ALL WE KNOW OF LOVE

Natalie’s obsession with Adam, her glib sometime boyfriend, and the very real possibility of pregnancy compel her to take a 24-hour bus ride to Florida to find her missing mother and some answers about love. On the road, her path crosses those of others: people sitting next to her in diners, stations and bus seats. Baskin drops brief interludes, gorgeous vignettes describing the love experiences of fellow travelers, into each chapter, and readers will soon see striking similarities between Natalie’s story and those of these strangers. Teens will wonder at this unusual, fascinating examination of human intersection and the myriad, imperceptible ways we relate to one another. Varied love verses head each chapter, prompting further introspection. The narrative keeps from straying too far into the metaphysical by sticking close to Natalie’s unrelenting, self-destructive addiction to Adam; readers in the throes of compulsive infatuation will identify with her constant urge to check her cell for messages. Girls navigating relationships with boys, mothers, fathers and friends will gladly share Natalie’s bus seat as she heads south. (Fiction. 14 & up)