Reviews
"An ambitious book that combines adult experience with the sweet familiarity of Blume's writing for and about younger people. . . . The novel rivals Tolstoy or Ferrante in its number of characters, families, and stories, and it feels not just believable but like a regular preteen-style Judy Blume page-turner, emotionally resonant and down-to-earth at once. . . . It's also the experience of being in Blume's authoritative hands, reading a dramatic story about daily life told in a funny, orderly, honest style. Blume is always kind to her readers; the suffering her characters experience feels real but never cruel, never melodramatic. . . . [Her books are] deftly crafted, and she's done the hard work for us. . . . Reading In the Unlikely Event is like reconnecting with a long-lost friend." --Sarah Larson, The New Yorker " In the Unlikely Event gives us everything that Blume is known (and beloved) for--the fierce, fraught nature of young relationships, the comfort and confines of cultural identity, the messiness and joys of the body--and takes it to a new level. This novel is her most ambitious to date, and she lives up to its reach with her characteristic frankness, compassion, and charm." --Gayle Brandeis, The San Francisco Chronicle "Judy Blume isn't just revered, she's revolutionary. . . . The novel moves with momentum, told in short chapter bursts, newspaper reports and even scripted dialogue. . . . Blume nails every 1950s detail, from the refinished basements with wet bars and knotty-pine walls to Elizabeth Taylor haircuts and mentions of Bogart and Bacall. . . . Blume, whose fiction for adults has the same emotional immediacy as her books for children, makes us feel the pure shock and wonder of living." --Caroline Leavitt, The New York Times Book Review "Judy Blume is back--and on her game! . . . A deftly written story that captures a town coping with loss and the sudden fame that horrible tragedy brings. You won't want to turn the last page." --Kim Hubbard, People Magazine "It's Judy Blume and, therefore, it's gold. . . . Despite tragedy at its core, [ In the Unlikely Event ] soars." --Jacqueline Cutler, Newark Star Ledger "A heartfelt novel intended to be heartwarming. In that it fully succeeds." --Sherryl Connelly, New York Daily News "Has [Judy Blume's] signature warm, personal touch." --Megan O'Grady, Vogue.com "Comfort reading at its most soothing, the turn of its pages like sitting down with a beloved, long-lost friend." --Lucy Scholes, The Independent (U.K.) "Characteristically accessible, frequently charming, and always deeply human." -- Publishers Weekly "There is no surprise that [ In the Unlikely Event ] is smoothly written, and its story compelling. The setting--the early 1950s--is especially well realized. . . A new Blume novel will always be big news." --Michael Cart, Booklist (starred review), "Judy Blume isn't just revered, she's revolutionary. . . . The novel moves with momentum, told in short chapter bursts, newspaper reports and even scripted dialogue. . . . Blume nails every 1950s detail, from the refinished basements with wet bars and knotty-pine walls to Elizabeth Taylor haircuts and mentions of Bogart and Bacall. . . . Blume, whose fiction for adults has the same emotional immediacy as her books for children, makes us feel the pure shock and wonder of living." --Caroline Leavitt, The New York Times Book Review "A heartfelt novel intended to be heartwarming. In that it fully succeeds." --Sherryl Connelly, New York Daily News "Comfort reading at its most soothing, the turn of its pages like sitting down with a beloved, long-lost friend." --Lucy Scholes, The Independent (U.K.) "Characteristically accessible, frequently charming, and always deeply human." -- Publishers Weekly "There is no surprise that [ In the Unlikely Event ] is smoothly written, and its story compelling. The setting--the early 1950s--is especially well realized. . . A new Blume novel will always be big news." --Michael Cart, Booklist (starred review), "Characteristically accessible, frequently charming, and always deeply human." -- Publishers Weekly "There is no surprise that [ In the Unlikely Event ] is smoothly written, and its story compelling. The setting--the early 1950s--is especially well realized. . . A new Blume novel will always be big news." --Michael Cart, Booklist (starred review), "An ambitious book that combines adult experience with the sweet familiarity of Blume's writing for and about younger people. . . . The novel rivals Tolstoy or Ferrante in its number of characters, families, and stories, and it feels not just believable but like a regular preteen-style Judy Blume page-turner, emotionally resonant and down-to-earth at once. . . . It's also the experience of being in Blume's authoritative hands, reading a dramatic story about daily life told in a funny, orderly, honest style. Blume is always kind to her readers; the suffering her characters experience feels real but never cruel, never melodramatic. . . . [Her books are] deftly crafted, and she's done the hard work for us. . . . Reading In the Unlikely Event is like reconnecting with a long-lost friend." --Sarah Larson, The New Yorker " In the Unlikely Event gives us everything that Blume is known (and beloved) for--the fierce, fraught nature of young relationships, the comfort and confines of cultural identity, the messiness and joys of the body--and takes it to a new level. This novel is her most ambitious to date, and she lives up to its reach with her characteristic frankness, compassion, and charm." --Gayle Brandeis, The San Francisco Chronicle "Judy Blume isn't just revered, she's revolutionary. . . . The novel moves with momentum, told in short chapter bursts, newspaper reports and even scripted dialogue. . . . Blume nails every 1950s detail, from the refinished basements with wet bars and knotty-pine walls to Elizabeth Taylor haircuts and mentions of Bogart and Bacall. . . . Blume, whose fiction for adults has the same emotional immediacy as her books for children, makes us feel the pure shock and wonder of living." --Caroline Leavitt, The New York Times Book Review "Judy Blume is back--and on her game! . . . A deftly written story that captures a town coping with loss and the sudden fame that horrible tragedy brings. You won't want to turn the last page." --Kim Hubbard, People Magazine "It's Judy Blume and, therefore, it's gold. . . . Despite tragedy at its core, [ In the Unlikely Event ] soars." --Jacqueline Cutler, Newark Star Ledger "A heartfelt novel intended to be heartwarming. In that it fully succeeds." --Sherryl Connelly, New York Daily News "Comfort reading at its most soothing, the turn of its pages like sitting down with a beloved, long-lost friend." --Lucy Scholes, The Independent (U.K.) "Characteristically accessible, frequently charming, and always deeply human." -- Publishers Weekly "There is no surprise that [ In the Unlikely Event ] is smoothly written, and its story compelling. The setting--the early 1950s--is especially well realized. . . A new Blume novel will always be big news." --Michael Cart, Booklist (starred review)
