INEVITABLE AND ONLY

What would you do if you suddenly discovered you had a half sister and she’s only a few months older than you?

Cadie’s life is pretty great. Sure, the mixed-race teen’s relationship with her Latina mother could be better, but Cadie and her white dad get along well, and her mom is busy with her little brother, a cello genius, anyway. But when Elizabeth, a white girl who is just a few months older than Cadie, comes to live with the family, relationships start to deteriorate pretty quickly. For one thing, Elizabeth is the outcome of her dad’s past infidelity. Plus she goes to church every week, unlike the rest of the family, who fall along the “free-spirited hippie” end of the spiritual spectrum. Also, Cadie’s longtime crush finds Elizabeth quite charming. Can Cadie find distraction and solace in her friends, her drama class, and her new potential flame? Rosinky’s debut offers up an extremely diverse cast of characters who interact with vivacity and authentic emotion. A backdrop of theater quotes and scenes, including a healthy dose of Shakespeare, gives the story a sweet connection to the acting world without feeling unnatural or overbearing. A complex tangle of plotlines finally resolves itself in a neat package, perhaps a bit too neat, but that’s a small nit to pick.

An excellent read.