So that Happened... But Maybe You Already Knew That

by Tami Sussman

This hilarious and heart-warming middle-grade debut tackles how to be a good friend (and realise when you’ve been a bad one), leaving childhood behind, and, most importantly, how to get back up when it feels like the world has knocked you down.

Natalie (Nutty to her friends) knows turning 12 is a big deal, and even though she doesn’t like change AT ALL, she’s prepping for:
a) having the best bat mitzvah party anyone has ever been to
b) graduating from primary school and
c) hopefully getting a boyfriend.

But there’s even more headed Nutty’s way that might change everything, like her parents running out of money and selling her childhood home, along with the reassuring family smell. Or when her best friend no longer feels like a girl and wants to leave the bat mitzvah group altogether. It seems only Natalie can keep her family, her friendships and her party from falling apart.

Genres: Middle Grade, Friendship, Jewish, Family, Contemporary

272 pages, Paperback

First published March 7, 2023

Reviews

[Kezra Bridger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so cute. The Jewish voice of this book was outstanding and provided me with so much nostalgia. It was genuinely such a joy to read, and I felt like I was taken back to intermediate when I went to Jewish school. The the dramas surrounding that, growing up and becoming a teenager, and learning about what being Jewish means to you is all in this.

Being Jewish is very different. No one really understands it and there isn’t a lot of representation or positive representation. So reading a book like this is so nice and made my day completely because more kids should be able to see themselves represented in books. So thank you to the author.

The representation other than Jewish individuals was also so well down. It also dealt with tough topics in a way younger kids would understand.

It was a fun coming of age story and made my heart glow

[Trisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear, consistent, fresh voice.

All the heart-warming, authentic feels a book like this should have.

Lovely.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a three and a half star read.

Thank you, Tami Sussman for your delightful and engaging book. It was a joy to read.

With Sydney landmarks, pop music references and eco-glitter this will definitely be one of my new go-to stories to press upon year six students.

[Daisy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much. I wanted to read it for various reasons - similar age to my son, similar area to where I live. I adored it, and now my son is reading it too.

[Lise Kempler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this novel. And it's not just because I love the author, a lifelong friend Tami Sussman. A must read for adults and maturing kiddos alike. This book is so beautiful. It delves into so much - what it means to be a family, cultural pressures, gender and identity, and in general, growing up. You really get to know the voices of the characters and their quirks. You can't help but adore the narrator Nutty (Natalie) - an inquisitive year 6 student grappling with the end of her primary school days, trying to make sense of the world around her. The Jewish community feel could not be better portrayed and I'm sure will resonate with members of many other cultural/minority communities. Plenty of 'laugh out loud moments'. A quote to treasure - "there's beauty and wonder in even the most annoying things in life". Thanks Tami for this gem and making me smile.

[Rebecca Larsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun read. Great characters placed in situations that are all too familiar makes this a really enjoyable book. Perfect for middle grade readers there is just enough substance to avoid being flippant but not so much as it might overwhelm. I loved following Charlotte as she navigated her final year of primary school. I also learnt about the Jewish faith and community.

[Leah Hecht · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book! It is so well written, funny, touching, and a great story. The characters are filled with life and humor. The author has such an amazing skill in touching on real life issues like friendships, relationships, mental health, money and so many others with humor and sensitivity. As an adult I loved it and wish I could've read it as a teenager, too. Love the last scene too!

[Luke Pete · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Nutty,” short for Natalie, lives in a Jewish community in Sydney, Australia, and with her bat mitzvah fast approaching, she’s agonizing over getting everything just right. But trouble arrives and life changes quickly. Sudden financial trouble means the family has to move, her Aunt Sarah is hospitalized, and Bubi (her stubborn grandmother) moves to assisted living. Nutty is deeply interested in finding out how people are doing through connecting, but the moves make this difficult. Compounding this are her own emotional difficulties, described as “dusty moths fluttering” inside her stomach when she gets “excited or anxious or just has too much energy.” Sussman’s style captures the mental rapid-fire of her thoughts, framed within the narrative device of Nutty’s voice memo app. She is comfortable with these accommodations, she enjoys having a one-on-one aide at the Jewish school she attends, but this comfort is juxtaposed with family displacement, the way that class distinctions quickly ostracize people, and a growing understanding of Jewish stereotypes and the past violence. “Some of the other school dads act like they’re better than my dad too,” she reflects. “[B]ecause it’s unusual for Jewish men to be nurses. Like Bubi always says to mom, ‘you should have married a doctor,” (p 41). Bubi provides some of the complexity, why doesn’t grandma approve? Overall, the family’s financial hardships require them to rally together, and Nutty leans on her brother Ron and her parents while she tries to connect with her aunt and bond with friends who have cast her off once her bat mitzvah planning goes on a budget. Includes a glossary for Hebrew and Yiddish words, and an explanation of Jewish holidays and prayers. Sussman’s colloquial title signal’s this book’s talky tone, which can be a little hard for readers to keep straight, but it isn’t exactly kvetching. Any 12-year-old’s inner voice would long for the answers, but, fair warning: Nutty’s is all over the place at times.

