What do you think?
Rate this book
Middletown
Queer coming-of-age middle-grade novel about trust, forgiveness and self-discovery.
"Original, funny, rueful, and most of all, real, Middletown is an engrossing tale told by a deeply likeable tough cookie." – Emma Donoghue, award-winning author of Room
Thirteen-year-old Eli likes baggy clothes, baseball caps, and one girl in particular. Her seventeen-year-old sister Anna is more traditionally feminine; she loves boys and staying out late. They are sisters, and they are also the only family each can count on. Their dad has long been out of the picture, and their mom lives at the mercy of her next drink. When their mom lands herself in enforced rehab, Anna and Eli are left to fend for themselves. With no legal guardian to keep them out of foster care, they take matters into their own Anna masquerades as Aunt Lisa, and together she and Eli hoard whatever money they can find. But their plans begin to unravel as quickly as they were made, and they are always way too close to getting caught.
Eli and Anna have each gotten used to telling lies as a means of survival, but as they navigate a world without their mother, they must learn how to accept help, and let other people in.
Sarah Moon has crafted a thoughtful portrait of the Queer middle-grade experience.
"Original, funny, rueful, and most of all, real, Middletown is an engrossing tale told by a deeply likeable tough cookie." – Emma Donoghue, award-winning author of Room
Thirteen-year-old Eli likes baggy clothes, baseball caps, and one girl in particular. Her seventeen-year-old sister Anna is more traditionally feminine; she loves boys and staying out late. They are sisters, and they are also the only family each can count on. Their dad has long been out of the picture, and their mom lives at the mercy of her next drink. When their mom lands herself in enforced rehab, Anna and Eli are left to fend for themselves. With no legal guardian to keep them out of foster care, they take matters into their own Anna masquerades as Aunt Lisa, and together she and Eli hoard whatever money they can find. But their plans begin to unravel as quickly as they were made, and they are always way too close to getting caught.
Eli and Anna have each gotten used to telling lies as a means of survival, but as they navigate a world without their mother, they must learn how to accept help, and let other people in.
Sarah Moon has crafted a thoughtful portrait of the Queer middle-grade experience.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published April 6, 2021
29 people are currently reading
911 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Moon
95 books76 followersSarah Moon is a teacher, writer, and translator. She lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
Want to read
October 28, 2019I'm a simple gay. I see middle grade about girls who like girls and I click "want to read"
June 6, 2021
Read this one if you like: complicated, flawed, and loving families; road trips and family secrets; queer community and resilient friendships; characters questioning their gender; sneaky revenge on misogynists; or nuanced portrayals of addiction.
Eli and Anna know the routine. The cops come to the door in the middle of the night, Eli tries to look as young and adorable as possible, then Anna puts on eyeliner, grabs a beer from the fridge, and tries to sweet talk them into looking the other way about the two teenagers left alone while their mom is in the drunk tank. Soon, their mom will come home again, all apologies. Eli will forgive her immediately–though she doesn’t really buy the promises. Anna will run up to her room and slam the door. It’s not a great routine, but it is familiar.
Except that this night, something changes. Their mother has gotten her second DUI in about a month, and there’s no looking the other way. She has to go to rehab. But her being in rehab means social workers, and foster care, and splitting Eli and Anna–Peanut Butter and Banana, as they call each other–apart. They’re determined to find a way to stick together, including Anna pretending to be their aunt taking care of them. But the longer they have to keep up the act, the more it seems like their luck is about to run out.
Middletown is a YA novel from the point of view of a 13-year-old. Eli is struggling through middle school. She has to two great friends, Javi and Meena, but she doesn’t feel like she really fits in with them. Meena is gorgeous and has a picture-perfect home life. She’s also straight, and Eli has a hopeless crush on her. Javi is gay, obsessed with Drag Race, and he’s the principal’s son. They both have big, vibrant personalities, and Eli feels like she doesn’t belong with their duo. When she’s not around them, she’s bullied for being too “boyish”–and she can’t say they’re wrong. She doesn’t exactly feel like a girl or a boy. Or maybe she feels like both.
When her mom goes to rehab, she’s left with just her sister at home. Anna and Eli used to be inseparable, but Anna has changed. Once a girly soccer star, now she’s withdrawn, angry, dresses all in black, and she threw out all her soccer gear one afternoon without explanation. They need each other and they love each other–but they’re kids. Anna tries her best to take care of Eli, but they’re playing an impossible hand. They need to find money for groceries and rent, make food for themselves, keep the house livable, and not let on to anyone that they’re doing it alone. That’s not even mentioning trying to process their anger and pain at their mother’s neglect.
