Shelby lives under a cloud of guilt from the auto accident that put her best friend into a vegetative state approximately a decade earlier. Over the course of this coming-of-age novel, listeners experience Shelby's growth as she finds love, makes peace with her parents and herself, accepts that she had no control over the accident, and learns to accept fate. Accurately capturing fear of life and its changes, as well as the need many young people experience to "find" themselves, Hoffman's (The Dovekeepers) memorable story is fraught with emotions and personal growth experiences. Amber Tamblyn conveys both Hoffman's story and Shelby's emotions, fears, and uncertainties as she struggles to overcome her survivor's guilt and growing pains. The consistent volume and clear background contribute to Tamblyn's dramatic, accent-free, nicely paced reading. VERDICT Will appeal to older teens and adults interested in dramatic, personal development stories. ["Throughout the novel, there are instances of coincidence, synchronicity, and strong symbolism from both pop culture and world religion. As long as readers are willing to suspend their disbelief, these magical elements will draw them into Shelby's world": LJ 9/1/16 review of the S. & S. hc.]—Laurie Selwyn, formerly with Grayson Cty. Law Lib., Sherman, TX

Actress Tamblyn, known for playing the title role in the TV series Joan of Arcadia, inhabits Hoffman's story so naturally it is almost as if it was written for her. The novel opens with a car accident involving two high school seniors on a snowy night on Long Island. The accident leaves one of the young women, Helen, in a coma and the other, Shelby Richmond, who was driving the car, seemingly determined to punish herself in perpetuity for what happened to her friend. Tamblyn captures the bleak despair of the novel's opening and then slowly, gingerly, traces Shelby's fledgling attempts to build a life for herself. Sometimes Shelby's early behavior is appalling, but it stems from her self-hatred and survivor's guilt; the challenge for Tamblyn is to depict the raw fury of Shelby's aftermath but also show listeners enough of the character's goodness and humanity that they champion her cause. She portrays Shelby as tough as nails but also achingly vulnerable. She also turns in fabulous interpretations of other characters, particularly of Maravelle, a single mom trying to make ends meet in New York whom Shelby befriends later in life. A Simon & Schuster hardcover. (Nov.)