Reviews & Recognition
What Critics Are Saying
Award Selection
YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults
Selected by the Young Adult Library Services Association — the leading designation for outstanding young adult literature, trusted by librarians and educators nationwide.
Starred Reviews
“Luminous prose relays the protagonist's satisfying emotional growth over the course of Phillips's potent tale of love and loyalty.”
— Publishers Weekly
“A triumph in historical fiction.”
— School Library Journal
Critical Praise
“A must-have for all collections.”
— School Library Journal
“The orange-grove setting and the desolate life of isolated, impoverished Florida farmers are well-delineated.”
— Kirkus Reviews
“An aching, gorgeous story...”
— Marie Myung-Ok Lee
“This is a beautiful novel. I am haunted by the heavy sweetness of the orange grove.”
— Cynthia Salaysay
“This heartfelt story touches on classism, racism, dreams deferred, hope and forgiveness.”
— Robin Farmer
Reader Community
Find The Grove on Goodreads
Join thousands of readers, add the book to your shelf, and share your thoughts.
Ready to read it?
Order The Grove