One of the things I appreciated the most about this story is the nuanced portrayal of addiction. Their mother hurt them, but she’s also not a villain. She’s a flawed person who also loves them deeply and has done a lot of good, courageous, and selfless things in her life. She’s just dealing with addiction. It also emphasizes that addiction is hereditary. We see the damage addiction can do, but we also see examples of recovering addicts and how that damage can be repaired or at least worked through. There are no easy answers, and people aren’t treated as disposable for struggling with addiction.
Of course, you’re reading a Lesbrary review, so there is also significant queer content here. Eli likes girls–Meena in particular–and is also questioning her gender. She’s still young and figuring herself out, so we don’t get any solid identity labels, but I imagine she will grow up to identify as non-binary. One of my favorite moments of the book is when Eli and Javi go to a production of Rocky Horror Picture Show. They both dress in drag, and it captures the magic of first encountering a queer community. It gives Eli a glimpse into an expansive future that will embrace whoever she ends up being, and I think that’s an incredible experience in any queer person’s life.
I don’t want to spoil anything, but the second half was my favorite, which involves a road trip and discovering family secrets–including more queer content. I love the complicated, resilient family portrayed here. They don’t always know what to say to each other, they can accidentally (or impulsively) hurt each other, but they love each other and try to be there for each other.
Read this one if you like: complicated, flawed, and loving families; road trips and family secrets; queer community and resilient friendships; characters questioning their gender; sneaky revenge on misogynists; or nuanced portrayals of addiction.
Review originally went up at the Lesbrary.
Eli and Anna know the routine. The cops come to the door in the middle of the night, Eli tries to look as young and adorable as possible, then Anna puts on eyeliner, grabs a beer from the fridge, and tries to sweet talk them into looking the other way about the two teenagers left alone while their mom is in the drunk tank. Soon, their mom will come home again, all apologies. Eli will forgive her immediately–though she doesn’t really buy the promises. Anna will run up to her room and slam the door. It’s not a great routine, but it is familiar.
Except that this night, something changes. Their mother has gotten her second DUI in about a month, and there’s no looking the other way. She has to go to rehab. But her being in rehab means social workers, and foster care, and splitting Eli and Anna–Peanut Butter and Banana, as they call each other–apart. They’re determined to find a way to stick together, including Anna pretending to be their aunt taking care of them. But the longer they have to keep up the act, the more it seems like their luck is about to run out.
Middletown is a YA novel from the point of view of a 13-year-old. Eli is struggling through middle school. She has to two great friends, Javi and Meena, but she doesn’t feel like she really fits in with them. Meena is gorgeous and has a picture-perfect home life. She’s also straight, and Eli has a hopeless crush on her. Javi is gay, obsessed with Drag Race, and he’s the principal’s son. They both have big, vibrant personalities, and Eli feels like she doesn’t belong with their duo. When she’s not around them, she’s bullied for being too “boyish”–and she can’t say they’re wrong. She doesn’t exactly feel like a girl or a boy. Or maybe she feels like both.
When her mom goes to rehab, she’s left with just her sister at home. Anna and Eli used to be inseparable, but Anna has changed. Once a girly soccer star, now she’s withdrawn, angry, dresses all in black, and she threw out all her soccer gear one afternoon without explanation. They need each other and they love each other–but they’re kids. Anna tries her best to take care of Eli, but they’re playing an impossible hand. They need to find money for groceries and rent, make food for themselves, keep the house livable, and not let on to anyone that they’re doing it alone. That’s not even mentioning trying to process their anger and pain at their mother’s neglect.
One of the things I appreciated the most about this story is the nuanced portrayal of addiction. Their mother hurt them, but she’s also not a villain. She’s a flawed person who also loves them deeply and has done a lot of good, courageous, and selfless things in her life. She’s just dealing with addiction. It also emphasizes that addiction is hereditary. We see the damage addiction can do, but we also see examples of recovering addicts and how that damage can be repaired or at least worked through. There are no easy answers, and people aren’t treated as disposable for struggling with addiction.
Of course, you’re reading a Lesbrary review, so there is also significant queer content here. Eli likes girls–Meena in particular–and is also questioning her gender. She’s still young and figuring herself out, so we don’t get any solid identity labels, but I imagine she will grow up to identify as non-binary. One of my favorite moments of the book is when Eli and Javi go to a production of Rocky Horror Picture Show. They both dress in drag, and it captures the magic of first encountering a queer community. It gives Eli a glimpse into an expansive future that will embrace whoever she ends up being, and I think that’s an incredible experience in any queer person’s life.
