstore, a parent with a war injury, and more. Plus there is the mystery of the envelope Truly finds in the pages of an autographed edition of Charlotte's Web. Highly recommended! * Reviewed by Darla from Red Bridge *
There are many plot threads that the author ties nicely together: a new girl in middle school, a big town family transplanted to a small town, a struggling bookstore, a parent with a war injury, and more. Plus there is the mystery of the envelope Truly finds in the pages of an autographed edition of Charlotte's Web. Highly recommended! * Reviewed by Darla from Red Bridge *
February 9, 2017
Seventh grader Truly Lovejoy (her real name) is moving back to Pumpkin Falls, New Hampshire so that her Dad and Aunt can run the family bookstore. Pumpkin Hollow is a small town with lots of interesting characters and history. And while everyone is welcoming to the Lovejoys, Truly misses her cousin and best friend Mackenzie and the warm climate of Texas. After finding a mysterious note inside a copy of Charlotte's Web, Truly and her new besties Cha Cha and Lucas decide to solve the mystery for themselves.
This is the kind of book I would have enjoyed as a kid and a story I would love to have lived in real life! A group of supportive friends solving a mystery, working in the family bookstore after school, getting free doughnuts from the local diner and free dance lessons to prepare for the winter ball!!! Oh, to be 12 again! :)
This is the kind of book I would have enjoyed as a kid and a story I would love to have lived in real life! A group of supportive friends solving a mystery, working in the family bookstore after school, getting free doughnuts from the local diner and free dance lessons to prepare for the winter ball!!! Oh, to be 12 again! :)
June 24, 2019
Fun story! :D I enjoyed it.
May 23, 2022
Truly Lovejoy referred to her father by his full name (and title) 15 times and frankly, that was 15 times too many.
Now, normally, "group of middle schoolers solving a mystery" is one of my favorite genres. I hoped this would be one that I would love. Saving a bookstore, secret letters, small-town vibes, what could go wrong? Unfortunately, something about this just didn't click for me.
I'm never a fan of a middle-grade that feels like it's talking down to its audience, and that's kind of what this felt like. Truly spends a lot of internal monologue time explaining things (military terms, bird species, her family's quirks and inside jokes), the mystery falls flat at the end (if you can even call it a mystery), the townspeople and Truly's family feel like cardboard cutouts rather than people. I don't mind that Truly is self-conscious about her height (it's fair, we all feel awkward in 7th grade), but please PLEASE stop talking about it. The story keeps circling back to it like that's the root of all her problems and I'm so tired, lol.
Tired is how I felt at the end of this. Just... tired.
I will say that I did really enjoy the friend group that formed. Cha Cha, Jasmine, Lucas, (and even Calhoun) captured my heart pretty quickly, but I didn't love how Truly thought about her friends (like, please think kinder things about these kids who are happy to be your friend, girl, please)
3 stars. Not the worst thing I've ever read but definitely not the best.
Now, normally, "group of middle schoolers solving a mystery" is one of my favorite genres. I hoped this would be one that I would love. Saving a bookstore, secret letters, small-town vibes, what could go wrong? Unfortunately, something about this just didn't click for me.
I'm never a fan of a middle-grade that feels like it's talking down to its audience, and that's kind of what this felt like. Truly spends a lot of internal monologue time explaining things (military terms, bird species, her family's quirks and inside jokes), the mystery falls flat at the end (if you can even call it a mystery), the townspeople and Truly's family feel like cardboard cutouts rather than people. I don't mind that Truly is self-conscious about her height (it's fair, we all feel awkward in 7th grade), but please PLEASE stop talking about it. The story keeps circling back to it like that's the root of all her problems and I'm so tired, lol.
Tired is how I felt at the end of this. Just... tired.
I will say that I did really enjoy the friend group that formed. Cha Cha, Jasmine, Lucas, (and even Calhoun) captured my heart pretty quickly, but I didn't love how Truly thought about her friends (like, please think kinder things about these kids who are happy to be your friend, girl, please)
3 stars. Not the worst thing I've ever read but definitely not the best.
April 18, 2015
The cover of Absolutely Truly labels the book as a "Pumpkin Falls Mystery."
Calling Absolutely Truly a mystery is about as accurate as calling it a cookbook. Or a dictionary. Or entertaining. Or good.
Apparently, in the eyes of Heather Vogel Frederick, sort-of incorporating a less than interesting plot device about a series of love notes constitutes calling a story a mystery - even if this plot device is like 8% of the book. Explaining the main character's math tutoring eats up more of the plot than her "mystery."
Anyone involved in the publishing of Absolutely Truly obviously felt that endless exposition about a "cozy" bookshop in a "quaint" New England town with a "quirky" loving family was enough to consider it an actual story - because to anyone else reading Absolutely Truly, there's no way they wouldn't think of it as a novelized Hallmark movie.
