A Field Guide to Broken Promises

by Leah Stecher

When Evie Steinberg's family moves right before seventh grade, she promises her dad that she'll make sure everything goes perfectly. Maybe if she keeps her promise, he'll finally forgive her for accidentally ruining the biggest moment of his cryptozoology career last spring.

Perfect means taking care of her little sister, fitting in at her new school, and never complaining or causing problems. Perfect definitely doesn't mean being bullied by a girl who's turning the whole school against her and failing math class.

Evie needs to fix her life before anyone finds out she's struggling. When she uses her cryptozoologist skills to figure out the real reason her bully decided to target her, Evie realizes that she holds the key to fixing everything. She just needs proof. But how far is Evie willing to go to reveal the truth?

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Friendship, Mental Health, Contemporary

288 pages, Hardcover

Published May 6, 2025

Reviews

[Em · Rating 5 out of 5]

Middle grade books get me every time

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Evie is enjoying her time at Camp Shir Shalom, especially since her family moves every year to support her mother's career as a television news reporter and it's the only chance that she gets to spend time with her best friend, Dara. Her father, an accountant, spends a lot of time study cryptozoology, and has been trying to get pictures of Sharlie, a reported sea serpent in Idaho. Evie caused a major set back in his research, so when the family has to move to California for her mother's new job, the father stays behind to finish. The move puts the family near a grandmother, but Evie shoulders a lot of the care for her younger sister, Talia. Evie starts her new school only to find that Dara is a student there... but Dara is not happy to be seen with someone wearing a cryptid shirt with unfashionable hair. Evie does manage to make some friends, but drags Charlie and Hannah into her research. She has come to the conclusion that the only possible reason Dara could have for being mean to her is that the Dara in her class is not the REAL Dara... she's a golem. Evie tells her father about her new project, and gives him frequent updates, hoping he will come to California. Evie's grandmother is determined to throw a bat mitzvah party for Evie, but since Evie feels she has no friends, she's not wild about the idea. There are a lot of other similar parties in the school community, but Evie is not invited to them. When Dara has one, Evie thinks it will be the perfect chance to unmask the golem, but this does not end well.
Strengths: This nicely explored the family dynamic of a parent not in residence for reasons that are not shared with the child. Evie's feeling that she needs to "fix everything" will resonate with tweens who might have concerns about the strength of their family. The friend drama is also on point, and this is similar to Walker's 2017 Let's Pretend We Never Met, but from the point of view of the character who is being abandoned. I enjoyed the rounds of parties, and the drama involved with the invitations, and it was quite brilliant to plan the big reveal at Dara's party. The inclusion of a discussion facilitated by the school between Evie and her mother and Dara and her family was helpful. I didn't find the ending to be surprising, but younger readers might feel the same way that Evie did about the father's choices.
Weaknesses: Evie really believing that Dara might be a golem makes this seem a little younger than middle school.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who want a mix of family drama and cryptid study that appears in books like Savage's 2020 Nessie Quest or Martin's Hoax for Hire.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC read: OMG Evie has my whole heart! She feels terrible for messing up her father's cryptid research on a lake monster mission (honestly Dad get it together!), but things are looking up when her family is finally set to stop moving and settle down in Southern California. And then something even better happens, well almost! Evie's best friend from camp Dara goes to her new school. Only she pretends not to know Evie. And Dad doesn't actually move with the family like he said he would. And everything that could go wrong does. What is a monster-loving girl to do? Decide that her friend has been replaced by a golem and investigate until she can prove it. As you can imagine things go even more wrong for Evie as she tried to find her footing in middle school. From being treated like a weirdo, to parents breaking one promise after another, to missing out on the friends right in front of you because you're desperate to regain one who rejected you, this stories tackles lots of issues that so many middle schoolers are facing with care, humor, and heart. I absolutely adored the ending where Evie found her voice in standing up to her Dad (this freaking guy!) and something monstrous that I won't spoil :)

[Tamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seventh grade Evie is moving to a new place and starting a new school. She feels all the feels associated with that big change, but then she walks into a class to see her summer camp BFF sitting there! Except the friend is opposite of how she acted at camp. Hurt and confusion follow. Evie’s dad doesn’t make the move with her and her mom. He’s searching for an elusive cryptid. Her mom is focused on her news anchor job.
I disliked the parents. The cryptid part of the plot felt unlikely to me and Evie became so obsessed with figuring out why her camp friend was so different, that she missed seeing the two really good friends she had made. Evie needed to talk and receive help from an adult…a parent or a teacher. Instead she seemed isolated and that affected her thinking which then affected her actions/behavior.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars; enjoyed honest parenting mistakes, cryptozoology, bat mitzvah swag, and forgiveness all being themes.

- - -

“Their friendship felt like a tangible thing, a cord that stretched tight between them. Or a bubble, enclosing them in a beautiful, familiar space.”

"So. Dara's Bat Mitzvah is on Saturday," he said with a smile. "What's our counterprogramming? Do we want to do a movie marathon?"