I don’t want to spoil anything, but the second half was my favorite, which involves a road trip and discovering family secrets–including more queer content. I love the complicated, resilient family portrayed here. They don’t always know what to say to each other, they can accidentally (or impulsively) hurt each other, but they love each other and try to be there for each other.
Read this one if you like: complicated, flawed, and loving families; road trips and family secrets; queer community and resilient friendships; characters questioning their gender; sneaky revenge on misogynists; or nuanced portrayals of addiction.
Review originally went up at the Lesbrary.
April 15, 2021
When their mother is court ordered to go to rehab after a drunk driving incident, 13-year-old, Eli, and 17-year-old, Anna are forced to pretend that their Aunt Lisa is staying with them so they aren’t separated. Eli is not your typical 13-year-old girl. She dresses more like a boy and is in love with her female best friend. Anna is going through her own things as a 17-year-old who does not know what she wants to do after graduation. The two find themselves in trouble at school, so when a social worker shows up at their house they flee in search of their real Aunt Lisa.
For a middle grade book, Middletown touches on many hard subjects including alcoholism, sexual harassment, gender identification, homosexuality, and parental neglect. I was impressed with how the author, Sarah Moon, handled this subject matter. She did it in a way that was not too in your face and perfect to help middle grade readers get an understanding of subject matter that they do not always get insight on.
I really loved the relationship between Eli and Anna. They acted like normal siblings, but actually relied on each other in a way that made them so much more. With an alcoholic mother, they had to take care of themselves a lot of their time and found ways to get by. I enjoyed when they were on the road to visit Aunt Lisa because it really showed their bond. Aunt Lisa was another great character. I liked how she took the girls in without really knowing them. She also helped them to grow up and figure out what they wanted from their lives.
I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator, Hope Newhouse, did an excellent job. This was my first book by Sarah Moon, but I am planning to read more of her books.
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
For a middle grade book, Middletown touches on many hard subjects including alcoholism, sexual harassment, gender identification, homosexuality, and parental neglect. I was impressed with how the author, Sarah Moon, handled this subject matter. She did it in a way that was not too in your face and perfect to help middle grade readers get an understanding of subject matter that they do not always get insight on.
I really loved the relationship between Eli and Anna. They acted like normal siblings, but actually relied on each other in a way that made them so much more. With an alcoholic mother, they had to take care of themselves a lot of their time and found ways to get by. I enjoyed when they were on the road to visit Aunt Lisa because it really showed their bond. Aunt Lisa was another great character. I liked how she took the girls in without really knowing them. She also helped them to grow up and figure out what they wanted from their lives.
I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator, Hope Newhouse, did an excellent job. This was my first book by Sarah Moon, but I am planning to read more of her books.
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
April 14, 2021
Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the audio arc.
Middletown is a complex book that deals with a lot of topics, including alcoholism, sexual harassment, sibling relationships, queerness, gender identity, and navigating life with a lot of odds stacked against you. The main character, Eli, is gay, maybe not quite a girl, and in love with her best friend. Her sister, Anna, has had to raise Eli for a lot of her life, as their fathers are absent and their mom is an alcoholic. When their mother gets sent to rehab, the sisters try everything to stay out of foster care, and stay together.
It’s not the main focus of the book, but I thought the romance was really cute, and surprisingly realistic, which I thought was a nice touch. Eli is a really interesting character, with all the melodrama and sass one would expect from a middle school student. Her relationship with Anna, which is one of the main focuses of the book, is incredibly done, and made me quite emotional.
I didn’t love how much of a stereotype Javi is, as the flamboyant gay best friend to the popular girl, and I also thought Anna made a lot of jokes and comments about Eli being gay that were out of place coming from a cishet character, so I didn’t love those aspects of the book. I also didn’t really like how the book deals with the issue of sexual harassment, as it gets kinda brushed aside. Obviously this is a middle grade book and thus won’t go super deep into issues like sexual assault and sexual harassment, but I still think it warranted more attention. Additionally, Eli starts the book by shaming Anna for having visible boobs? What was the purpose?
Overall, while I didn’t love the book, I flew through it, it’s interesting, I liked most of the characters, the relationships between Eli and her family members were really well written, and I hope this book can become a favorite of some young readers.
TWs: alcoholism, homophobia, sexual harassment, minor warning for death of a parent.
