The Probability of Miracles

by Wendy Wunder

A funny, bittersweet and irresisitible teenage romance, perfect for fans of Gayle Forman's If I Stay, Jenny Downham's Before I Die or Lauren Oliver's Before I Fall

A funny, bittersweet teenage romance for those who loved Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher.

Seventeen-year-old Campbell doesn't believe in miracles. She's spent the last five years in and out of hospitals, so she's pretty sceptical.
But Campbell's mum and sister won't give up. They've heard rumours of a place in Maine where magical things happen: fish raining from the sky, purple dandelions, everlasting sunsets. A place named Promise. Yes, really.
So they head to Promise for a holiday by the sea, where Cam meets mysterious neighbour Asher, a crazy donkey called James and a puppy who's a survivor. In Promise Cam learns to believe in true love, in herself, and maybe even in miracles.

This is Wendy Wunder's debut novel - and it lives up to her unusual surname! Wendy lives in Boston with her daughter and family and teaches yoga as well as writing.

• ISBN10: 014134072X
• ISBN13: 9780141340722
• Publish Date: 5 July 2012 (first published 1 December 2011)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 18 July 2015
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 368
• Language: English

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Kids, this was tough. It's about a terminally ill teen. So, be prepared. But, you know what? It also a really beautiful story. Cam had been battling her cancer for years, and she had accepted that her life would be short well before the doctor declared they were out of options. She had closed herself off to any possibilities, and that is where the beauty comes from. Her mother whisks her and her sister away to Maine, where Cam learns to open herself up to possibilities. She allowed herself to enjoy things, make friends, fall in love, and just enjoy being in the moment. I was a hot mess, when I finished this book, but I have zero regrets about reading it.

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[lizarodz]

The Probability of Miracles is an AMAZING novel. I was a little hesitant to read it since it has to do with cancer and therefore I prepared myself for a heartbreaking story. Instead I got so much more.

Cam is a unique character. She is snarky, brutally honest, realistic, funny and lacking in faith. She is very loving (deep, deep inside!) but hides her feelings with sarcasm, irony and by acting up. Cam is in no way perfect, in fact she is quite the opposite, and makes it hard for others to love her or even like her, but in spite it all, we can't help but fall in love with her.

On the other hand, Asher tries very hard to be perfect, but he doesn't need to be. He is so loving and at the same time starving for affection. He has a twisted view of reality and fate and I am so glad that Cam and Asher found each other and were able to grow, at least for the time they had, together. There are many unforgettable characters: Cam's mother Alicia and her utter faith that Cam would beat her disease, her sister Perry and her understanding of it all, her grandma (she is hilarious!), even Sunny and Lily.

The plot is incredibly well played. The story is well paced, even if it seemed slow at the beginning and the writing is amazing. Ms. Wunder is a character builder and she creates situations that gives us insight as to the nature of her characters and at the same time allows them to grow. The story is laugh-out-loud hilarious at points, but needless to say I cry at the very end. A note of caution: I would recommend the book to older readers since it has a bit of bad language, shoplifting and some sexual content.

I am eager to see what Ms. Wunder has in store for us next, as I think she has gained a new fan.

About the cover: There is so much in this cover. The background of the blue sky, the girl seems to be reflecting. The feathers and the pink color have to do with flamingos (you have to read it to know why) and the different meanings this has throughout the book.