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A Girl Named Ivy
Waking up from a 2-year coma, Ivy finds herself lost. She has no idea who she is, who her parents are, what got her in the coma, and what her past was. Not to mention, no one has ever filed a “missing person” case. Well, Ivy could never find one in that matter. As Ivy starts a new life with her adoptive family and searches for her missing past, she finds secrets that were better off never finding out about.
284 pages, Paperback
First published May 7, 2022
43 people are currently reading
3259 people want to read
About the author
Ali Marie
3 books984 followersAli Marie is the author of cozy, coastal summer mysteries that will have your heart in the ocean, but your mind in a crime scene.
Ali began writing stories at the age of 8 and published her first children's book at 11. She spends her free time with her family, reading, and competitive swimming. You can see her frequently walking around the aisles of Strand Bookstore in New York City. She resides in the area of Southern New England with her family.
Ali began writing stories at the age of 8 and published her first children's book at 11. She spends her free time with her family, reading, and competitive swimming. You can see her frequently walking around the aisles of Strand Bookstore in New York City. She resides in the area of Southern New England with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
January 12, 2025
4⭐s!
I loved the concept of this book so so so much!!! And I think it was executed really well for how young Ali was when the wrote this novel.
My only critique is that most of the time the characters felt too young for their age, for example they were 15 but they sounded 13ish, which makes sense because the author was around that age when she wrote them.
Anyways the mystery aspect was well thought out and I really didn’t expect the ending. I think this book is good for all ages and I will be recommending it to my younger sister and my friends.
I loved the concept of this book so so so much!!! And I think it was executed really well for how young Ali was when the wrote this novel.
My only critique is that most of the time the characters felt too young for their age, for example they were 15 but they sounded 13ish, which makes sense because the author was around that age when she wrote them.
Anyways the mystery aspect was well thought out and I really didn’t expect the ending. I think this book is good for all ages and I will be recommending it to my younger sister and my friends.
August 13, 2025
I saw your tik toks and wanted to read this book for a long time. 5⭐️ loved the plot the concept and the fact that is clean ya (I wanted to read it first before recommending it to my little cousin). the fact that you became an author at 13 is sooooo inspiring! keep it up and I can't wait to read "what went wrong last summer "
April 26, 2023
This book was the most amazing book I have ever read. You must read it and find out what happens to Ivy and watch her find her self.
February 21, 2025
I’m absolutely obsessed with this book it’s so good it’s the best mystery book I’ve ever read it has so much suspense and I never wanted it to end there were some parts I had the chills it was was good I wish this was a series I finished this book in just a day its just amazing and I never thought once that this was written when Ali Marie was only 13 I think it’s amazing that at 13 she wrote this amazing mystery novel it’s only like the 2nd book shes published and it’s just so good🤩
March 11, 2025
Oh. My. Gosh.
I'm a teen writer and really needed someone I could (realistically) look up to and I found you. I adored this book, loved the twists, and read in it two sittings. it really is an amazing book, especially if you wanna start out with a mystery/thriller novel.
I'm a teen writer and really needed someone I could (realistically) look up to and I found you. I adored this book, loved the twists, and read in it two sittings. it really is an amazing book, especially if you wanna start out with a mystery/thriller novel.
August 8, 2024
This book was SOO good!! The plot twists and mystery was soooo interesting and I was hooked. I wish there was a second book to follow up with Ivy's life with theo!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 20, 2025
I loved it! This book was completely clean and all the loose ends were tied up at the end. The only thing I will say is that I think the first third of the book was a little slow, but once you get through that part, the story was really engaging and it kept me hooked, which is hard for a lot of books to do!
I highly recommend this for any age including younger audiences as well! I watch Ali Marie online and absolutely love her content as well! I also love how she doesn't look over younger audiences like many authors do :D
I highly recommend this for any age including younger audiences as well! I watch Ali Marie online and absolutely love her content as well! I also love how she doesn't look over younger audiences like many authors do :D
February 1, 2025
Honestly…considering the fact that Ali was litterally 13 when she wrote this, I’m impressed. This was better than A LOT of other books that I’ve read. This was really well executed and the story seemed really thought out. I’m litterally going to be auto-buying her next novel(s) Please go read this.