Middletown is a complex book that deals with a lot of topics, including alcoholism, sexual harassment, sibling relationships, queerness, gender identity, and navigating life with a lot of odds stacked against you. The main character, Eli, is gay, maybe not quite a girl, and in love with her best friend. Her sister, Anna, has had to raise Eli for a lot of her life, as their fathers are absent and their mom is an alcoholic. When their mother gets sent to rehab, the sisters try everything to stay out of foster care, and stay together.
It’s not the main focus of the book, but I thought the romance was really cute, and surprisingly realistic, which I thought was a nice touch. Eli is a really interesting character, with all the melodrama and sass one would expect from a middle school student. Her relationship with Anna, which is one of the main focuses of the book, is incredibly done, and made me quite emotional.
I didn’t love how much of a stereotype Javi is, as the flamboyant gay best friend to the popular girl, and I also thought Anna made a lot of jokes and comments about Eli being gay that were out of place coming from a cishet character, so I didn’t love those aspects of the book. I also didn’t really like how the book deals with the issue of sexual harassment, as it gets kinda brushed aside. Obviously this is a middle grade book and thus won’t go super deep into issues like sexual assault and sexual harassment, but I still think it warranted more attention. Additionally, Eli starts the book by shaming Anna for having visible boobs? What was the purpose?
Overall, while I didn’t love the book, I flew through it, it’s interesting, I liked most of the characters, the relationships between Eli and her family members were really well written, and I hope this book can become a favorite of some young readers.
TWs: alcoholism, homophobia, sexual harassment, minor warning for death of a parent.
April 30, 2022
To say addiction is misunderstood is a massive understatement, but the lurid fascination with it means there are countless ignorant depictions of it This book nails what it's like to have a parent suffering from addiction. But it's even more spot on with how it shows what recovery looks like. Most authors with addict or alcoholic characters have clearly never been to even one 12-Step meeting, which is incredibly irresponsible, but also sensationalizes the experience (usually for the negative).
Middletown focuses on the two sisters, Eli and Anna, trying their best to imperfectly navigate growing up with an alcoholic mother, and all the codependence, anger, rebellion, and neglect that entails. You can't help but love these kids (not girls - we get to witness 13 year old Eli's gender journey). You root for them and their cleverness. Especially their desperation to stay together, when the only solution the system has to their problems is to rip them apart.
Certain resolutions in the book were a little too neat and clean, but I'm not going to complain about wish fulfillment for kids of alcoholics. What monster would?
This should be required reading for everyone to understand the true, human experience of addiction (AND RECOVERY!!), adolescent queer romance, and codependency. Because above all, the story is told with humor and honesty.
Middletown focuses on the two sisters, Eli and Anna, trying their best to imperfectly navigate growing up with an alcoholic mother, and all the codependence, anger, rebellion, and neglect that entails. You can't help but love these kids (not girls - we get to witness 13 year old Eli's gender journey). You root for them and their cleverness. Especially their desperation to stay together, when the only solution the system has to their problems is to rip them apart.
Certain resolutions in the book were a little too neat and clean, but I'm not going to complain about wish fulfillment for kids of alcoholics. What monster would?
This should be required reading for everyone to understand the true, human experience of addiction (AND RECOVERY!!), adolescent queer romance, and codependency. Because above all, the story is told with humor and honesty.
May 29, 2021
I received the audio ARC free of charge from NetGalley and Dreamscape Media. It was my choice to read and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.
I liked it but I didn't love it. There are some fun moments, heartfelt moments, sad moments, etc, and a lot of surprises. The moments Eli would spend with her friends and their adventures together were cute and make the book fun to read. Eli also did some things that surprised me which made me say "Go! get it!" in my head and put a smile on my face.
It's also a quick read but it didn't have that "can't put it down" quality I love in books. In fact, while listening I would think about other books and switch to something different to come back to this later.
It's still worth a read/listen when you're looking for a mixture of cute/fun and heartfelt/real/sad moments in a lgbtqia+ ya contemporary book, just be aware that it won't make the list of favorite books I've read this year or favorites out of the books I've given the same 3-star rating.
I liked it but I didn't love it. There are some fun moments, heartfelt moments, sad moments, etc, and a lot of surprises. The moments Eli would spend with her friends and their adventures together were cute and make the book fun to read. Eli also did some things that surprised me which made me say "Go! get it!" in my head and put a smile on my face.
It's also a quick read but it didn't have that "can't put it down" quality I love in books. In fact, while listening I would think about other books and switch to something different to come back to this later.
