In the Unlikely Event
This is the story of Elizabeth, New Jersey, a town shocked by three plane crashes within months of each other during the years of 1951 and 1952. Blume intersperses the lives of her characters with newspaper articles (written by her character, Henry, a conglomeration of several actual journalists who reported on the events), giving the book a compelling mix of objective reporting and personal stories.
At times it feels like Blume is trying to include the entire town of Elizabeth, giving the points of view of so many characters that they become difficult to keep track of and care about. But halfway through she starts to focus more on Miri Ammerman, a Jewish ninth grader trying to live a normal life of stylish haircuts, dating boys, and hanging out with her best friend, Natalie. But her normal teen anxieties are compounded when she and her mother witness the first plane crash in their town. When the crashes keep occurring, Miri wonders if the rumors of alien invasion or government conspiracy are true. And when she has to cope with her grandmother’s new gentleman friend, her mother’s boyfriend, and the divorce of her best friend’s perfect parents, it feels as though nothing will be okay ever again.
The book feels occasionally aimless, but when Blume zeroes in on Miri and the teen issues of which she has always written so brilliantly, the book comes to life and becomes a joy to read.
