This is the story of Adelaide, a high school girl whose boyfriend broke up with her unexpectedly, leaving her alone for the summer walking dogs in the town where she attends boarding school. She has a brother that she misses greatly, who is dealing with drug addiction and living with their mom in Baltimore, Adelaide is needy and seems lost without a boyfriend, Those are the facts of the story--but there is no typical linear plot line here. The story unfolds in one way, then the reader is given alternate ways the story might have played out. She meets a new boy, they start a relationship. Or she meets a new boy, but he's not interested in her. They walk dogs together. Or maybe a dog attacks her. The author plays with alternate universes where any scenario is possible, and perhaps all of these alternate events happen in a parallel world. In the last portion of the book everything is turned upside down and we get a longer alternate story for Adelaide. The strong point of this book is Adelaide's relationship with her brother and the pain of addiction. For me all the parallel universes were interesting, but had the effect of making me not invested in the characters as much as I wanted to be. I know there are teens who will love the mind-bending storytelling and who will relate to Adelaide and her insecurities and her search for connection. I would recommend this book for high school students who like to be surprised.
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