It's still worth a read/listen when you're looking for a mixture of cute/fun and heartfelt/real/sad moments in a lgbtqia+ ya contemporary book, just be aware that it won't make the list of favorite books I've read this year or favorites out of the books I've given the same 3-star rating.
August 8, 2022
Rep: gnc lesbian mc, Indian American sapphic li, Puerto Rican American gay side character
CWs: alcohol abuse, child neglect, implied sexual harassment
CWs: alcohol abuse, child neglect, implied sexual harassment
July 1, 2021
This book was so relatable and would have been so important to me if I'd had it in middle school. The portrayal of addiction in this story was heartbreaking but so spot-on and fortunately did come with a happy ending. There was so much tragedy along the way, though. I loved the character of Eli but Anna really frustrated me and I kept thinking, "God. she is selfish," but I had to back up and remember that she's just 17 and all this is going on, and would I have been doing any better? All things considered, she was a good sister and the siblinghood between our two main characters is very cute and heartwarming.
However, nothing irritates me more in a book than just going entirely overboard with the amount of shocking events and tragic moments in one person's life. I don't want to get into many specifics or spoilers here but the relatives and relationships mentioned throughout the novel just feel overdone—these are all heavy things and I respect that some people truly do live consistently tragic lives, but I think having a nuanced conversation about one or two of these issues instead of creating an entire barrage of them is more effective in a novel setting because it maintains focus in that shorter span of time. I thought the book handled Eli's sexuality and gender issues as well as Carrie's addiction issues and relationship with her sister extremely well, but I thought the relationships and characters of Anna and Eli's fathers were both heavy-handed and poorly executed.
Overall it just felt like there was too much going on at all times, but I loved this book anyways because of how well it touched on those themes and how much I felt for dear Eli. I went through really similar things around the same age and I just love her character. Would definitely recommend this to the middle grade-aged kids in my life.
However, nothing irritates me more in a book than just going entirely overboard with the amount of shocking events and tragic moments in one person's life. I don't want to get into many specifics or spoilers here but the relatives and relationships mentioned throughout the novel just feel overdone—these are all heavy things and I respect that some people truly do live consistently tragic lives, but I think having a nuanced conversation about one or two of these issues instead of creating an entire barrage of them is more effective in a novel setting because it maintains focus in that shorter span of time. I thought the book handled Eli's sexuality and gender issues as well as Carrie's addiction issues and relationship with her sister extremely well, but I thought the relationships and characters of Anna and Eli's fathers were both heavy-handed and poorly executed.
Overall it just felt like there was too much going on at all times, but I loved this book anyways because of how well it touched on those themes and how much I felt for dear Eli. I went through really similar things around the same age and I just love her character. Would definitely recommend this to the middle grade-aged kids in my life.
April 23, 2021
A quick listen to this audiobook for young adults. Touched on alcoholism and gender non-conformity as well as other issues. They even out ran/out smarted a social worker is a corduroy skirt and sensible shoes!
April 26, 2021
Want to see more bookish things from me? Check out my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfer...
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review*
13 year old Eli and her older sister Anna, always depend on one another. Eli prefers baggy clothes and has a crush on her bestfriend. Anna, loves boys and going out. When their mother is arrested for drunk driving and must attend rehab, they are left to their own devices, or face the foster care system.
This is a middle grade novel that discusses so many important topics in a great way. There's discussion about gender identity, sexual harassment, alcoholism and neglect. I liked the sister bond in this, and the lengths they go to in order to protect one another. Eli and Anna were both interesting characters in their own way, and I enjoyed learning more about them as the story progressed. I liked Eli, and her exploration with gender and sexuality. I think a lot of young teens will be able to see themselves and feel represented in this book. The book is a very quick read, that flew by in a couple hours. The writing style is very fluid and easy to read. I did enjoy it, but I feel like it was a bit surface level and could have dove deeper into the topics. This is probably due to it being a middle-grade novel... I just think it had so much potential that was left unexplored.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review*
13 year old Eli and her older sister Anna, always depend on one another. Eli prefers baggy clothes and has a crush on her bestfriend. Anna, loves boys and going out. When their mother is arrested for drunk driving and must attend rehab, they are left to their own devices, or face the foster care system.
