From the author of THE BRIDGE FROM ME TO YOU, a groundbreaking novel about what matters most -- when time is running out.
What do you do with your last day on earth?
There are 27 hours and fifteen minutes left until an asteroid strikes North America, and, for Emerson and everyone else who didn't leave, the world will end. But Emerson's world already ended when she ran away from home last year. Since then she has lived on the streets, relying on her wits and her friend Vince to help her find places to sleep and food to eat.
The city's quieter now that most people are gone, and no one seems to know what to do as the end approaches. But then Emerson and Vince meet Carl, who tells them that he has been granting people's wishes. He gave his car away so a woman could take her son to see the ocean for the first time, and he gives Emerson and Vince all the money he has in his wallet.
Suddenly this last day seems full of possibility. Emerson and Vince can grant a lot of wishes in 27 hours -- maybe even their own.
What do you do with your last day on earth?
There are 27 hours and fifteen minutes left until an asteroid strikes North America, and, for Emerson and everyone else who didn't leave, the world will end. But Emerson's world already ended when she ran away from home last year. Since then she has lived on the streets, relying on her wits and her friend Vince to help her find places to sleep and food to eat.
The city's quieter now that most people are gone, and no one seems to know what to do as the end approaches. But then Emerson and Vince meet Carl, who tells them that he has been granting people's wishes. He gave his car away so a woman could take her son to see the ocean for the first time, and he gives Emerson and Vince all the money he has in his wallet.
Suddenly this last day seems full of possibility. Emerson and Vince can grant a lot of wishes in 27 hours -- maybe even their own.
Adamsville is a town where everything has been the same for years. Nothing happens and many generations of the same families have lived there. Adams High is a school where the popular kids are having an almost royal status. It hardly ever happens that there's a new kid in town. When Carolyn Lessing moves to Adamsville something does change all of a sudden. Carolyn is pretty, she's artistic, she's smart and she's athletic, she has it all. The guys want to date her and the girls want to be like her. She's also very nice which helps increasing her popularity.
Even though Carolyn has a great start at Adams High she's getting into trouble with Brooke Moore. She's seeing the guy Brooke's been dating. Will Carolyn be able to settle in and to find her place in her new home town? What will happen to the kind girl who stops to talk to everyone and who's so pretty and gifted, is she going to be all right?
Weightless immediately intrigued me because of the narrative. It's written in the first person plural. The story is an eye witness report from Carolyn's class mates, girls who have admired her from afar. They're in the swim-team with her, but they aren't friends. The girls know all kinds of facts, because they spy and they gossip, it's what they do. For me that made this novel stand out immediately as it's such a unique way to tell a story.
What's happened at Adams High is horrible and it's like the whole school knew, but nobody tried to prevent it. The writing is so good that it lulls you into a false sense of security, you want to know what's happened and you keep on reading. Of course that means you more or less have to become part of Adams High's cycle of gossiping and you don't even know if what you're reading has actually happened that way, if it's reliable. I loved how the author has given the reader a role in the story, like a bystander, a listener. Someone else who now knows, of course only from hearsay, who didn't do anything. The story is being told with a startling lack of emotion, of compassion, of guilt, which made me think about both what happened to Carolyn and who have been watching her and following her. It's like reading two stories at the same time. I think it's an amazing achievement from the author that she's done this so perfectly.
The story itself repulsed me, but it's also so beautiful, because of the writing, the amazing talent of the author. I can't praise this novel enough, I think it's extremely clever and the result is something unique and excellent.
Even though Carolyn has a great start at Adams High she's getting into trouble with Brooke Moore. She's seeing the guy Brooke's been dating. Will Carolyn be able to settle in and to find her place in her new home town? What will happen to the kind girl who stops to talk to everyone and who's so pretty and gifted, is she going to be all right?
Weightless immediately intrigued me because of the narrative. It's written in the first person plural. The story is an eye witness report from Carolyn's class mates, girls who have admired her from afar. They're in the swim-team with her, but they aren't friends. The girls know all kinds of facts, because they spy and they gossip, it's what they do. For me that made this novel stand out immediately as it's such a unique way to tell a story.
What's happened at Adams High is horrible and it's like the whole school knew, but nobody tried to prevent it. The writing is so good that it lulls you into a false sense of security, you want to know what's happened and you keep on reading. Of course that means you more or less have to become part of Adams High's cycle of gossiping and you don't even know if what you're reading has actually happened that way, if it's reliable. I loved how the author has given the reader a role in the story, like a bystander, a listener. Someone else who now knows, of course only from hearsay, who didn't do anything. The story is being told with a startling lack of emotion, of compassion, of guilt, which made me think about both what happened to Carolyn and who have been watching her and following her. It's like reading two stories at the same time. I think it's an amazing achievement from the author that she's done this so perfectly.
The story itself repulsed me, but it's also so beautiful, because of the writing, the amazing talent of the author. I can't praise this novel enough, I think it's extremely clever and the result is something unique and excellent.