Maybe One Day

Gr 9 Up—In the fall of junior year, Olivia and Zoe are dealing with typical issues: school, family, and trying to figure out how to channel the energy and passion that had previously gone to pre-professional ballet studies. The teens are perfect complements to each other ("salt and pepper" due to their opposite personalities and hair colors) and have been inseparable since they met as children in a local New Jersey ballet class. As a team, they now face the ultimate challenge-Olivia's surprising and aggressive leukemia. As she struggles with her illness and the devastating treatments, Zoe also strives to figure out how to be "normal" without her other half. Kantor expertly creates a balanced novel that conveys heartfelt emotion without veering toward the maudlin. When Olivia's illness reaches its sad conclusion in the spring of junior year, readers' inevitable tears will be organic and unforced. The dialogue is fresh and authentic, and Zoe is a layered narrator in Kantor's hands-she is at once angry, sad, optimistic, and confused. Her best friend is less complex and more beatific, but given that she is depicted through the eyes of her biggest fan, it makes sense and doesn't detract from the power of the story. While there is a sweet and appropriately complicated subplot about first love in this novel, the real love story is between Olivia and Zoe-their deep friendship of mutual understanding is one to be cherished. While this novel will certainly appeal to teens seeking a good cry along the lines of John Green's The Fault in Our Stars (Dutton, 2012) or Jenny Downham's Before I Die (Random, 2007), Maybe One Day will also resonate with those looking for a faithful portrayal of female friendship.—Susannah Goldstein, Convent of the Sacred Heart, New York City