Finding Felicity

Gr 10 Up—An engaging, realistic fiction with a nod to Felicity, a popular late 90s show. The first chapters begin as Caroline graduates from high school and her mother surprises her with a party that none of her classmates attend. This kicks off a chain of events that could alter her envisioned future forever. An introvert, Caroline believes she's fine, just unable to easily connect with her peers, but her mother insists on therapy after finding out that Caroline has made up an entire life for herself—friends, circumstances, relationships—all based on her favorite TV show. If she doesn't start making connections her first semester at college, more therapy and living at home will be the result. The teen is desperate to prove that she can obtain a "normal' life, even as she's dreaming of meeting her "perfect" boyfriend, much like Felicity's relationship with her boyfriend, Ben, in the show. Caroline finds out quickly that real life will take lot more of her participation and hurt than she's comfortable with, but may very possibly be worth it. Although the story line doesn't take a deep look at the mental health issues present here, Caroline does continue with her therapy sessions long-distance and she is more aware of her problems and combats them in a healthy way as the story progresses.