Fade into the Bright

December 1, 2020

Gr 7 Up-Italian American Abby's life has been split in two-before and after. Before, Abby had her future mapped out. She was going to play volleyball in college and room with her best friend. After, she has no idea what the rest of her life looks like. Around Christmas, she and her sister received the first communication from their father since he abandoned them years ago. The blunt letter informed the sisters of a hereditary disease that they have a 50-50 shot at escaping. After finding out the truth, Abby needs time to decompress so she escapes to the island of Catalina for the summer. But when her future comes knocking and she falls for a boy, she must face her life head-on instead of running away from it. Etting and Schwartz tackle tough questions about knowing the future and how that changes everything, from your relationships to your path in life. While Abby's not taking her decisions lightly, she procrastinates until something spurs her into action. On the surface, this book seems like a simple romance, however, the subtle layers of the narrative build upon each other, crafting a well-rounded story about love, discovering yourself, and planning for the future. VERDICT Give this layered romance to readers who wished for a happy ending to John Green's The Fault in Our Stars.-Jennifer Rummel, Cragin Lib., Colchester, CT

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