This is a middle grade novel that discusses so many important topics in a great way. There's discussion about gender identity, sexual harassment, alcoholism and neglect. I liked the sister bond in this, and the lengths they go to in order to protect one another. Eli and Anna were both interesting characters in their own way, and I enjoyed learning more about them as the story progressed. I liked Eli, and her exploration with gender and sexuality. I think a lot of young teens will be able to see themselves and feel represented in this book. The book is a very quick read, that flew by in a couple hours. The writing style is very fluid and easy to read. I did enjoy it, but I feel like it was a bit surface level and could have dove deeper into the topics. This is probably due to it being a middle-grade novel... I just think it had so much potential that was left unexplored.
May 21, 2021
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Middletown was an okay book. Which is slightly disappointing to me because I was pretty excited to dive into this one. After meeting Eli and Anna, well, it was pretty obvious that they were basically looking out for themselves at this point in their lives.
Their mother seems to like alcohol a bit more than taking care of them. So it wasn't a complete shock when she gets arrested twice for driving drunk and ends up in rehab. On the day that a judge has required her to go, Anna dresses up as their Aunt Lisa and says she will take care of Anna and Eli while her sister is away getting help.
If you think things went smoothly after that you'd be wrong. They of course go through their own ups and downs with a dash of social services coming to their door. It also did dive into some nice surprises and interesting moments throughout the book as well. I really liked seeing Eli exploring and understanding her own sexuality a bit more than anything else.
So, in a way, it pains me to say that this was an okay book. I still liked it but I was mostly bored with this one.
Middletown was an okay book. Which is slightly disappointing to me because I was pretty excited to dive into this one. After meeting Eli and Anna, well, it was pretty obvious that they were basically looking out for themselves at this point in their lives.
Their mother seems to like alcohol a bit more than taking care of them. So it wasn't a complete shock when she gets arrested twice for driving drunk and ends up in rehab. On the day that a judge has required her to go, Anna dresses up as their Aunt Lisa and says she will take care of Anna and Eli while her sister is away getting help.
If you think things went smoothly after that you'd be wrong. They of course go through their own ups and downs with a dash of social services coming to their door. It also did dive into some nice surprises and interesting moments throughout the book as well. I really liked seeing Eli exploring and understanding her own sexuality a bit more than anything else.
So, in a way, it pains me to say that this was an okay book. I still liked it but I was mostly bored with this one.
May 3, 2021
This audiobook had me from the start with its story of two teenage sisters coming to grips with their mother's alcoholism. Eli (13) and Anna (17), aka Peanut Butter and Banana, are determined to stay together when their mom ends up in a 90-day rehab and will go to several extremes to make this happen. At the same time they're dealing with a few other coming of age issues such as Eli's crush on her best girlfriend and the bully at school who makes each morning miserable, and Anna's chasing after a boy known as "The Jacket," while conflicted about taking on the mom role for her sister. This story has a full slate of social issues in addition to alcoholism and coming out: sexual abuse, abandonment, poverty, and more, but the story doesn't get bogged down with it. Instead, the author uses tight dialogue, snappy little comebacks, relatable characters and a fast pace to keep it all moving. The narrator did a terrific job keeping all of the characters straight and bringing the appropriate emotion to each role. Recommended for YA readers of all ages.
July 1, 2022
A lot of my favourite books are queer middle grade and I like YA-anything so I didn't really get why the narration here was the hardest part of Middletown for me to get into until I saw a feel people saying it reads more like younger-YA than MG which is the specific mid-section of age-ranges that just isn't for me as a reader. Giving Middletown an average rating because I probably shouldn't have read it.
April 20, 2022
Went into this expecting middle grade but I'd definitely class this as lower YA instead, which isn't bad but is a niche I'm not particularly fond of. The writing style was very bland and I just never got too into this one.
February 1, 2024
the way eli and her friends talked when they were together was so ☠️☠️☠️
December 23, 2022
Good for teen readers wanting to explore gender, sexuality, alcoholism, and family bonds.
April 9, 2021
I really appreciate that we're starting to see more middle grade titles that deal with difficult subject matter, and I felt this was well done. Middletown covered sexuality, gender identity, substance abuse and recovery, parental neglect, sexual harassment, bullying, and more.
January 12, 2022
I have a lot of feelings and all of them are about Middletown by Sarah Moon.
April 3, 2023
This should be read in every middle school.
