In The Unlikely Event By Judy Blume
Judy Blume was my favorite author growing up, and I love that she writes adult novels now because I feel like she’s been a part of my entire reading career. Summer Sisters is one of my favorite books and the ultimate beach read, so I was super excited to read her latest.
In The Unlikely Event centers around the unfortunate events surrounding three plane crashes; all of which landed in Elizabeth, New Jersey, home to main character, Miri, in the early 1950s. While teenage Miri serves as the book’s protagonist, each chapter switches point of view. I love when authors use this technique, but I will admit that, at first, there were so many different perspectives, it was difficult to keep them all straight. I felt like I needed to make a chart or some sort of web to illustrate how everybody was connected. Still, the action of the crashes certainly kept my interest and left me wanting to know about those involved. Even though I was into the storyline, I found myself wondering what the main plot was going to be. Would it be Miri reuniting with the father she never knew? Would it be her first serious relationship with Mason, a handsome boy who stole Miri’s heart? Or, would it be the mental decline of Miri’s closest friend, Natalie, who claims to be communicating with a young dancer killed in one of the crashes? It took a while to get my answer, and it was not what I predicted. Even though the storyline took a pretty major turn, it still felt a bit anti-climactic to me. One of my favorite parts of the book was the last part, which took at look at the characters thirty-five years after the horror in “Plane Crash City.” I smiled and teared up hearing what had become of all the people whose minds I lived in early in the novel.
All in all, this was not my favorite Judy Blume book, but it was certainly entertaining and worth the read. There were a lot of characters, but they all had intriguing stories, and the twisted irony of the crashes kept me engaged in the story. An added bonus were the cultural references to the mid twentieth century. I felt it gave an honest, accurate nod to our nation’s past attitudes about sex and family life, and it was anchored by fictitious news articles that did include details of actual events, such as the Korean War. I typically don’t write long book reviews, but I was having such a hard time articulating exactly what I thought, I figured I’d just pour all my thoughts out. Hope it’s not too overwhelming. :)
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
This book is all the rage with my students right now, and I can understand why. The plot is suspenseful, unique, and full of life lessons. It centers around the attempts of an alien species to wipe out humanity. The point of view shifts throughout, but the main character, Cassie, is one of a small number of humans to survive the first three waves of eradication. It is worth mentioning that I am typically not a fan of science fiction. Although I do enjoy the occasional dystopian tale (The Hunger Games trilogy, Divergent, etc.), I felt the genre was burning out. The 5th Wave changed my mind. It’s smartly written, action packed, and I can’t wait to read the sequel, The Infinite Sea, right after I tackle Toni Morrison’s latest. I’d recommend it for teens as well as adults. And, the English teacher in me would also suggest that you all read it before the movie comes out. The trailer looks awesome, but I’m still a firm believer that the book is always better.
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