August Isle by Ali Standish

Synopsis: 

“For years, Miranda has stared at postcards of August Isle, Florida. The town her mother spent her summers as a girl. The town Miranda has always ached to visit. She just never wanted it to happen this way.

When she arrives on the Isle, alone and uncertain, to spend the summer with her mother’s best friend, “Aunt” Clare, Miranda finds a town even more perfect than the one she saw in the postcards. And she finds a friend of her own in Sammy, Aunt Clare’s daughter.

But there is more to August Isle than its bright streets and sandy beaches, and soon Miranda is tangled in a web of mysteries. Noises coming from a haunted lighthouse. An old seafarer with something to hide. A name reaching out from her mother’s shadowy past. As she closes in on answers, Miranda must reckon with the biggest question of all: Is she brave enough to face the truth she might uncover?”

Review:

I love when a book can surprise you. I read a lot of middle grade fiction and often can deduce what the ending will be before I get there. But, I love that August Isle threw me for a loop as my expectations for the story were far surpassed by the beautiful writing of Ali Standish. Ali masterfully wove mystery throughout the story unrolling it slowly to keep the reader engaged with the characters.

I loved Miranda’s character, a child grappling with a history she doesn’t know, while at the same time trying to understand her family’s current dynamic. My heart ached for her as she battled with uncertainty and frustration that she fears to voice out loud.

A story is never complete without supporting characters and Miranda’s found family on the island, Aunt Clare, and her friends Sammy and Caleb have rich backstories that compliment Miranda’s story. As Miranda learns more about her own family, she understands better what it means to be a friend. I finished this story a week ago and I’m still rolling it around in my mind – picking apart the details and clues that made this story what it is. If you read and loved Caterpillar Summer by Gillian McDunn, this is definitely one to pick up!

Need to Know:

Title: August Isle
Author: Ali Standish
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: April 16, 2019
Page Number: 352 pgs.