Mom squeezed my shoulders. She looked at Rabbi Freedman. "We ask our kids to carry too much sometimes, don't we?" she asked quietly.

“We could never be friends again. It felt like growing out of a favorite sweater— the sadness of seeing it in the donation pile and knowing you could never be quite that comfortable ever again.”

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this would be a good book for grades 4-6, maybe 7. As a big fan of audiobooks though, I can honestly say this audio was not my favorite and probably the reason it feels more like a three star instead of a four. The story does address some very middle school problems of fitting in and finding your people especially for kids who take on the responsibility and worry of the world. I was glad to see one parent finally stepping up to do the right thing, but throughout most of the book I just wanted to shake the adults.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evie wants to take care of everyone around her. She does it with no regard for how she’s feeling or what she needs. When that is no longer sustainable, she keeps going. Her hyper-independence and low self-regard are very relatable and it’s fulfilling to watch her journey of self and cryptid discovery. I loved some characters (Bubbe, Hannah, Charlie) and hated others (two that begin with “D”). I did not want to put this book down and flew through the pages. I’ll be thinking about this one for a while.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have really mixed feelings about this book. The messages about true friendship and the idea of perfection were good. I also liked the family dynamics. One of the things that really bothered me was the main character herself. She’s in 7th grade, but she read much younger - like still elementary school.

[Mary Beth MacLeay · Rating 3 out of 5]

this one lost me somewhere in the middle. Evie's life just continues to spiral out of control until it got uncomfortable for me. I eventually started to skim read. The ending was satisfying. I wouldn't not recommend this one, but mmmm.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing! The way Stecher developed the characters was so realistic and took me back to all of my own middle school anxieties. I will definitely be reading this with my fifth grade students this school year!

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great middle grade realistic fiction with a little cryptozoology thrown in.

[Tweller83 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was good. Hated the clueless parents, but she did what I think a lot of seventh grade kids would do in a similar situation. I would recommend.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet middle grade with an incredibly relatable main character

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect for 5-7th grade. Cute story with some depth.

[Margaret McGuire]

Thanks to Libro FM for the ALC

[Leia Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not even sure why this book didn’t grab me. Lovely themes with an odd framework.

[Therearenobadbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a hard one to read, because those who will relate to being many times the responsible one instead of the parent will understand well the fear of failing to please them and keep them close. It will make you mad, and I wish these children could be inspired by this book to get answers and realize what is the best path. I am glad the book had an uplifting end. Love the cover.

[Ellie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute for a YA book with good themes of independence/responsibility, friendship, and forgiveness. I’d say the characters acted a bit younger than expected so I’d recommend for upper elementary but maybe not middle grades.

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leah Stechler (The Things We Miss) brings readers of middle grade books another one with shades of the mysterious, this time with cryptids instead of time travel at the center.

Evie and Dara have been summer camp best friends for several years and each knows the others’ insecurities, hopes and fears. For Evie, Dara is one of the few constants in her constantly moving around life and for Dara, Evie gives her the one safe space where she can share how much her mother’s desire for the perfect, showpiece family hurts her. Another move sends Evie across the country (again) and into her best friend’s school! But Dara refuses to acknowledge their relationship and worse, convinces the entire 7th grade that Evie is no less than a cryptid-loving stalker. Of course the only possible explanation is that this Dara is a golem and her real best friend is at the STEM boarding school she was so thrilled about attending.

Loved the expository and beginning rising action of Stecher’s 2nd book and absolutely felt Dara’s pain at being dismissed so summarily by the best friend who had been her one constant in an otherwise chaotic life. The middle portion felt a little unrealistic with two just met friends (Charlie and Hannah), the only ones in the whole grade, who quickly accept Dara’s golem theory and so wholeheartedly jump on the investigative wagon. Also a bit unbelievable is the fact that absolutely no one in a whole grade gave Evie a second glance and not one staff member noticed the extreme isolation and teasing she was receiving. However I felt the culminating event at Dara’s Bat Mitzvah coming and was completely pleased by not only the resolution with Dara but with the school’s response to the grade-wide bullying plus Evie’s family’s response to her mistakes and their decision to make a break with a basically absent father. Best of all, the way Hannah, Charlie and Evie work out the hurt feelings and ultimately decide their friendship is worth working for gives readers a realistic look at conflict/resolution between friends.

Combining all the pros and cons of “A Field Guide…,” library collections looking for Jewish representation, a cryptid angle, and some excellent friendship drama should consider this one for grades 4-7. Text is free of profanity, violence and sexual content. The dysfunction in Evie’s family is handled with grace and while Dara’s family does not handle dad’s panic attacks or mom’s complete dismissal of her husband and daughter’s mental health and feelings well at all, their actions clearly come across as the wrong way to handle those important considerations.

Thanks for the eARC, Edelweiss and a print arc from Bloomsbury Children’s Books at the 2025 Texas Library Association annual conference.