March 3, 2025
This book was so good! I can’t believe a teenager wrote it! ( I could never) I really loved how everything came together and definitely will be buying your other book!
Want to read
March 18, 2025ORDERING IT RN.
April 12, 2025
This was a very impressive read from such a young author. I really enjoyed the plot and the characters, and by the end of the book, I cared for them, which is a good sign. However, there were many grammatical and formatting problems and overall holes in the story. I can easily overlook this though because it is by such a young author, and I could never in a million years publish an almost 300-page book! Good Job Ali👏🥰
February 28, 2025
The storyline was interesting and well approached. There were some small mistakes, but the ending was in my opinion a great conclusion to the book.
Ali Marie wrote this when she was 13, and she is an inspiration to me! She is the true meaning of " Follow your dreams"
Ali Marie wrote this when she was 13, and she is an inspiration to me! She is the true meaning of " Follow your dreams"
January 5, 2026
Rating - 5 stars
Age Rating - 9+ (no language, no spice, no kissing, no innuendo, mild violence)
Genre - Middle-Grade Mystery
Omg this was so cute 🤭 Ivy was such an amazing well thought out character, and her development was really well written for how young Ali was when she wrote this. The plot is done really well, and I was definitely surprised by the ending!
I could definitely tell that it was written by someone younger, but since I think she was 11 when it was published, that is still incredibly good!! There were some typos, but it is self-published so that wasn't really a surprise.
Honestly really inspiring that someone could publish such a good book at such a young age, and I loved it! *claps for Ali Marie*
Spoilers >>>>>>>>>>
I was sorta expecting that Ivy would be related to the Casteels, because of the mention of how she looked really similar to Jenna, but it was still surprising! I'm so glad she got to reconnect with her brother as well.
OMG IVY AND THEO AHHHHHH I knew there was going to be a romance from the first time Ivy met Theo 🤭 They're so sweet I love them. I also guessed the romance between Cody and Kat loll and it's kind of ironic seeing as at the beginning of the book Kat says Cody is kinda scary lol, but I love it anyways
Age Rating - 9+ (no language, no spice, no kissing, no innuendo, mild violence)
Genre - Middle-Grade Mystery
Omg this was so cute 🤭 Ivy was such an amazing well thought out character, and her development was really well written for how young Ali was when she wrote this. The plot is done really well, and I was definitely surprised by the ending!
I could definitely tell that it was written by someone younger, but since I think she was 11 when it was published, that is still incredibly good!! There were some typos, but it is self-published so that wasn't really a surprise.
Honestly really inspiring that someone could publish such a good book at such a young age, and I loved it! *claps for Ali Marie*
Spoilers >>>>>>>>>>
I was sorta expecting that Ivy would be related to the Casteels, because of the mention of how she looked really similar to Jenna, but it was still surprising! I'm so glad she got to reconnect with her brother as well.
OMG IVY AND THEO AHHHHHH I knew there was going to be a romance from the first time Ivy met Theo 🤭 They're so sweet I love them. I also guessed the romance between Cody and Kat loll and it's kind of ironic seeing as at the beginning of the book Kat says Cody is kinda scary lol, but I love it anyways
November 27, 2024
For such a young author this book is truly incredible. I enjoyed the story even though sometimes the writing did sound young and I found some grammar mistakes. But overall I liked the set up and build up to discover what had happened to Ivy.
December 30, 2024
3.75 rounded up
I was so excited to get this book for Christmas!! I read it in one day. It was quite interesting. I liked the story. A nice premise but the formatting was really weird in my copy and that distracted from it.
*lighthearted*
*hopeful*
*mysterious*
*slow to medium pacing*
I was so excited to get this book for Christmas!! I read it in one day. It was quite interesting. I liked the story. A nice premise but the formatting was really weird in my copy and that distracted from it.
*lighthearted*
*hopeful*
*mysterious*
*slow to medium pacing*
July 10, 2025
some typos but you should expect it because it was written by a 13 year old and was self edited 😊 so great job
December 27, 2025
Probably like 2.5...
The writing was NOT good and there were multiple typos. I'm trying to be generous because she wrote this when she was 12, but I had high expectations for this and then...
It got a bit better near the end though and I did like how the book ended. I thought everything worked out well and it was a sweet ending. Probably would only recommend to younger readers.
