Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Sit back in a comfortable chair, bring on the Kleenex and cry your heart out. Seventh grader Fern, in pitch-perfect present tense, relates the dual tragedies of her family. Her high-schoolfreshman older brother Holden has come to the place in his life where he's acknowledged that he's gay and is taking the first painful, unsteady steps out into a less-than-fully-accepting world. Fern offers him support and love, but what she can give is not always what he needs. Their older sister, Sara, spending a frustrating gap year after high school supposedly helping with the family restaurant, makes life hard for everyone with her critical eye and often unkind comments. And then there's 3-year-old Charlie, always messy, often annoying, but deeply loved. Fern's busy, distracted parents leave all of the kids wanting for more attention--until a tragic accident tears the family apart. The pain they experience after the calamity is vividly, agonizingly portrayed and never maudlin. Eventually there are tiny hints of brightness to relieve the gloom: the wisdom of Fern's friend Ran, the ways that Sara, Fern and Holden find to support each other and their thoughtfully depicted, ever-so-gradual healing as they rediscover the strength of family. Prescient writing, fully developed characters and completely, tragically believable situations elevate this sad, gripping tale to a must-read level. (Fiction. 11 up)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

School Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

It's hard enough being the third child of four, especially when your petulant older sister is looking for romance, your older brother is trying to figure out his sexual orientation, everyone thinks your little brother is so adorable, and your parents seem oblivious to everything that's happening in the family. When the unthinkable happens and your family really falls apart, you're sure it's all your fault. Kate Rudd mines every heartbreaking, deeply nuanced emotion with subtle vocal interpretations and pacing guaranteed to leave listeners mourning for what has been lost. (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

School Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Gr 6-9-Fern often feels invisible in her bustling family. Because of the restaurant her parents run, her teenage sister's angst, her gay older brother's struggle with bullies, and the incessant cuteness of her little brother, Charlie, there isn't a lot of attention left for a quiet, literary sixth grader. She isn't invisible at school, but that's just because everyone has seen the supremely embarrassing, cheesy commercial her father forced the entire family to star in. Fern finds some solace in her friendship with Ran, who repeatedly assures her that "all will be well," but this mantra proves untrue when Charlie is struck by a car while in Fern's care. Though initially appearing unharmed, his internal injuries prove fatal, and Fern must come to terms with her loss and feelings of guilt while struggling to find her place in her family and in the wider world. Knowles paints a moving and authentic picture of a family grieving, but readers may be put off by the repetitiveness of the plot elements that at times bog down the pacing. However, the book might appeal to precocious readers who will enjoy Knowles's allusions to literary characters and use of rich vocabulary. Additionally, See You at Harry's will fill a niche for those seeking works with a gay character in which his sexuality is not the main focus of the book.-Gesse Stark-Smith, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

School Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Gr 7 Up-Twelve-year-old Fern is quiet and conciliatory, and often taken for granted. Left to take care of whatever the rest of the family members are too busy to deal with, she feels alone and resentful. Dad is constantly trying to boost business for the family restaurant, Mom is always escaping to meditate, Sarah is spending an embarrassing post-high school gap year working in the restaurant, and Holden is teetering on the verge of announcing his sexual orientation. The glue that holds the family together is three-year-old Charlie. Everyone's biggest joy, and sometimes Fern's biggest pain, Charlie's uninhibited glee in life keeps everything in perspective. Then, while in Fern's care, a freak accident takes Charlie's life. What starts out as a wonderfully realistic look at growing up in a semi-dysfunctional middle-class family turns swiftly into an equally realistic portrait of profound loss and guilt. Knowles's novel (Candlewick, 2012) takes us step by painful step through the days leading up to the funeral, the day of the funeral, and onto the impossible process of getting back to "normal" life. Kate Rudd gives a brilliant performance as, through the eyes, heart, and soul of Fern, she gives voice to the full breadth of grief experienced by each member of the family. Listeners are taken through every stage of the dark, heart-wrenching grieving process with throat constricting immediacy, and then led slowly back into the light. A beautiful, if painful, story delivered with remarkable clarity and sensitivity through an exceptional performance.-Cary Frostick, Mary Riley Styles Public Library, Falls Church, VA (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

To 12-year-old Fern, her family has become little more than a random group of people who occasionally eat dinner together. Her dad is obsessed with the family restaurant, Harry's; her mom is constantly meditating; her older siblings have their own busy lives; and three-year-old Charlie is the center of everyone's world. And then . . . tragedy. In a flash the book changes course, and readers will be reaching for their hankies. The family implodes, and it takes many heart-wrenching pages before they are able to find their way back to one another. Readers may begin this book thinking that Fern's annoying family will be the backdrop for her adventures with boys and friends, but it is just the reverse. As in John Corey Whaley's award-winning Where Things Come Back (2011), the powerful bonds of family, so casually acknowledged in the everyday, can be crippling when broken. This is highly recommended for readers dealing with their own grief issues, but any teen can benefit from the reminder that family can be simultaneously humiliating and invaluable.--Colson, Diane Copyright 2010 Booklist