The Shape of Thunder

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 The Shape of Thunder, by Jasmine Warga

I saw this recommended recently, and was intrigued, so here it is.  This is a middle-grade novel, and I actually read it in one sitting, during which I sniffled and got teary a lot.  Prepare to have your heart broken.

Cora and Quinn have been next-door neighbors and best friends for their entire lives, but for almost a year now they haven't spoken at all.   Last fall, Quinn's big brother took a gun to school and shot several people before killing himself, and one of those people was Cora's big sister.   On Cora's 12th birthday, Quinn leaves a box on her porch -- it's full of her plan to go back and fix everything.  She's read that time travel is theoretically possible, and she needs Cora's scientific mind to put it all in action.  Surely, together they can make it so it never happened.

The two girls' family lives and friendships are beautifully evoked, and the story is heartrendingly real.  But make sure you have plenty of tissues on hand.
 




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