Audiobook Review: Maybe One Day by Melissa Kantor

Maybe One Day
Author: Melissa Kantor
Narrator: Shannon McManus
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Released: February 18th 2014
Review Source: HarperTeen

Zoe and her best friend, Olivia, have always had big plans for the future, none of which included Olivia getting sick. Still, Zoe is determined to put on a brave face and be positive for her friend.

Even when she isn't sure what to say.

Even when Olivia misses months of school.

Even when Zoe starts falling for Calvin, Olivia's crush.

The one thing that keeps Zoe moving forward is knowing that Olivia will beat this, and everything will go back to the way it was before. It has to. Because the alternative is too terrifying for her to even imagine.

In this incandescent page-turner, which follows in the tradition of The Fault in Our Stars, Melissa Kantor artfully explores the idea that the worst thing to happen to you might not be something that is actually happening to you. Raw, irreverent, and honest, Zoe's unforgettable voice and story will stay with readers long after the last page is turned.

This is the story of Zoe and her best friend Olivia who have been best friends since grade school. Now in high school they are sharing together the trials and tribulations of high school such interest in boys, too much homework, going to school dances, dealing with their parents as they try to grow into adulthood. The story is told from the teen point of view. As the story unfolds and one of the girls experiences a serious illness we experience it through Zoe and Olivia's teenage minds.

This book was well-written and the story worked well. It was believable as a teen / young adult /coming of age story. The characters were real people with recognizable emotions considering their circumstances. The audiobook, too, was done well and the narrator did a good job giving voice to the characters. I do not think I have heard this narrator's work before and look forward to other books with her narration.

My only negative thoughts toward this story concerned the portrayal of the adult characters. I felt their thoughts, feelings, and beliefs were trivialized to the point of being truly condescending towards their children. I do understand that, as it the story from the teen point of view that is how the author believed teens would see things but I, as a fellow parent, would like to have seen the parents portrayed in a more sympathetic light and perhaps their reasoning communicated more. I only think this minor point merits one half point off, however, as this is an excellent book about friendship, dealing with illness, and coming of age.