Book review: All We Know of Heaven by Jacquelyn Mitchard. Kindle edition 2018.
This YA novel, by the author of numerous adult and YA novels, begins inside the mind of a girl in a coma after a car accident: “Once she understood that she was dead, her first thought was that heaven was overrated.” If that puzzle pulls you right in, you will enjoy this page-turner filled with twists, turns, and surprises. Mitchard’s skillful, seemingly effortless prose never gets in the way of the story, with its engaging characters and dramatic plots. She is known for writing heart-breakers, but she doesn’t shy away from humor.
page-turner image:pinterest.com
This is the story of Bridget and Maureen, best friends since kindergarten and cheerleading teammates. Their physical resemblance is so striking that they might be twins. Their relationship is complicated – at first Bridget is the star, and Maureen her shadow. “If you want to be my friend, you have to do what I tell you,” says five-year-old Bridget. Maureen does want to be her friend, and follows her lead into pranks and trouble. For eleven years, until the accident, they are inseparable. Though a bit of a bully and mean girl, Bridget is loyal and generous to her best friend.
image: pinterest.com
The accident scene, the emergency room where staff struggle to save both girls – we see them from multiple points of view, including the brilliantly imagined thoughts of the comatose girl. One girl dies, and one struggles through many months of recovery. When the situation takes a shocking turn, we see the impact of the resulting publicity on their families and friends, and indeed, the whole town. The plot keeps turning, bringing new surprises and dilemmas. In the end, Mitchard doesn’t resolve everything, wrapping it all up in a tidy, happy package, but she leaves us with some consolation, optimistic for the future of complex characters we have come to care about.
hopeful for the future image:asssa.es