Just Like That is hard. Not Okay For Now hard, but hard. It is also lovely. And tearful. And sweet. Typical Gary D. Schmidt, it has several key literary influences that are obvious, but it also reminds me of things that are not mentioned in the text. Diane and I both thought that this one had strong roots in Oliver Twist and maybe a little bit of David Copperfield. I also felt like it reminded me of the Anne of Green Gables books and the Kevin Sullivan mini-series – “Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel,” specifically the Kingsport Ladies College scenes. While this one can absolutely be read as a standalone, it makes sense to have at least read The Wednesday Wars so that you know who Meryl Lee is. 
As I always try to do in my reviews, I will tell you enough about the story to catch its flavor, but I will try to avoid any real spoilers. That said, in the next paragraph, I need to talk about The Wednesday Wars. Something happens in the first paragraph of this book that is essential to your understanding of the rest of this story. If you do not wish to have any spoilers of any kind, know that this book opens with something shocking, and then Schmidt spends the rest of the book dealing with grief. I still think that Okay for Now is Schmidt’s most powerful work, but this one was very compelling and brilliant. Schmidt’s wife died in 2013, and while this book was published in 2021, I felt as though he let his characters carry his grief with him. Just Like That is tender and beautiful. 

: https://plumfieldandpaideia.com/just-like-that/

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