The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder
“The present moment can be chopped into infinitely smaller present moments. This moment is forever. And it is all that matters.”
Synopsis:
Campbell Cooper has cancer and doesn’t see the point in planning for a future she knows she isn’t going to have. Unfortunately, her mom is making her waste what little time she has left in Promise, Maine; a city known for its miracles. Cam thinks it’s a lost cause but fields of purple dandelions, flamingos in the winter, and a beautiful boy who actually likes her back might just make her change her mind.
Rating: 9/10
Read If You Liked: The Museum of Intangible Things by Wendy Wunder
My Thoughts:
This book is unlike anything I have read before. It has scarred me for life but, like, in a good way? Like in the way that I read it several months ago yet I still find myself thinking about it on a regular basis. Before reading it, I read Wendy Wunder’s other novel The Museum of Intangible Things, so if you liked that one I think you’ll like The Probability of Miracles even more. The Museum of Intangible Things was a lot darker and overall less hopeful than this novel is, which is why I think I didn’t like it as much. Regardless, Wunder has this way of writing characters that truly brings them to life. She makes you feel like they’re your best friends, as if you know them personally; which, in this case, makes the story that much more heartbreaking. As sad as it was, it was also funny and quirky with Campbell’s mother and little sister providing both emotional depth and comic relief. In fact, all of the story’s side characters were thoroughly enjoyable. They weren’t just footholds for the plot. Campbell’s grandmother, her veterinarian boss, and the rest of the colorful residents of that strange little town held their own pretty well against the formidable sarcastic personality of the main character. It’s not unusual to find a “tough,” cynical outsider as the main character of a YA novel, but Campbell never felt stereotypical to me. Maybe it was her hidden warmth that she only revealed to those she loved the most, or maybe it was her brokenness and loneliness that drew me too her. Either way, you will either feel like you are Campbell Cooper or you know someone like her; which, again, makes for a difficult read.
I’m not going to lie, this book made me sob big time. But, it was a good cry, a cleansing cry. It managed to be hopeful and inspiring while still making me feel like I was dying of sadness and it was great! If you’re looking for a chance to have a good old fashioned sob-fest and love well-written characters, this book is definitely the one for you!
Been there, booked that!