December 18, 2021
➳ a copy of this book was gifted to me by the publisher ✨
when her mom is sent to rehab, thirteen-year-old eli and her seventeen-year-old sister anna only have each other to count on. they scrounge together all the money they can find, trying to make sure they have enough to survive without drawing the attention of child services. if they’re found out, they’ll be separated. middletown tells the story of what these two sisters do to survive.
while reading middletown, i thought often about how dark this novel was for middle grade. then i remembered the books i read in middle and elementary school. and i realized that middletown would have fit right in.
this story was heavy. it was so hard to be an adult reading about these two teenagers trying to figure out what their next meal would be and if they’d get away with another day. how i praised their resiliency and determination, but so badly just wanted them to be helped. this book explores knowing when to let others in, and how to realize when lying only hurts you instead of harms you.
i should not be surprised that middle grade makes me cry just as much as YA and adult books do, but here i am surprised. i mention again that middletown would have been right at home with the books i read in middle school. books that covered heavy themes, but targeted to a young audience. but if these books center around middle grade characters, then they’re middle grade stories. we can’t expect kids to only read light and fluffy things, because the world is not only light and fluffy. but if they read the right books and take the right lessons away from them, then they should consume these heavy stories as well.
(aside: can someone go back and check on middle school micah? was she okay?)
of course, i also loved this book for the middle grade queer rep. eli explores gender-nonconformity, dressing in a “masculine” style and not correcting people who mistake her for a boy. she has a crush on her best friend who is a girl, and has another best friend who is a gay boy.
this book is also about sisters. and how much you are willing to sacrifice for your sister. about generational trauma and how the cycle goes on or is broken. middletown will be the quiet surprise for the end of the year, but i’m so glad i finally picked it up.
content warnings: alcoholism of a parent, sexual assault, homophobia, light violence
“but even if you don’t have a choice about what’s happening, you have a choice about how you respond to it. you’ve got more power than you think. that’s for damn sure.”
when her mom is sent to rehab, thirteen-year-old eli and her seventeen-year-old sister anna only have each other to count on. they scrounge together all the money they can find, trying to make sure they have enough to survive without drawing the attention of child services. if they’re found out, they’ll be separated. middletown tells the story of what these two sisters do to survive.
while reading middletown, i thought often about how dark this novel was for middle grade. then i remembered the books i read in middle and elementary school. and i realized that middletown would have fit right in.
this story was heavy. it was so hard to be an adult reading about these two teenagers trying to figure out what their next meal would be and if they’d get away with another day. how i praised their resiliency and determination, but so badly just wanted them to be helped. this book explores knowing when to let others in, and how to realize when lying only hurts you instead of harms you.
i should not be surprised that middle grade makes me cry just as much as YA and adult books do, but here i am surprised. i mention again that middletown would have been right at home with the books i read in middle school. books that covered heavy themes, but targeted to a young audience. but if these books center around middle grade characters, then they’re middle grade stories. we can’t expect kids to only read light and fluffy things, because the world is not only light and fluffy. but if they read the right books and take the right lessons away from them, then they should consume these heavy stories as well.
(aside: can someone go back and check on middle school micah? was she okay?)
of course, i also loved this book for the middle grade queer rep. eli explores gender-nonconformity, dressing in a “masculine” style and not correcting people who mistake her for a boy. she has a crush on her best friend who is a girl, and has another best friend who is a gay boy.
this book is also about sisters. and how much you are willing to sacrifice for your sister. about generational trauma and how the cycle goes on or is broken. middletown will be the quiet surprise for the end of the year, but i’m so glad i finally picked it up.
content warnings: alcoholism of a parent, sexual assault, homophobia, light violence
September 25, 2021
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
When their mother is sent to rehab for her alcoholism, Eli's big sister Anna pretends to be their Aunt Lisa so they don't get sent to a foster home. But keeping this secret is harder than either of them thought, and soon they are in over their heads.
Despite the heavy subject matter, this story kept it on the light side. In addition to an alcoholic mother, Eli is also dealing with their sexuality and a crush on their best friend Meena. Both Eli and Anna's reactions to the stress of the situation are totally understandable, and I loved how the story didn't climax with Anna's meltdown but rather continued to the point where they got help and began the process of recovery by attending Alateen meetings. This did not have the magical realism feel of Sparrow but was quite charming in its own right, and ended on a hopeful note.
When their mother is sent to rehab for her alcoholism, Eli's big sister Anna pretends to be their Aunt Lisa so they don't get sent to a foster home. But keeping this secret is harder than either of them thought, and soon they are in over their heads.
Despite the heavy subject matter, this story kept it on the light side. In addition to an alcoholic mother, Eli is also dealing with their sexuality and a crush on their best friend Meena. Both Eli and Anna's reactions to the stress of the situation are totally understandable, and I loved how the story didn't climax with Anna's meltdown but rather continued to the point where they got help and began the process of recovery by attending Alateen meetings. This did not have the magical realism feel of Sparrow but was quite charming in its own right, and ended on a hopeful note.
