Speed of Life

From award winning author Carol Weston comes an uplifting, heartfelt tale of bravery and strength in the face of loss and grief, perfect for tweens, teens and adults alike.

I will eagerly place it on my daughter's bookshelf, so that she, like Sofia, can find her own resilience and voice in our painful, joyful, speeding world.--New York Times

Sofia lost her mother eight months ago, and her friends were 100% there for her. Now it's a new year and they're ready for Sofia to move on. But being a motherless daughter is hard to get used to, especially when you're only fourteen.

Problem is, Sofia can't bounce back, can't recharge like a cellphone. She decides to write Dear Kate, an advice columnist for Fifteen Magazine, and is surprised to receive a fast reply. Soon the two are exchanging emails, and Sofia opens up and spills all, including a few worries that are totally embarrassing. Turns out even advice columnists don't have all the answers, and one day Sofia learns a secret that flips her world upside down.

2018 Best Fiction for Young Adults - American Library Association

A 2018 Best Children's Book of the Year - Bank Street College of Education

2017 Best Fiction for Older Readers - Chicago Public Library

2019-2020 Young Hoosier Book Award Longlist

Four STARRED Reviews

Read the first page from Speed of Life:

WARNING: This is kind of a sad story.

At least at first. So if you don't like sad stories, maybe you shouldn't read this. I mean, I'd understand if you put it down and watched cat videos instead. I like cat videos too.

Then again, this book is already in your hands. It starts and ends on January 1, and I was thinking of calling it The Year My Whole Life Changed. Or Life, Death, and Kisses. Or maybe even The Year I Grew Up.

For me, being fourteen was hard. Really hard. Childhood was a piece of cake. Being a kid in New York City and spending summers in Spain, that was all pretty perfect, looking back. But being fourteen was like climbing a mountain in the rain. In flip-flops. I hoped I'd wind up in a different place, but I kept tripping and slipping and falling and wishing it weren't way too late to turn around.

This book does have funny parts. And I learned two giant facts:

• Number one: everything can change in an instant--for worse, sure, but also for better.
• Number two: sometimes, if you just keep climbing, you get an amazing view. You see what's behind you and what's ahead of you and--the big surprise--what's inside you.

Author: Carol Weston
Publisher: Sourcebooks Young Readers
Published: 04/04/2017
Pages: 352
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.95lbs
Size: 8.40h x 5.80w x 1.40d
ISBN: 9781492654490
Audience: Ages 9-12

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 4.3
Point Value: 11
Interest Level: Middle Grade Plus
Quiz #/Name: 188411 / Speed of Life


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 02/13/2017
Kirkus Reviews 02/15/2017 pg. 146
School Library Journal 03/01/2017 pg. 140
Shelf Awareness 04/14/2017
Booklist 04/15/2017 pg. 51
Horn Book Magazine 07/01/2017 pg. 148
Hornbook Guide to Children 07/01/2017 pg. 150 - Superior,Well Above Average

About the Author
Weston, Carol: - Carol Weston writes for all ages and has been the advice columnist at Girls' Life since 1994. Her 16 award-winning books include Speed of Life, Ava and Pip, and Girltalk, which came out in a dozen languages. Speed of Life is a YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults, and The New York Times calls it funny, perceptive, and moving. Carol has been a guest on The View, Today, Oprah, and CNN Español. Her website is carolweston.com.

This title is only available via back order