Planet Grief by Monique Polak, 2018

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What a crappy way to spend a weekend. The always-sarcastic Abby would rather be playing soccer, and the cagily quiet Christopher thinks a grief retreat is a waste of time. Neither of them wants to spend two days talking about their feelings. But despite their best efforts to stay aloof, Abby and Christopher are drawn into the lives of the other kids at the retreat. Maybe their stories will make them rethink how they are dealing with their own losses.

(208 pages)

Going in, I was a little nervous that Planet Grief would be too heavy for me. A book about grief counselling doesn't exactly sound like the happiest of summer reads, especially when I already feel antsy thinking about death.

I'm glad I gave in to my curiosity and picked it up, though, because it manages to hit all the right spots. Abby and Christopher are realistic and sympathetic leads, and the other characters in the group are even more interesting and compelling. The various exercises Eugene (the counsellor) has the kids do, and the conversations he supports them through, are fascinating to watch.

Basically, this is a book about kids who have to be strong enough to pull through experiencing something no child should have to face: the death of a close family member. There's no strong plot to pull the book along, though there is a climax, and the story is really driven by the stories of the kids and their struggles. There's no sugar-coating, no skating past the hard emotions of losing a parent or a sibling, and I personally really appreciated "peeking in" on the grief process of these characters.

My only real complaint about the book is that there was one storyline, added just to add drama I think, which I thought was a bit ridiculous and unnecessary. It kind of drew attention away from the core of the book. It wasn't a huge deal, though, and I think Polak handled it in a way that still fit well with the rest of the book. I should also add that there's a family coming to the grief counselling which has two mothers, and there are a few mentions of how unusual it is to have "a maman and a mom." It's not made into a big issue, so I don't think it would bother most readers, but I wanted to mention it just in case.

All in all, I really–well, enjoyed might not be the right word to describe how I felt while reading Planet Grief. I appreciated it, let's say. I liked it. I'm glad that I read it, and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in it.

What other books about children dealing with grief do you recommend? My all-time favorite is Suzanne LaFleur's Love, Aubrey!

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.