The writing was NOT good and there were multiple typos. I'm trying to be generous because she wrote this when she was 12, but I had high expectations for this and then...
It got a bit better near the end though and I did like how the book ended. I thought everything worked out well and it was a sweet ending. Probably would only recommend to younger readers.
August 9, 2025
I was excited going into this book, but I felt very disappointed. I've followed Ali on her social media for a while, and decided to give her book a go. Mind you, she wrote this at thirteen and it's her first novel, so I didn't expect to rave on it.
I was very disappointed that there were over 100 pages of nothing. I was being told everything, but nothing all at once.
The formatting was off, along with spelling or grammar, which had me re-reading parts to make sure I wasn't tripping.
I like the idea of the story, and I like the author and her personality, but this book wasn't for me. I'm hoping her second book (and her new release) will be more enjoyable, but I'm not giving up on her books!
I was very disappointed that there were over 100 pages of nothing. I was being told everything, but nothing all at once.
The formatting was off, along with spelling or grammar, which had me re-reading parts to make sure I wasn't tripping.
I like the idea of the story, and I like the author and her personality, but this book wasn't for me. I'm hoping her second book (and her new release) will be more enjoyable, but I'm not giving up on her books!
March 4, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘A girl named Ivy’ is a very good book! I would definitely recommend and the author is so genuinely so inspiring,however the first half of the book could do with being shortened or rewritten. The characters seem a little young for their age, but this doesn’t affect the reading experience. The second half of the novel was excellent and had a twist that I could not see coming. It’s a very quick and easy read! I’m so excited to read the other books the author has published. The end is so satisfying and heartwarming! Very good!!
‘A girl named Ivy’ is a very good book! I would definitely recommend and the author is so genuinely so inspiring,however the first half of the book could do with being shortened or rewritten. The characters seem a little young for their age, but this doesn’t affect the reading experience. The second half of the novel was excellent and had a twist that I could not see coming. It’s a very quick and easy read! I’m so excited to read the other books the author has published. The end is so satisfying and heartwarming! Very good!!
June 25, 2025
I really enjoyed the plot of this book! The concept was really cool and I thought it was mostly well executed. The biggest issue I had was that certain things were really skipped over and then there was one thing that got so dragged out I stopped caring about it. I enjoyed the characters but didn’t get insanely connected to them. Overall it was a fun easy read 3 stars.
December 25, 2024
This book only took me like 3-4 hours to read it was probably a 3.75⭐️, because I loved the ending it took me by surprised so that’s why I did like it.To me it felt a little rushed but not in a bad way.
January 25, 2025
This is a very very great book!!! I got it for my self and it was the best book especially for ali’s age! I’m going to read her next book soon!
January 14, 2026
⭐1.5 stars
I don't know WHAT I was expecting, but it was not this. I DO NOT understand the hype for this book:
"This book was the most amazing book I have ever read."
"Please go read this."
to all the twelve year olds raving over this book: If THIS is the best book you've ever read then I am so sorry for your loss 🥀😢 you WILL find better, I promise.
Btw, the rest of my review is REALLY formal lol sorry
I was compelled to read this book because of the interesting concept but was soon disappointed by its terrible execution. I should have expected less because the author wrote this book when she was 13. It has grammar issues, unrealistic dialogue, many typos, a slow plot, and messy formatting.
The narrator, Ivy, is fifteen, but her voice sounds much more like that of a twelve-year-old, which is really not surprising because the author was around that age when she wrote this. The writing is choppy with frequent typos and grammar mistakes. Honestly, I’m convinced that there was no editor present in the publishing process of this book. The plot’s captivity is as robust as oatmeal. Ivy’s character wasn’t interesting or unique, just annoying and immature.
I think that the relationships in this book felt rushed and unrealistic. In the beginning, Ivy and her adoptive brother Cody have conflict for no apparent reason other than Cody may have been too friendly for Ivy when she woke up from her coma. Also, the plot was mostly boring until page 226, where Ivy and her friends discover new information about her family in a mysterious letter her adoptive mom hid from her. There are additionally some really cliche lines in this book too. For example, at the very end of the book on page 273 Ivy talks about her mother, saying, “‘She’s here, with me now,’ I replied, placing my hand on my heart and tapping my chest.”. Seriously, how cliche can you be? 🙄
Basically, the only positive outcome about reading this book is that I learned a valuable lesson: never read a book written by someone younger than you or your age. It will not be an enjoyable read. That said, I do not recommend this book to anyone ages thirteen and up, because you will be inevitably disappointed by it. There are many, many books out there that are worth your time, and A Girl Named Ivy is not one of them.
