AUTHOR: Judy Blume
STARTED: April 25, 2016
FINISHED: May 11, 2016
PAGES: 405
GENRE: Fiction
FIRST SENTENCE: Even now she can't decide.
SUMMARY: [From BN] In this brilliant new novel—her first for adults since Summer Sisters—Judy Blume takes us back to the 1950s and introduces us to the town of Elizabeth, New Jersey, where she herself grew up. Here she imagines and weaves together a vivid portrait of three generations of families, friends, and strangers, whose lives are profoundly changed during one winter. At the center of an extraordinary cast of characters are fifteen-year-old Miri Ammerman and her spirited single mother, Rusty. Their warm and resonant stories are set against the backdrop of a real-life tragedy that struck the town when a series of airplanes fell from the sky, leaving the community reeling. Gripping, authentic, and unforgettable, In the Unlikely Event has all the hallmarks of this renowned author’s deft narrative magic.
THOUGHTS: This book had far too many characters to remember. Their stories were intertwined even if only in minor ways. It was hard to keep everyone, their connections, and their plot-lines straight. That said, it was a very good read. Once I decided who the main character was, it became easier to connect people and their stories.
Also, I had no idea that this was based on a true story. I had to google to make sure but, man, three plane crashes in three months in one town is just the perfect set-up for a novel. Blume did a wonderful job of constructing believable characters into a dramatic narrative. Emotion, more than anything else, is what drives this book forward.
I would not recommend this if you want a casual beach read, but if you want to jump into a thick story, grab a copy today.
RATING: 7/10 [Very Good]
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