So, unless most readers are excited to read close to 400 pages of what's basically a novelized puppy calendar, then the cover should be changed to reflect what Absolutely Truly actual is: "A Pumpkin Falls Kind-of-Cute-Until-You-Realize-There's-Hardly-a-Plot-and-You-Wasted-Hours-of-Your-Life-That'll-Never-Come-Back-Because-Heather-Vogel-Frederick-Lied-to-You"
Calling Absolutely Truly a mystery is about as accurate as calling it a cookbook. Or a dictionary. Or entertaining. Or good.
Apparently, in the eyes of Heather Vogel Frederick, sort-of incorporating a less than interesting plot device about a series of love notes constitutes calling a story a mystery - even if this plot device is like 8% of the book. Explaining the main character's math tutoring eats up more of the plot than her "mystery."
Anyone involved in the publishing of Absolutely Truly obviously felt that endless exposition about a "cozy" bookshop in a "quaint" New England town with a "quirky" loving family was enough to consider it an actual story - because to anyone else reading Absolutely Truly, there's no way they wouldn't think of it as a novelized Hallmark movie.
So, unless most readers are excited to read close to 400 pages of what's basically a novelized puppy calendar, then the cover should be changed to reflect what Absolutely Truly actual is: "A Pumpkin Falls Kind-of-Cute-Until-You-Realize-There's-Hardly-a-Plot-and-You-Wasted-Hours-of-Your-Life-That'll-Never-Come-Back-Because-Heather-Vogel-Frederick-Lied-to-You"
August 6, 2023
This was my second time reading this wonderful book, and I’m bumping my original rating up to five stars!
This author wrote “The Mother-Daughter Book Club” series, and it’s one of my favorites. She did not disappoint with this most recent series, of which there are currently four titles. I’m ready to jump in and read all the others now, having re-read the first one!
This author wrote “The Mother-Daughter Book Club” series, and it’s one of my favorites. She did not disappoint with this most recent series, of which there are currently four titles. I’m ready to jump in and read all the others now, having re-read the first one!
November 17, 2019
3.5 stars. This book was super cute and had such a strong winter atmosphere. It just wasn’t one that I felt myself get really invested in. It was good, but just not great for me.
dnf
September 6, 2023DNF around pg 50
Y'all I'm entering a slump. ☹️ This was in no way badly written or anything like that... Just not feeling it. I might try this again maybe in the winter months...
Y'all I'm entering a slump. ☹️ This was in no way badly written or anything like that... Just not feeling it. I might try this again maybe in the winter months...
August 9, 2021
This wasn't all I had hoped for. All I saw was it was set in pumpkin falls and there was snow. That was good enough for me and ticked all my boxes. Unfortunately it was very slow burning and I didn't feel very invested in the characters. Disappointed overall.
December 17, 2019
Truly Lovejoy and I have several things in common - she is a military dependent and has moved around alot, as did I at her age. However, at 12 years of age, and being nearly 6 feet tall, well, she and I differ greatly there.
After her military father is injured in "the war" and loses a leg - facing very difficult times relearning to walk with his "new" leg, the decision is made that the family will move to Pumpkin Falls, New Hampshire, to take over the "family" business - the local book store - certainly a different universe than what Truly has experienced thus far in her short life - she is also having to give up her one love (swimming on the school's team) due to her failing grades. Besides does Pumpkin Falls even have a swim team? And on top of that, well, Pumpkin Falls is certainly different from Austin, Texas weather wise!
Leafing through a book she "uncovers" a mysterious letter, from someone in Pumpkin Falls years ago - with her new friends in tow, the "hunt" is on to figure out who wrote it and who was supposed to receive it.
After her military father is injured in "the war" and loses a leg - facing very difficult times relearning to walk with his "new" leg, the decision is made that the family will move to Pumpkin Falls, New Hampshire, to take over the "family" business - the local book store - certainly a different universe than what Truly has experienced thus far in her short life - she is also having to give up her one love (swimming on the school's team) due to her failing grades. Besides does Pumpkin Falls even have a swim team? And on top of that, well, Pumpkin Falls is certainly different from Austin, Texas weather wise!
Leafing through a book she "uncovers" a mysterious letter, from someone in Pumpkin Falls years ago - with her new friends in tow, the "hunt" is on to figure out who wrote it and who was supposed to receive it.
November 3, 2014
Absolutely Truly by Heather Vogel Frederick, 4th grade and up. Realistic Fiction.
ARC, Book release date: Nov. 4th, 2014.
Loved this book.
