What Happened Then

Avery and her parents are going to a private island in Crooked Lake. They have been invited by Aunt Robbie, Avery’s mom’s sister. There are other family members there — people Avery hadn’t met before. Her cousin Jax is her age, and they become friends quickly. Avery’s mom and Jax’s dad are twins. There is one more family — Aunt Di’s. Another aunt had mysteriously died on the island in childhood. The island has a big house and several cabins, all in disrepair. Robbie tells the family their mother left the island to her, but she wants the family to help put things in order. Robbie has ALS, and she wants the family to have a great summer together before selling the island.

Author Erin Soderberg Downing cleverly tells this story in three voices in alternating chapters. The voices are Avery, Jax, and the old diary of an aunt. The voices are all believable for the ages of the characters, and the family dynamics and drama are riveting. There is a true mystery here, and Downing gives readers a plethora of clues that lead to the satisfying denouement. The writing is great, and the story will engage readers all the way through.