Life at the Speed of Us

October 15, 2015
Grief and self-discovery combine to change one young woman's life. In the year since her mother's death, Sovern has become nearly mute, started dating the wrong guy, and begun to cut school to go snowboarding. With her dyslexia battling with her genius at math, school is difficult for Sovern. But then a snowboarding accident opens a new world for her. When Sovern touches a certain kind of spruce tree, she is rocketed into a variety of alternate universes: worlds where her mother is still alive. Confusingly yet compellingly, this also brings her into contact with a handsome, young Ute man who, over a century before, roamed the Colorado mountain where Sovern lives. Getting to know Sumai creates a connection between them, and Sovern falls in love with him. But Sovern will have to see if she's strong enough to handle another tragedy. What with a surfeit of plot elements--time travel, alternate universes, dyslexia, grief, and family dynamics--the novel is overstuffed. There's too much going on already by the time readers reach Sovern's extended stay in the past with Sumai. Nevertheless, Sappenfield has created engaging-enough characters to keep the pages turning. Readers may not understand what's happening, but they'll probably keep reading. (Fantasy. 16-18)

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November 1, 2015

Gr 8 Up-After surviving a car crash that kills her mother, high school junior Sovern Briggs believes that she's a danger to anyone she loves. She's turned silent and distant, relying on the adrenaline rush of dangerous pursuits to help her forget those last moments that destroyed the only person who really understood her. On the one year anniversary of her mother's death, Sovern's risky run on a snowboard sends her crashing into the trunk of a blue spruce. Dazed and in pain, she is comforted by the sound of her mother's humming. Several days later, a run-in with another blue spruce catapults her into an alternate reality where a different version of herself strolls deep in conversation with her mother. The minute Sovern breaks contact with the tree, she's back in her own world. Realizing the connection, she begins seeking out opportunities to use blue spruce trees as a bridge into worlds where her mother still resides. Despite subtle warnings that her presence might negatively impact the alternate realities that she visits, Sovern cannot resist the urge to see, hear, and speak to her mother again. Sappenfield uses quantum theory as an intriguing way for Sovern to reconnect with her mother, but this plot point strains credulity. The convenient use of time differential and distracting foray into the past allow the story to meander too far from its original plot. VERDICT Despite its weaknesses, the story may hold enough interest to encourage teens to further explore quantum theory on their own.-Cary Frostick, formerly at Mary Riley Styles Public Library, Falls Church, VA

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