Touching family story, displaced after father loses arm and comes home from war, moves into grandparents home and runs bookstore…
Loved connections to Owl Moon by Jane Yolen and Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White. It has an excellent small town feel with characters you quickly care about. Wouldn’t mind hanging out in the bookstore in Pumpkin Moon! Perfect book which Heather Vogel Frederick demonstrates her talent for making you care about small towns, individuals, and how a community can come together to help one another and how small actions can help many. Just lovely.
ARC, Book release date: Nov. 4th, 2014.
Loved this book.
Touching family story, displaced after father loses arm and comes home from war, moves into grandparents home and runs bookstore…
Loved connections to Owl Moon by Jane Yolen and Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White. It has an excellent small town feel with characters you quickly care about. Wouldn’t mind hanging out in the bookstore in Pumpkin Moon! Perfect book which Heather Vogel Frederick demonstrates her talent for making you care about small towns, individuals, and how a community can come together to help one another and how small actions can help many. Just lovely.
July 2, 2021
Not the best middle grade book I've read (some of the adult characters annoyed me) but not the worst either. The plot was okay, and for once the child goes into a new school and makes friends. It almost never happens in other books, and I was pleasantly surprised with the wholesome kids in this one. Even the nasty Scooter is not so nasty.
November 11, 2016
GRL - V / 790L - Listened to the audio.
I am Absolutely Truly (finally) done with this book. I will not be using this book as a book club choice for students. It is extremely long and I found it fairly slow moving. I recognize that this work of craftsmanship is someone's "baby" and pride and joy. Having never written or published a work of fiction before I can only share my experience and hope it does not come off as too critical.
This book is an homage to small town living and what it offers. Readers need to be very patient and committed. As a rule, I finish books that I start. I am a forgiving reader and give time to the author to come full circle. I considered stopping this book multiple times.
In full disclosure, I did not read this book, I listened to the audio. I was not fond of the reader's voice and tone. The performer did many voices and varied for each character. Unfortunately, her voice for the main character grated on my nerves a bit. Perhaps readers who actually read (not listen) to the book will have a different experience.
I am Absolutely Truly (finally) done with this book. I will not be using this book as a book club choice for students. It is extremely long and I found it fairly slow moving. I recognize that this work of craftsmanship is someone's "baby" and pride and joy. Having never written or published a work of fiction before I can only share my experience and hope it does not come off as too critical.
This book is an homage to small town living and what it offers. Readers need to be very patient and committed. As a rule, I finish books that I start. I am a forgiving reader and give time to the author to come full circle. I considered stopping this book multiple times.
In full disclosure, I did not read this book, I listened to the audio. I was not fond of the reader's voice and tone. The performer did many voices and varied for each character. Unfortunately, her voice for the main character grated on my nerves a bit. Perhaps readers who actually read (not listen) to the book will have a different experience.
November 12, 2017
Absolutely Truly is the kind of book that you can curl-up next to the fireplace on a snow day and lose yourself in the story. It is a cozy and sweet narrative that is more realistic fiction than a mystery. Readers can relate to the challenges and pre-teen issues Truly faces such as a new town, new school, physical and family changes, bullying, and finding your place. The book sprinkles a mixture of heart, healing, and happiness throughout the story, covering you like a beautiful blanket of snow. Readers will enjoy this “TRULY” wonderful book. “Cross my heart and hope to fly!”
Recommended for grades 4-8. Lexile level: 790
Reviewed by Christine Hwang, Youth and School Services, Vernon Area Public Library
Recommended for grades 4-8. Lexile level: 790
Reviewed by Christine Hwang, Youth and School Services, Vernon Area Public Library
April 3, 2019
I REALLY liked this book! One reason why was probably because it was Heather Frederick, and information in this book slightly overlapped with Mother Daughter book camp. I think one theme in this book is looking on the bright side will have postive outcomes. Truly the main character (I like how her name is unique) moved to Pumpkin Falls, a small town. Her family was going through some sore spots. Truly could of thought that her life was going not so smoothly, but she tried to stay happy. Because of this, Truly finds new friends, and goes on an adventure/cozy mystery with them. I am excited to read the sequel.
March 18, 2021
Listened to the audiobook for this one and ended up needing to really increase the speed to keep my attention. It wasn’t really a mystery and I found the small town life and family dynamics hard to believe much of the time. I really did enjoy the large family dynamics, so many books just feature families with 2 or 3 kids. But I’ve been spoiled by the Penderwicks and Vanderbeekers; when compared to those stories, this just felt flat for me.
December 24, 2017
Adorable little mystery, featuring a darling bookshop! What’s not to love?
March 19, 2021
4.0 ⭐️ Absolutely Truly is a wholesome, cozy kind of read, one that you could imagine curling up with on a snowy afternoon with a steamy cup of cocoa or tea and a plate of cookies in arms reach.
