Our Year of Maybe

November 1, 2018

Gr 9 Up-Peter and Sophie have been friends as long as they can remember. Peter's kidney disease left him largely isolated. Sophie was happy to share that bubble, convinced that he was not only her best friend but also the love of her life. Sophie discovers she is a match, and a transplant allows Peter to fully participate in the world for the first time. Peter embraces his new life, joining a band and dating while figuring out if he can or should return Sophie's feelings. Meanwhile, Sophie is heartbroken to find that his life no longer revolves around her, even as she explores her own talents. Both teens must decide what life looks like without Peter's illness at the center, and what Sophie's donation means to their relationship. Solomon excels at authentically capturing the complicated lives and identities of today's teens. Sophie and Peter are not defined by a sole trait but rather their disabilities, interests, sexuality, and faith come together to create realistic human beings. Notably, this also applies to secondary characters, including Peter's boyfriend, Chase, and Sophie's sister, a teenage parent. The story is one of the heart rather than action and the joys and frustrations of discovering oneself are skillfully communicated to readers. Older teens will relate to there being no single right choice when relationships change. VERDICT An emotionally resonant and deeply characterized story of love, friendship, and identity in the broadest sense. Recommended for all libraries.-Elizabeth Saxton, Tiffin, OH

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2018
Unrequited love through the filter of semiselfish organ donation. Pianist Peter and dancer Sophie are fused together. Neighbors and friends for ages, they are intensely and emotionally intertwined. Peter's kidney disease keeps him at home, perfect for introspective Sophie, who'd rather say nay to social activity and chill instead chez Peter. Their union leaps to another level when Sophie donates a kidney to save Peter's life, setting off a chain of awakenings within both. Sophie wants next-level love, bisexual Peter wants to see what's out there. The fissures in their formerly solid rapport threaten to dichotomize their lives as Peter embraces life's opportunities (and a new beau) while Sophie laments the lack of amorous affection she expected as a byproduct of her hand in Peter's health. Though the dual narrative is defined by namesake chapter headers, the voices initially are interchangeable, bleeding into each other instead of landing as dynamically different. There are a number of secondary diverse characters (East, Southeast, and South Asian; Latinx; and queer), and Peter's love interest is half Argentinian and half white, but the two leads are both white (Sophie is Jewish, Peter describes himself as half Jewish).An unexpected lens for a passable love story with an expected outcome. (Fiction. 14-18)

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October 15, 2018
Grades 9-12 Sophie would do anything for her best friend Peter, a talented musician in need of a kidney transplant. She believes that the two of them are destined to be in love, but events don't go as she imagined after she donates a kidney to him. Now able to attend high school in lieu of homeschooling, Peter becomes interested in Chase, a classmate who invites him to join his band. While Peter's interests broaden, Sophie is left to pick up the loose threads of her life and dance training, but she can't shake Peter from her heart and mind. Her longtime crush moves into dangerous territory, leaving her confused and angry. Then one fateful night changes their relationship in unanticipated ways. Told via alternating perspectives, Sophie's and Peter's stories entwine and separate, forcing them to evaluate their relationship and whether they owe anything to each other. Peter's story is the more compelling of the two; however, Sophie's is highly relatable. Noteworthy topics woven into the story include bisexuality, religion, artistic performance, teen parenting, codependency, and complex relationships.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)