The Best Possible Answer

Gr 9 Up—Viviana "Vivi" Rabinovich-Lowe is a high academic achiever who is under constant pressure from her father to be perfect, but her image is damaged when her ex-boyfriend circulates a nude photo of her around school, causing her to have an anxiety attack. Her parents decide that she should rest and not attend the Illinois State Design and Engineering Summer Academy. Alongside best friend and neighbor Sammie, the teen works downstairs at the check-in desk of her building's pool. While the protagonist's father travels, she deals with her and Sammie's romantic feelings for her coworker Evan, tension with her mother and sister, and a strange poolgoer named Professor Cox. The novel is divided into four parts, each starting with an evolving checklist of what Vivi must do to get into college and featuring different chapter headings related to AP exams and college admission. In this fast-paced novel, Vivi's character development is complete as she grapples with her own mistakes and copes with anxiety caused by her feelings for Evan, her lack of friends, and a family secret. Kottaras realistically depicts the difficulties that working parents face: Sammie's mother wants to move closer to her parents, and Vivi is outraged when she learns that her father could have provided better financial support for her family. The side story of Professor Cox, who has schizophrenia, conveys the importance of advocacy for those who face mental illness.