Heartache and Other Natural Shocks

Gr 9 Up—Political unrest in Montreal is the reason Jules's parents give when they tell her of their decision to move to the Toronto suburbs. It's the early 1970s, and the 15-year-old is heartbroken to leave her grandparents, her friends, her cousins, and everything familiar to travel with her mom and brother to a rental house, new school, and (hopefully) new friends. Dad is staying behind, trying to sell his business, but so far there are no buyers. The transfer to a new school starts out badly and gets worse as Jules and Carla, the girl who lives next door, instantly dislike each other. Unfortunately, they are in several classes together and both are attracted to another newcomer, sexy bad boy Ian. Even worse, the two girls both try out for the same part in the school play. When Jules decides to sneak back to Montreal to live with her dad, she discovers the real reason why her mother moved them to Toronto and her heart is completely broken. A school crisis finally forces Jules to gain perspective in her life and to begin healing. Told from Jules's and Carla's alternating viewpoints, this insightful, compassionate, and darkly humorous novel explores the agonies and ecstasies of being a teen in 1970s Canada. Descriptions of sexual activity and alcohol use, while common to that time period, may limit the audience to mature readers.