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Title: Speed of Life
Author: Carol Weston
Narrator: Kristin Condon
Format: Unabridged
Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins
Language: English
Release date: 09-12-17
Publisher: Dreamscape Media, LLC
Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 2 votes
Genres: Teens, Ages 11-13
Publisher's Summary:
When Sofia lost her mother eight months ago, her friends were 100% there for her. But now it's a new year, and they're ready for Sofia to move on.
The problem is that Sofia can't bounce back - she can't recharge like a cellphone. She decides to write Dear Kate, an advice columnist for Fifteen Magazine, and is surprised to receive a fast reply. Soon, the two are exchanging emails, and Sofia opens up and spills all, including a few worries that are totally embarrassing. But it turns out that not even advice columnists have all the answers.
One day, Sofia learns a secret that flips her world upside down: Dear Kate shows up on her doorstep...with her dad...as his girlfriend....
A novel about love, family, grief, and growing up, Speed of Life is the heartbreaking, heartwarming story of a girl who thinks her life is over when it's really just beginning.
Members Reviews:
Funny and Heartfelt
Rings true from start to finish. Carol Weston's best yet!
The Antidote to "Gossip Girl" and "Pretty Little Liars"
I'm O.K. with the mean, bitchy, spoiled, psycho characters in popular series like "Gossip Girl" and "Pretty Little Liars". But, sometimes you think it would be a nice change if everyone could just be a bit more normal and yet still interesting. That's what I found here.
The big drama, of course, is that our heroine Sofia has been corresponding with advice columnist Kate, and then Kate starts to date Sofia's Dad. That is soooo uncomfortable, but it's really a very small part of the book. (I mean how much can you do with just that premise?) The heart of the book is that during the course of the story Sofia gets a year older, and the Sofia from the end of the book is a more mature, self-reliant, self-aware and self-assured Sofia than the one we started with. I think that's a good thing.
The issues we deal with are a recently deceased Mom, (which is actually the main thread running through the book), boys, sex, daughter/Dad relations, dating widowed Dads, blended families, school pressure, peer pressure, BFF relations, and the occasional zit. No mean girl stuff or high drama. Because of that lack of "high drama" or edgy plot the book might be a bit slow for some readers, but I thought the pacing took us through Sofia's year with engaging style and energy.
In dealing with Sofia's issues we meet a remarkably together and articulate cast. Get this. Our heroine is not frantic or a drama queen. She narrates the book and her voice is honest and open. Sofia's BFF is funny and loyal. Dad is kind, supportive and perceptive. His new girlfriend, advice columnist Kate, is calm, perceptive, patient, and funny. The potential new step sister is funny, sarcastic, and basically decent. Are you kidding me? These are all solid people and yet they live a privileged life on the Upper West Side? Can that be possible?
And get this - "Dear Kate's" advice is pretty good advice, so any pre-teen or early teen reading this is actually going to get a positive takeaway.
So, it's heartfelt, it's authentic in a fictional-perfect-teen sort of way, it's lively and funny, and it's upbeat. Did not see that coming.
(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review.
