Finding Felicity

January 15, 2018
Lonely, college-bound Caroline is obsessed with Felicity, the late ’90s television show about a girl who follows her crush to college. And because her high school social life is virtually nonexistant, she has been lying to her mother for years, pretending the show’s characters are her real-life friends. When Caroline’s mother learns the truth, she worries that her daughter isn’t ready to leave home just yet. But after agreeing to Skype sessions with a therapist, Caroline is off to Ashmore University, the school of her dreams—along with her own crush, Liam (“He’s my Ben”). Kade (For This Life Only) throws plenty of wrenches into Caroline’s plan to reinvent herself as someone less socially awkward, but she offers Caroline lifelines, too, including a second chance with Liam and a potential romance with another boy. This novel about romantic indecision and starting over at college should please adult readers who enjoyed the show in its heyday, as well as today’s teens for whom it’s a cultural artifact. Ages 14–up. Agent: Suzie Townsend, New Leaf Literary & Media.

Listeners, be prepared to have an emotional response to this audiobook. Caroline creates a coping mechanism for dealing with father issues, a new school, and loneliness to protect her mom from being saddened by her problems. But her well-intended stories shaped by the fictional characters of Caroline's favorite 1990s series, "Felicity," crumble during her high school graduation party. Lauren Ezzo's narration is thick with tears during the fight between mother and daughter. Caroline's determination to start fresh in college holds steady despite her mother's worry and Caroline's instinct to revert to old ways. The inclination to cringe with vicarious embarrassment at Caroline's foibles and to rejoice in her triumphs is a testament to Ezzo's excellent narration. A.L.C. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine