All the Major Constellations

Gr 10 Up—Andrew is prepared to graduate from high school, work his summer job, and finally escape his alcoholic father. His plans are thrown for a loop when one of his best friends, Sara, is in a coma after a car accident and his other best friend, Marcia, becomes distant as she helps to care for Sara. The fact that Andrew's older, baseball-star, bully brother is coming home from college only makes his home life more unbearable. A note slipped to him from his longtime crush, Laura, leads Andrew to a fundamentalist Christian youth group. Could this be the answer to his grief over Sara, and is this a way to finally score with Laura? As the protagonist meets others in the group who are struggling in their own ways, he must confront his emotions about his family, Sara's life-threatening situation, and his own spiritual beliefs. The satisfying conclusion leaves readers with hope and a sense that the journey is just beginning for the teen. Adolescents will relate to Andrew's exploration of religion and a world bigger than himself. Cranse creates an atmosphere where characters are safe to find humor in the face of tragedy and question the paths laid before them. The novel avoids making a commentary on religion, instead focusing on what can contribute to a personal sense of spirituality and the effort this involves.