It also gets extra satisfaction points because it’s a successful series opener, so you put it down knowing that there is hopefully more pleasure ahead when you get to the next Truly Lovejoy adventures.
Best bits
- Stellar small town setting - in fact, Pumpkin Falls is so well realized that it feels like another character in the story. The charm of the place leaps off the page. The traditions, the quirky downtown shops, the memorable community members - these elements definitely gave me Stars Hollow feelings.
- Truly’s quiet passion for bird watching was an unusual and endearing character trait. It’s nice to see something different in a character and I think it’s important to open up young readers’ minds to new, unexpected interests.
- The family bookstore - I could picture it and I wanted to go there and hang out in a cozy chair eating mini pumpkin whoopie pies.
- I enjoyed how Truly found her people. The friendship crew in this book was cute and vibrant.
- Truly’s dad’s injury and recovery was presented sensitively. I’m interested to see how that develops in subsequent books.
Howevers:
- Not sure billing this one as a mystery was smart marketing. The mystery aspect was really secondary, and frankly, low stakes. It was hard to feel much tension related to the mystery beyond curiosity about it. Kids can get very invested in things, this was believable, but solving the mystery was not the central focus of this book.
- It’s tough to have such a large cast and not make some characters feel a little two dimensional. Lauren and Danny were almost forgotten about in some ways, and I wonder if a couple of the friends could have been more fleshed out.
- The kid who teased Truly was pretty relentless. I don’t think it was realistic that the teacher would have continued to treat that name calling sort of casually.
I will happily anticipate more time spent in Pumpkin Falls! This charmer was just the balm I needed and offered a gentle escape.
CW: bullying, parental injury, mentions of violence in war
It also gets extra satisfaction points because it’s a successful series opener, so you put it down knowing that there is hopefully more pleasure ahead when you get to the next Truly Lovejoy adventures.
Best bits
- Stellar small town setting - in fact, Pumpkin Falls is so well realized that it feels like another character in the story. The charm of the place leaps off the page. The traditions, the quirky downtown shops, the memorable community members - these elements definitely gave me Stars Hollow feelings.
- Truly’s quiet passion for bird watching was an unusual and endearing character trait. It’s nice to see something different in a character and I think it’s important to open up young readers’ minds to new, unexpected interests.
- The family bookstore - I could picture it and I wanted to go there and hang out in a cozy chair eating mini pumpkin whoopie pies.
- I enjoyed how Truly found her people. The friendship crew in this book was cute and vibrant.
- Truly’s dad’s injury and recovery was presented sensitively. I’m interested to see how that develops in subsequent books.
Howevers:
- Not sure billing this one as a mystery was smart marketing. The mystery aspect was really secondary, and frankly, low stakes. It was hard to feel much tension related to the mystery beyond curiosity about it. Kids can get very invested in things, this was believable, but solving the mystery was not the central focus of this book.
- It’s tough to have such a large cast and not make some characters feel a little two dimensional. Lauren and Danny were almost forgotten about in some ways, and I wonder if a couple of the friends could have been more fleshed out.
- The kid who teased Truly was pretty relentless. I don’t think it was realistic that the teacher would have continued to treat that name calling sort of casually.
I will happily anticipate more time spent in Pumpkin Falls! This charmer was just the balm I needed and offered a gentle escape.
CW: bullying, parental injury, mentions of violence in war
January 16, 2019
This book was outstanding i rate it 4 stars just because it took so long to see what happened to the letter which was a big part of the story but honestly the book was just so twisting and so mysterious they had this letter that they found and it was filled with codes and Shakespeare’s and they finally got down to who was behind it all which was.. well i wish i could tell you but you need to read it to find out so I don’t spoil it but when you do find out about the letter and who was behind it your in shook i really loved this book and i really recommend it!
December 9, 2025
This book was so cutesy!! I absolutely loved the reference to Much Ado About Anne. Absolutely Truly is a very well written book with a great plot! It is geared toward 9-13 I’d say but if you like middle grade books, you’ll love this one! The only thing i felt was missing was a little bit more to the almost not existant romance but thats just my single selfs preference hehe 😜 I would definitely recommend!
January 12, 2025
A cozy and sweet middle grade read. I enjoyed the family and friend dynamics and the mystery. The mystery felt like more of a means for Truly to get to know the people and the town and wasn’t necessarily the focal point of the entire story. While real emotions and experiences of middle schoolers were not ignored in the writing of the book, it was a bit more hopeful, positive and whimsical, and not super “relive middle school cringy” which I appreciated.
April 1, 2020
This wasn't quite the mystery I was hoping for. If they had actually solved the mystery, and not leaped to conclusions I probably would have rated it five stars, for I loved the rest of the story.
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