Just Like Fate

Gr 8 Up—One fateful evening, while visiting her dying grandmother in the hospital, Caroline Cabot feels a need to get out, to escape, to have a different kind of life. In that moment, her best friend encourages her to take a break from the sadness and head to a party. At this point, the book divides into two separate stories: in one, Caroline goes to the party and misses the last moments of her grandmother's life; and in the other, she stays with her family and receives her grandmother's farewell message. Caroline's relationships all depend on that moment: reconnection with a distant father, bonding with an angry sister, the spark felt after a new encounter, and even her virginity are all at stake. As she struggles with the grief she feels after her grandmother's death, the two possible scenarios explore how bonds are created and broken and how one decision can have a domino effect on one's life. Though some readers might become confused by the alternating tracks, both story lines are compelling and merge tidily in a satisfying ending in which Caroline's better decisions prevail. Recommended for fans of Sara Zarr, Elizabeth Scott, and Maureen Johnson.—Nora G. Murphy, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, LaCanada-Flintridge, CA