Wednesday, October 26, 2022

Flirting with Fate

Flirting with Fate

by Jennifer Cervantes

Razorbill, 2022. 372 pages. Young Adult Fiction

Ava Granados arrives too late to for her grandmother's deathbed blessing, then Nana appears as a ghost asking for help so Ava, with the help of her two older sisters and bumbling spiritual guide, Medardus, must befriend the mysterious boy who received the blessing the night of the storm.

I really enjoyed the relationships between Ava and her sisters and Ava and her grandmother. Whether it be the sisters watching The Notebook to heal from Nana’s death, or Nana and Medardus bickering about blessings, the dialog is fun, fast, and heartfelt. I began to forget the usual Rom-com archetypes and really started to care for Ava. The book really became about the ties that bind us and the ways we treat one another.

If you like Flirting with Fate, you may like:

The Holloway Girls

by Susan Bishop Crispell

Sourcebooks Fire, 2022. 377 pages. Young Adult Fiction

During the kissing season, one kiss from Remy or her older sister Maggie will give the person they kiss good luck, but when Remy breaks one of her family's oldest rules, she puts their legacy in jeopardy.

 

Salty, Bitter, Sweet

by Mayra Cuevas

Blink, 2020. 313 pages. Young Adult Fiction

After the death of her Cuban abuela and the divorce of her parents, Isabella Fields moves in with her dad and his new wife in France. There she feels like an outsider in her father's new life. The upside? Her father's house is located only 30 minutes away from the restaurant of world-famous Chef Pascal Grattard, who runs a prestigious and competitive international kitchen apprenticeship. The prize job at Chef Grattard's renowned restaurant also represents a transformative opportunity-- and Isabella is desperate to get her life back in order.

 

Things that Grow

by Meredith Goldstein

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2021. 329 pages. Young Adult Fiction

When Lori's grandmother dies, her world is turned upside down. Grandma Sheryl raised Lori when Lori's mom got a job out of town. Now Lori's mom is insisting on moving her away from her beloved Boston right before senior year. Desperate to stay for as long as possible, Lori insists on honoring her grandmother's last request before she moves: to scatter Sheryl's ashes near things that grow. Along with her uncle Seth and best friend and love-of-her-life crush Chris, Lori sets off on a road trip to visit her grandmother's favorite gardens. As they come to terms with the shape of life after Grandma Sheryl, Lori might just find a way to move forward surrounded by the people she loves.


AG

No comments: