When I first heard that Judy Blume was finally publishing a new novel for adults, I was very, very enthusiastic (see: Summer Sisters). When I found out it was a novel based on the true story of two plane crashing in Elizabeth, New Jersey within a few weeks of each other, I was less enthused. I fly in plenty of airplanes and it definitely seemed like it would have decidedly less sex, so it was not the sort of natural follow-up to Summer Sisters I was hoping for.
That said, I'm really digging it anyway. It is structured very similarly to Summer Sisters in that an adult character is reflecting on their own childhood and adolescence, which allows Judy Blume to really do what she does best, which is write from an adolescent perspective. Unlike her previous novels though, In the Unlikely Event brings together multiple perspectives from a ton of different characters, some of whom die off pretty quickly (spoiler alert -- they're on the plane), which gives a very textured account of the events, even though there are moments that feel really thin as a result; example, a marriage proposal that occurs "off-stage." The narration is still very grounded in a primary narrator, Mirri Ammerman, who is a ninth-grader at the time of the crash, and our adult entry-point into the story, as she revisits her hometown for the anniversary of the crashes.
It reads quickly and pleasurably, despite its grim subject-matter, and if you liked Summer Sisters, I think you'll still find a lot to appreciate with it.