I don't know WHAT I was expecting, but it was not this. I DO NOT understand the hype for this book:
"This book was the most amazing book I have ever read."
"Please go read this."
to all the twelve year olds raving over this book: If THIS is the best book you've ever read then I am so sorry for your loss 🥀😢 you WILL find better, I promise.
Btw, the rest of my review is REALLY formal lol sorry
I was compelled to read this book because of the interesting concept but was soon disappointed by its terrible execution. I should have expected less because the author wrote this book when she was 13. It has grammar issues, unrealistic dialogue, many typos, a slow plot, and messy formatting.
The narrator, Ivy, is fifteen, but her voice sounds much more like that of a twelve-year-old, which is really not surprising because the author was around that age when she wrote this. The writing is choppy with frequent typos and grammar mistakes. Honestly, I’m convinced that there was no editor present in the publishing process of this book. The plot’s captivity is as robust as oatmeal. Ivy’s character wasn’t interesting or unique, just annoying and immature.
I think that the relationships in this book felt rushed and unrealistic. In the beginning, Ivy and her adoptive brother Cody have conflict for no apparent reason other than Cody may have been too friendly for Ivy when she woke up from her coma. Also, the plot was mostly boring until page 226, where Ivy and her friends discover new information about her family in a mysterious letter her adoptive mom hid from her. There are additionally some really cliche lines in this book too. For example, at the very end of the book on page 273 Ivy talks about her mother, saying, “‘She’s here, with me now,’ I replied, placing my hand on my heart and tapping my chest.”. Seriously, how cliche can you be? 🙄
Basically, the only positive outcome about reading this book is that I learned a valuable lesson: never read a book written by someone younger than you or your age. It will not be an enjoyable read. That said, I do not recommend this book to anyone ages thirteen and up, because you will be inevitably disappointed by it. There are many, many books out there that are worth your time, and A Girl Named Ivy is not one of them.
January 19, 2026
I finished it! The war is finally over! Not a bad book, it's 100% clean! Just way too slow for me. But I understand because it was her first book and she was only 13 when she wrote it. Very sweet ending, but Respectfully no thank you😊
January 20, 2026
best book ever read
January 9, 2026
2.5 stars! This book was not my personal favorite, but remember READING IS SUBJECTIVE! Decide for yourself if you like the book or not, personally this was not my favorite book but I’m used to reading more heavy fantasy, romance, mystery, etc. I’m not hating but this was just not my personal favorite book. I would definitely recommend it for younger ages! But it’s very impressive for a 13 year old! ILY Ali!!!
Want to read
January 28, 2026It was a good book overall and I did really enjoy it, hence the five starts, I just feel like it needed more mystery’s and less fluff can’t wait to read her other books though. And as a teen author who just published her first book I really look up to Ali.
January 2, 2026
I don’t really know how to feel about this book like it had a good ending and it was by a 13 year old author and I could never do that so I’ll give her that but there were so many typos like mrs monaghan would actually explode if she read this
It was really short I read it in like 2 hours ish I was actually really surprise when it was her not very kind father who tried to 💀 her because he tried taking away what her mother loved but unfortunately her mother is also gone
idk if this was meant to happen but I had like 4 blank pages in a row and near the end I just started skimming over the pages because I just didn’t care I wanted to but I couldn’t I’m sorry
It was really short I read it in like 2 hours ish I was actually really surprise when it was her not very kind father who tried to 💀 her because he tried taking away what her mother loved but unfortunately her mother is also gone
idk if this was meant to happen but I had like 4 blank pages in a row and near the end I just started skimming over the pages because I just didn’t care I wanted to but I couldn’t I’m sorry
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
July 11, 2025"Count it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not laking in anything." James 1:4
like Ali, i'm a teen writer/author. so like over the course working on my own writing projects i've had little dialogues with Jesus about my books. cause honestly i get my creativity from the Lord and He is like my number one biggest fan. i KNOW that Jesus likes my books because He told me so.
