The Chance You Won't Return

The Chance You Won't Return by Annie Cardi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

If we're honest, I picked this book up on a whim because I was scanning my friend Kerri's library displays at work, and I liked the cover. It was the last day of school, and I was anxious to be sitting by a pool indulging in all things trivial instead of organizing my classroom....a book that handles mental health is not exactly trivial, so I'm grateful that this was a young adult take on such a timely topic. Cardi's approach to a teenage girl grappling with her mother's dissociative personality (the mother things she's Amelia Earhart) was smart and unsettling, which is absolutely reminiscent of how the main character is feeling throughout the novel. The references to Earhart and use of her actual writing was clever and poignant since just as Earhart disappeared, Alex's mother seemed to get further and further away. I just wish there had been more resolution to Alex's issues at home and less cliche resolutions to Alex's issues at school.

All that said, I liked this book. It's a 3.5 and worth the read if the topic intrigues you. Happy summer and happy reading!