Review Detail

Reading Lola Gillette and the Summer of Second Chances by Kimberly Behre Kenna absolutely wrapped around my heart. I went in expecting a quirky middle-grade adventure and came out teary-eyed and hopeful.

Lola’s grief over her twin sister feels so real and raw. Her obsession with completing their Perfect Pairs Collection? Equal parts are heartbreaking and relatable. When she’s shipped off to spend the summer with her eccentric, agoraphobic Uncle Milo in his crumbling mansion, I thought it would be all doom and gloom but instead, it’s holographic ghost messages, a chaotic Zen garden, a mysterious houseboat, and even a wandering wolf. Basically? The most magical kind of mayhem.

What I loved most is how gently this story handles guilt and forgiveness. Watching Lola slowly realize that healing doesn’t come from fixing the past but from connection and self-compassion hit me right in the feels. It’s whimsical, warm, and quietly powerful, the kind of middle grade that reminds you of why you fell in love with stories in the first place.