Family secrets and lies.
Murder.
A DNA test.
A young girl’s perilous journey to uncover the truth about her identity.

Before:

Living with a single mother who receives annual Christmas cards from the bartenders in town, high school sophomore Dakota Lodi is used to a bumpy ride in life. To cope, she retreats into her own universe. Dakotaworld. A place where you keep a low profile, obsess over your awesome music playlists, or hang out with your only friend, Rosie Peña. Sure, she makes a series of bad choices that gets her into trouble at school, but she can deal with that.Until her mother is sentenced to four years in prison on drug charges, and her world is shattered.

After:

Forced to live with her estranged grandmother, Dakota decides to search for the father she’s never known. With the help of Rosie, they track down her mother’s old friends, but most of them aren’t too stoked about reliving the past, especially when the girls unearth a cold-case homicide. Dakota suspects the case is related to her fathers story, but to learn the truth, she’ll have to keep digging. She’ll have to be smart, and think twice before doing anything reckless. She’ll have to become a new version of herself.

Under the Family Tree is a thought-provoking and moving novel that will captivate readers from start to finish thanks to the intriguing story that takes the reader on a breathtaking journey.  Under the Family Tree for me was an engrossing read that enthralled me from the very first page to the very last; I struggled to put this book down because I desperately wanted to know what was going to happen to the novel’s memorable characters and I felt this way thanks to the author’s incredible writing that compelled me to read! Gary Feinstein is a talented and well-accomplished author and his work is gripping as well as riveting and holds a host of fantastic characters! Already I have to recommend this novel for you lovely readers to read, but if you need more convincing then continue to read to learn more about the incredible Under the Family Tree!

Under the Family Tree is an incredible tale that will take its readers on an emotionally charged journey from beginning to end. The reader in Under the Family Tree will meet the protagonist of the book, Dakota Lodi, whose life is turned upside down when her mother is sentenced to four years in prison for drugs. Dakota’s life before her mother’s imprisonment wasn’t smooth sailing as is, and so she escaped her tumultuous home life by living in her private world, ‘Dakotaworld’. It is here that Dakota can truly be herself, losing herself in her favorite music and spending time with her friend Rosie, but after her mother’s arrest, her world is shattered even more.

The reader will follow Dakota as she embarks on a journey of self-discovery as she is forced to live with her grandmother. It is here that she decides she is going to try and search for the father she has never known but it won’t be easy thanks to her mother’s past. Dakota however is determined to push on through, to learn the truth about her family and what she finds will transform her life forever and this book lovers is the short premise of the incredible Under the Family Tree!

The tale of Under the Family Tree is gripping, glorious, and let’s not forget breathtaking! This novel truly did astound me with its captivating narration and thrilling plotline in which many twists and turns occur. As well as it being a great, coming-of-age tale filled with unforgettable moments, it is also a unique, diverse one which is unlike your typical coming-of-age novel and I have to say that I adored this because I was getting very tired of reading the same old books so thank you, Gary Feinstein, for writing a book that is fresh, exciting and gripping!

Gary Feinstein can only be described as a talented and wonderful writer who knows what a reader wants in a great novel! As I read Under the Family Tree I read every sentence slowly so that I could absorb all of the novel’s information; I felt as if I was there and it made for an immersive reading experience.

To conclude my thoughts on the brilliant novel that is Under the Family Tree, I would say if you are bored with the same old coming-of-age cliches then take a chance with this gem because you will not be disappointed. It has everything you would want in a great novel, and that is spine-tingling good content, dynamic, memorable characters, and a brilliant author. Under the Family Tree, of course, gets five stars from me!

Thank you so much for reading book lovers! I appreciate it so much.

Goodbye for now book lovers,

P.S. Below I have attached some links about the author and this wonderful book so if you would like to learn more about the author and the book then please have a browse. Thank you so much again for reading book lovers!

Amazon US – Amazon UK – Goodreads

Author: Website – Barnes & Noble – TikTok – LinkedIn – X