Another wish-fulfillment YA novel where everything works out in the end and you get that warm, fuzzy feeling of a job well-done. Sure, the protagonist's mother is still dead (as she was at the beginning of the novel -- no zombies or resurrection spells here), but everything else has worked out in a shiny, happy, people sort of way.

Is it realistic? Probably not.

Is it enjoyable? Indubitably.

Speed of Life by Carol Weston went on sale April 1, 2017.

I received a copy free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. ( )

Sofia Wolfe is too aware that life can change in an instant. She knows this because her mother died suddenly from natural causes in their family's NYC apartment eight months prior. Fourteen-year-old Sofia's story begins in one January and continues to unfold in her point of view until the next January, making it one full year in her life. She struggles with grief and misses her mother terribly. Her family is now only Sofia and her OB/GYN doctor dad, and he too must overcome sorrow. In an attempt to bounce back and maybe even feel like singing again -- something in which Sofia has a special talent -- she writes to "Dear Kate" after Katherine Baird, an advice columnist for a teen magazine, makes an assembly appearance at Sofia's school. Consequences and complications arise soon after "Dear Kate" sends a reply to Sofia's e-mail. And so, for Sofia, life again turns.

This book has both tender and humorous moments. It's fast-paced with an appropriate title and well-structure plot -- every chapter is a month in a year in Sofia's life -- and its teen and adult everyday-type characters serve the story nicely. It's a worthwhile read for young YA teens, yet also works for any reader who likes a story about healing and trying to overcome loss. ( )