The Astonishing Maybe

by Shaunta Grimes

Gideon hates the idea of moving to Nevada from the East Coast. It's so empty and hot in his new neighbourhood. Only one person his age lives nearby: the girl next door, Roona.

Gideon notices right away that Roona is . . . . different. She wears roller skates and a blanket as a cape when she needs to feel strong. What he doesn't bargain for, however, is how far outside his comfort zone Roona will take him as she enlists his help in finding her long-gone father. For a kid who's not allowed to ride his bike more than a few blocks from home, this will be the adventure of a lifetime.

Friendship, heartbreak, and defining what family means are rarely as sensitively, beautifully portrayed in middle-grade fiction. Shaunta Grimes is an extraordinary new talent.

• ISBN13: 9781250191830
• Publish Date: 1 April 2019 (first published 26 March 2019)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 20 April 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Feiwel and Friends
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 240
• Language: English
• URL: http://melia.co.uk/page/detail/?k=9781250191830

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

Gideon was not happy about relocating from the Jersey Shore to the Nevada desert. He thought this move would equal disaster, but then he saw a girl, his age, wearing a cape and roller skating. He was immediately drawn to her. She was vivacious, adventurous, and imaginative. Essentially, the opposite of him, but Gideon soon discovered that Roona was dealing with a lot of grown up issues.

Like Gideon, I was immediately drawn to Roona. I saw an early description for this book that described it was Pippi Longstocking meets My Girl, and I thought that was a pretty fair comparison. Roona came across larger than life, and she had a way of convincing Gideon to do things, which he normally wouldn't do. But, she was also generous and loving, and most of her schemes were for the benefit of others, not herself.

I thought Gideon was enamored with Roona, because she seemed so free, whereas Gideon lived under the very overprotective watch of his mother, being normal and Quinton-ish. I could totally understand this pre-teen wanting to explore beyond his boundaries, and who better to go on Tookish adventures with, then someone with an alter ego called Super Roo.

But, this wasn't the only way Gideon grew over the summer. I watched him become a better friend and a better brother. He learned to appreciate his family a little more, while still trying to do some un-Quinton-like things, such as getting involved in Roona's life, when she really needed some support. He also had to makes some big decisions about keeping secrets, and he learned the difference between when it's ok to keep a secret for your friend, and when you need to ask an adult for help.

Though Roona came across as a free spirit, she actually had to worry about many grownup things due to her absent father and depressed mother. I thought the author handled these issues, and other that arose, beautifully, and reading them from Gideon's perspective softened the blow a little too. I won't lie, watching the demise of Super Roo was tough for me. It's always heartbreaking to see someone so young have to deal with these issues, but what's more heartbreaking is that I know there are non-fictional kids with similar struggles. I can only hope they are lucky enough to have a friend like Gideon, who worked so hard to try and resurrect Super Roo.

Overall: A charming and moving story of friendship and finding those people you know you can count on in your time of need, which tugged on my heartstrings and put a smile on my face.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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