In the Unlikely Event

by Judy Blume
August 12-September 2, 2015


Judy Blume shaped my childhood and most certainly can be credited for my love of reading. I mean, Are You There God, It's Me, Margaret was a rite of passage. Forever will always hold a special place in my heart and I will remember the last line of that book until the day I die. "Theo called." Devastating!!!

While I haven't really kept up with most of Blume's adult books, I was intrigued by this one. I also found out she lives in Key West and I was mad I didn't stalk her when I was there last year.

So apparently "non-skeds" were a thing in the 50s. I had to look it up. A bunch of airplanes left unused since WWII were purchased by private owners and used to get travelers around the country at the last minute. The problem was that most of these planes weren't properly maintenanced, so they ended up crashing. In Elizabeth, NJ three of these planes crashed within 58 days. Blume weaves this historical truth in with Miri, our fictional heroine, and how it affected the lives of the teenagers growing up during this turmoil. It's a cute, past-paced novel without going too deep. Each chapter is told from a different character's point of view – which I typically like – but this time I was craving a little more in-depth look into Miri's life. A lot of the side stories were interesting and could have used more development.

Although I wasn't alive in the 50s, the nostalgia was fun to read. I think Boomers would appreciate this part about the book more than anyone else, but they aren't really Blume's target audience, are they? Unless she's trying to reach out to a new demographic? Mainly it's an homage to her hometown.

No major work of literature here, but a light, fun read nonetheless.

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