[Judy Wollin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Natalie Selleck has fallen out of best-friend status with her friend from kindergarten and is struggling to fit in with the group she has joined. Not only is school hard work, but her family must move. Their new home is an apartment over a factory in an industrial area. Not a sweeping mason like her friend Jessica Miller or a townhouse like the Rivkin twins. Natalie is not at all happy about the move. Apart from the home, which she doesn’t like, it has meant that her Aunt Sarah and her grandmother cannot live with them.
Bubi, her grandmother, must go into a retirement complex, and Aunt Sarah has vanished, with Mum and Dad not saying why she is no longer part of Natalie’s life.
Everyone in Natalie’s year at school is excited about their upcoming Bat Mitzvah, except Avi, who does not wish to wear a dress like all the other girls. How does Natalie sort out her friendships at school, what happens with her Bat Mitzvah and is her family reunited?
I enjoyed the story of the day-to-day life of this Jewish girl attending a Jewish school and how her family and her friends live their lives.
Recommended for readers aged eight years and older.

[Polly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun novel following the life of Aussie Jewish teenager, Natalie, who’s dealing with the ups and downs of growing up. It was so great to read a story with such an interesting and engaging, but new voice. Ordinarily, the only books I’ve read with a Jewish narrator have been that of WW2 historical fiction, which I love, but it was nice to see a fresh take on the Jewish narrator. The Australian setting made this book even greater too!

Cringey, at times, but full of humour, this novel encapsulates what’s it’s like growing up as a teenager in an Australian setting with a great insight into the added detail, expectations required and cultural differences of a Jewish teenager. Sussman covers themes of friendship, good and bad, dealing with family drama and of course, planning the perfect bat mitzvah!

This story is perfect for middle grade readers entering their early teenage years, or older readers looking for a bit of a throwback!

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for the free arc!

I enjoyed reading a voice of an author that was unique for me-- a Jewish 12 year old girl (Nutty) who lives in Sydney, Australia. It was interesting to see what life is like for Jewish people in Australia, both in a modern family as well as with a grandmother who is a Holocaust survivor. Nutty's best friend (Aviva, now. Avi) was born a girl but currently does not identify as a boy or a girl. They do not like labels and prefers to go by their name, Avi. This book depicts what the year is like for Nutty as she prepares for her Bat Mitzvah (which turns into her Bang Mitzvah), how Avi is received by friends, family, and her classmates; Nutty's relationship with her Aunt Sarah who has secrets of her own, and how Nutty's Bubi navigates life in Australia after surviving the Holocaust. This book packs in a lot of interesting events and perspectives.

[Luv2TrvlLuvBks · Rating 4 out of 5]

#SoThatHappenedButMaybeYouAlreadyKnewThat #NetGalley

Loved this read.

The author captured young "Nutty's" perfectly from the way she described the physical anxiety felt with the fluttering in the stomach to the breathing exercises. She deftly addressed significant social issues like gender identity (as a youth, as an adult), acts of bigotry and racism (references to personal history and the Holocaust to modern ones, acts of violence against sacred spaces).

Fred was a secondary character but think his impact will be felt long after the book ends. I especially enjoyed Nutty's speech at the Bang Mitzvah. Books like these are important for our youth regardless if they are in the world. Learned quite a bit of Jewish culture and the nod to the "Nanny" was a nice touch.

This ARC was provided by the publisher, Publisher Spotlight | Walker Books Australia, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Natalie (known as Nutty) is about to turn 12 and is planning her Bat Mitzvah.

She has big plans of organising the best party ever, and is hoping that her crush might turn into a boyfriend.

But both her family life and her friend life seem to be going to custard and she has to start facing up to mature issues that she may not be quite ready for.

This is an entertaining coming-of-age story, which is set against the backdrop of the Jewish community in Sydney.

Funny moments are interspersed with some deep themes, and there are some engaging and interesting characters to fall for.

[Rebekkah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute read about Natalie, who lives in Sydney, Australia. There is a lot going on in this book! Natalie is preparing for her bat mitzvah, she is struggling to maintain her friendship with her best friend, and her family's financial difficulties force them to move. Natalie is, most of the time, a charming narrator and I felt bad that she couldn't seem to catch a break! I did find the use of "so that happened" a bit excessive, but I don't think a middle-grade reader would pick up on it. I adored Natalie's best friend, Ari, and I wish Natalie had mended their friendship sooner so Ari could play a larger role. But, for me, the star of this book was reading about Jewish life in Australia, and I appreciated the depiction of different types of Jewishness—Natalie's bubi survived the Holocaust. Jessica's family is more frum than Natalie's, Ari's family is Chinese-Jewish, etc. 3.5. stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Jacqui · Rating 5 out of 5]

A feel-good book. Written for middle graders, but so readable by anyone who plays a role in the lives of curious 10, 11 and 12 year olds. Heartfelt, funny, warm, realistic and thought-provoking. Loved it.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book I’ve read since Patty Smith “kids”

[Laura Farrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Even as an adult
I learned quite a bit about growing up
Jewish in Australia. Written like a journal over 12 months it
Is amazing how much can change in a year!

[Pablo Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read that sparked a lot of interesting religious conversations in our house. Glossary in the back is helpful and my daughter found it quite funny. “So, that happened.” Age wise 13+