Book Review: Family Reunion

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Age Appropriate For: All Ages

Best for Ages: 13 and up (reading level)

Description: Welcome to the Austin Family Reunion! 14-year-old Marielle Austin’s parents and grandparents are hosting family for a week in the Texas hill country, and Marielle’s five girl cousins are staying at her house. Emma and Caroline are her best friends – like her, they’re homeschooled and passionate about the Lord, the past, and books. Abby, Kailey, and Reanna are from Wisconsin and just as far away in background and interests – what’s hot in the world now is what matters to them. Grandpa Will Austin has devised a series of projects for the six of them to complete. There’s a shed to fix up, a missionary to interview, and a trail of clues to solve, leading to a treasure. If they finish by the end of the week and work together with love and understanding, they’ll earn a prize beyond anything they could imagine! But difficulties surface right away. Bad attitudes and work ethics seem all Abby, Kailey, and Reanna can offer. Marielle, Emma, and Caroline are at a loss – what can they do to push the projects through? And more importantly, what can they do about their cousins, who won’t welcome their friendship? How can they show love when it’s hard even to feel it? Will the mysterious prize slip away, and with it any chance of relationship?

All homeschoolers know how tough family relations can be at times. Many of us have at least one relative that thinks we are really weird for having been schooled at home. All of us have had to hang out with people who don’t share our values and struggle to think of good topics of conversation. This book is about all of that and so much more.

From the very beginning, I could identify with Marielle and I think most homeschool girls can. She is mature for her fourteen years, but neither does she act too old for her age. She struggles to do what is right, especially concerning her of her three cousins. Sometimes she succeeds, sometimes she fails. She is so relatable and likable you are sure to love her.

I loved the plot of the story. At first, I didn’t think that Kelsey was going to be able to stretch the story of the six cousins working together to complete three task over a week into a book lasted just over three-hundred pages. However, I wasn’t bored. I enjoyed the story and it never felt too long.

I highly recommend Family Reunion to everyone who enjoys story that are true to life, faith-building, and stories about homeschoolers.

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I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. I was under no obligation to write a positive review. The opinions in this review are entirely my own.