the reason i bring this up is because i think God and Ali would have a similar conversation. i've mentioned before that there is a sort of creativity that's Spirit-led whether or not the artist has actually asked God into their hearts. the only reason humans are able to create is because they were created in the image of the Creator—a mouthful, i know, but entirely true.
i can FEEL how much fun Ali had writing this book. like the
energy and passion is radiating off the pages. if any of you need help learning to write or create for yourself and nobody else, just look at Ali Marie. i've seen her confident, joyful personality on her youtube channel and i wasn't at all surprised to see it shine through on the pages of A Girl Named Ivy. just like the love she brings to Ivy and everyone else...I admire it and want to bring the same sort of fearless adoration to my own books.
this is an amazing story about self discovery and found family—quite literally. i found myself every time Ivy chose to have a good attitude about her circumstances. sure, waking up from a coma having no memory of your past sucks, and it has the potential to make people like really depressed. Ivy did have those moments, but it made me happy to see Ivy lift her head and face the future with confidence. that's why this book review's verse is James 1:2-4. when you read this book, you literally watch the protagonist meet trials and count them as joy, eventually maturing into a strong, confident, perseverant girl even through setback after setback.
i also love how innocent this book is. it's one hundred percent clean in more ways than one. to paraphrase Ali, "as long as you're okay with mentions of abuse, you should be able to read this book." it's so refreshing to read a young adult novel without any swearing or steam especially as a Christian. thank you Ali Marie and keep up the great work!
anyway, i think my next review will be Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo. i promised that one a while ago but i've been procrastinating. anyway on deck for reviews is the Delirium trilogy by Lauren Oliver and Ali's second book, What Went Wrong Last Summer. i'm praying for you guys and i'll catch you in the next book review!
p.s. Ali Marie- idk if you read your own books' reviews but if you're here please be my second friend on goodreads!
like Ali, i'm a teen writer/author. so like over the course working on my own writing projects i've had little dialogues with Jesus about my books. cause honestly i get my creativity from the Lord and He is like my number one biggest fan. i KNOW that Jesus likes my books because He told me so.
the reason i bring this up is because i think God and Ali would have a similar conversation. i've mentioned before that there is a sort of creativity that's Spirit-led whether or not the artist has actually asked God into their hearts. the only reason humans are able to create is because they were created in the image of the Creator—a mouthful, i know, but entirely true.
i can FEEL how much fun Ali had writing this book. like the
energy and passion is radiating off the pages. if any of you need help learning to write or create for yourself and nobody else, just look at Ali Marie. i've seen her confident, joyful personality on her youtube channel and i wasn't at all surprised to see it shine through on the pages of A Girl Named Ivy. just like the love she brings to Ivy and everyone else...I admire it and want to bring the same sort of fearless adoration to my own books.
this is an amazing story about self discovery and found family—quite literally. i found myself every time Ivy chose to have a good attitude about her circumstances. sure, waking up from a coma having no memory of your past sucks, and it has the potential to make people like really depressed. Ivy did have those moments, but it made me happy to see Ivy lift her head and face the future with confidence. that's why this book review's verse is James 1:2-4. when you read this book, you literally watch the protagonist meet trials and count them as joy, eventually maturing into a strong, confident, perseverant girl even through setback after setback.
i also love how innocent this book is. it's one hundred percent clean in more ways than one. to paraphrase Ali, "as long as you're okay with mentions of abuse, you should be able to read this book." it's so refreshing to read a young adult novel without any swearing or steam especially as a Christian. thank you Ali Marie and keep up the great work!
anyway, i think my next review will be Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo. i promised that one a while ago but i've been procrastinating. anyway on deck for reviews is the Delirium trilogy by Lauren Oliver and Ali's second book, What Went Wrong Last Summer. i'm praying for you guys and i'll catch you in the next book review!
p.s. Ali Marie- idk if you read your own books' reviews but if you're here please be my second friend on goodreads!
January 2, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️-This book was so good!! It’s a mystery about a girl who wakes up from a coma and is adopted by another family almost immediately. Very intriguing from the first page! 💚 This book was super easy and fast to read and I couldn’t have enjoyed it more! Totally recommend!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews