Juniper Lemon’s Happiness Index

Cover image and synopsis from Goodreads:

It’s been sixty-five days since the accident that killed Juniper’s sister, and ripped Juniper’s world apart.

Then she finds the love letter: written by Camilla on the day of the accident, addressed mysteriously to “You,” but never sent. Desperate to learn You’s identity and deliver the message, Juniper starts to investigate.

Until she loses something. A card from her Happiness Index: a ritual started by sunny Camie for logging positives each day. It’s what’s been holding Juniper together since her death – but a lost card only widens the hole she left behind. And this particular card contains Juniper’s own dark secret: a memory she can't let anyone else find out.

The search for You and her card take Juniper to even less expected places, and as she connects with those whose secrets she upturns in the effort, she may just find the means to make peace with her own.

This is a smart, funny, poignant book guaranteed to make you laugh and cry – and maybe even take notes.

I put a library hold on this book way back when I first heard about it, but by the time my hold came in, I couldn’t remember what the book was about. But that cover is so pretty, I started to read right away and didn’t read the blurb or anything to refresh my memory. Sometimes I like just diving into a book without knowing too much!

This was such a great read! I love the idea of the ‘happiness index’, and I was super invested in Juniper’s relationships with her new friends. I was also really interested in finding out more about her sister and their relationship.

This was a great debut, and I’m looking forward to reading more from Julie Israel! This is definitely a recommended read, especially for fans of contemporary YA and sibling stories.