Author: Susane Colasanti
ISBN: 978-0-670-01146-9
Publisher: Penguin Group
Copyright: 2010
Plot Summary: Something like Fate begins with Lani and Blake interpreting their horoscopes and Lani desperately trying to persuade her disbelieving friend that they are indeed true. Later, Lani realizes her best friend Erin is deeply in love and by the time she and Blake meet Jason, trouble starts to brew, for they share a connection deeper than Lani has ever had before. They finish each other's sentences, share the same odd habits, and can talk to each other for hours. Lani struggles with this sudden connection since he is dating her best friend. It is only when Erin goes to summer camp after their junior year that Lani and Jason start hanging out, at her wishes. Almost predictably, sparks fly but it is only until after Jason breaks up with Erin through a letter that Jason and Lani start dating. Once Erin returns, everything is turned upside down as Lani attempts to reconcile her best friend with the newest love of her life.
Critical Evaluation: Among entertaining dialog and Lani's belief in the mystical aspects of Fate, including astronomy, horoscopes, and the healing power of stones, is a story that is unapologetic about a difficult subject. There are many unspoken rules in the lives of dating teens and that Lani dates her best friend's ex and does not attempt to hide it shows the strength of the protagonist, as well as the importance she sets on her friendship. Unlike other romance protagonists, she does not throw away everything for love and instead attempts to salvage her friends at the risk of losing her love. The foreshadowing within the novel were predictable but were written well enough that by the time that the event came, it is not noticed as an anticipated event. The main characters within Something Like Fate were well-fleshed out and a suitable amount of time was devoted to each of them.
Reader's Annotation: Lani and Erin have been best friends for forever and even though Lani feels they've been drifting apart lately, she knows they'll always be friends. Meeting Erin's new boyfriend, Jason, however, threatens to pull the friends apart.
Information About the Author: Susana Colasanti grew up in northern New Jersey, surrounded by trees, farms, and more trees. After a tough time in middle school being an outsider, Colasanti discovered her true love of books.
Colasanti taught in New York and started writing while teaching until she decided to carve out her sole career with her pen. Read more about Colasanti at her website.
Genre: Interpersonal Relations Fiction; Friendship; Romance
Curriculum Ties N/A
Booktalking Ideas:
- How does Lani's friendship with Erin change from the beginning of the novel to the end? How does it mirror the natural changes childhood friends have as they grow up and how does the plot itself change it? Compare how Lani and Erin's friendship changes to that of Lani and Bianca.
Reading Level: 14+
Challenge Issues N/A
Why This Book?: Staff Recommendation
Reference Page:
Colasanti, S. (2010). Something Like Fate. New York: Penguin Group.
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