May 18, 2022
This one is definitely a more "challenging" read in many ways given the subject matter, but I thought it was really well done and meaningful. Eli and Anna are two sisters who are trying to get by with a mom who is an alcoholic and no other family in the picture.
The portrayal of their lives, their feelings, mostly felt very raw and real. There were some elements of the story, especially the ending in some ways, that felt a little bit too neatly tied up with a bow. But I think a lot of important things are expressed here, in ways that teenagers might relate to - or other teens may not realize what their peers could really be dealing with.
It's classified as a middle grade novel but I would definitely put it on the upper end of that (more YA leaning). Eli is 13 and Anna is 17. I only say this not to do with content/issues addressed (lots of great MG written about addiction, alcoholic parents, etc.) but because it had a few things I wouldn't normally expect in MG such as language and some sexual harassment stories that might be a little bit above what you would typically see.
I listened to it on audiobook and found the narration to be very good.
The portrayal of their lives, their feelings, mostly felt very raw and real. There were some elements of the story, especially the ending in some ways, that felt a little bit too neatly tied up with a bow. But I think a lot of important things are expressed here, in ways that teenagers might relate to - or other teens may not realize what their peers could really be dealing with.
It's classified as a middle grade novel but I would definitely put it on the upper end of that (more YA leaning). Eli is 13 and Anna is 17. I only say this not to do with content/issues addressed (lots of great MG written about addiction, alcoholic parents, etc.) but because it had a few things I wouldn't normally expect in MG such as language and some sexual harassment stories that might be a little bit above what you would typically see.
I listened to it on audiobook and found the narration to be very good.
February 19, 2024
A middle school book club choice that I enjoyed! Yay!
Middletown is about two sisters, Eli and Anna, who have to figure out how to survive on their own after their mother is sent to court-ordered rehab. They don't want to be sent into the foster care system, so they have to be creative about how to avoid social services and familiar adults and teachers. Eli is in 8th grade and Anna is a junior in high school and I feel like both of them were portrayed so accurately for their age. Eli didn't behave like a 4th grader (like some middle school books are written) and Anna made typical teen mistakes. The dialogue even felt authentic between them! I also feel like Eli's gender questioning was portrayed realistically for her age. She didn't feel like a girl or a boy and will probably grow up to identify as non-binary in some way, but she was clearly at the very beginning of those considerations. Great representation, engaging story, all around entertaining read.
Middletown is about two sisters, Eli and Anna, who have to figure out how to survive on their own after their mother is sent to court-ordered rehab. They don't want to be sent into the foster care system, so they have to be creative about how to avoid social services and familiar adults and teachers. Eli is in 8th grade and Anna is a junior in high school and I feel like both of them were portrayed so accurately for their age. Eli didn't behave like a 4th grader (like some middle school books are written) and Anna made typical teen mistakes. The dialogue even felt authentic between them! I also feel like Eli's gender questioning was portrayed realistically for her age. She didn't feel like a girl or a boy and will probably grow up to identify as non-binary in some way, but she was clearly at the very beginning of those considerations. Great representation, engaging story, all around entertaining read.
January 21, 2025
This is middle grade but I still absolutely loved it. I’ve been meaning to read it for a few years now, as it was written by a high school friend. We were in the creative writing department of an arts magnet school together and I still remember having to critique each other’s writing. I’m so proud of her!!
May 7, 2021
I knew this book would make me cry and I was 100% right, but it was worth it.
September 5, 2021
Granted, I’m pretty raw atm, but this is really sweet. Family, Queerness, and alcoholism in a cute coming-of-age adventure. Delightful.
August 14, 2022
As a child of a person with an addiction, I liked this book. It was cute but also showed the hard side of growing up too quickly and having to care for a parent
April 15, 2021
“Gay and it slaps,” middle grade edition. Eli and Anna are the sweetest sister duo, and I’d read a thousand more stories about them.
April 10, 2021
Might be one of the best books I’ve ever read. Of course, as the daughter of a dead alcoholic, it had special meaning for me. I still can’t decide if it’s intended as a young adult novel; but regardless, I found it a good read for people of all ages.
April 30, 2021
I’d describe this book as a modern Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankenweiler with a parent's addiction/alcoholism, queerness, and trauma as central themes. So. Good.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews