FICTION

The Grown Ups

by Robin Antalek
Morrow. Jan. 2015. 384p. ISBN 9780062302472. pap. $14.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062302489. F
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For teenagers Sam Turner, Suzie Epstein, and Bella Spade, life in a New York suburb is a jumble of friendships and young crushes, complicated but retaining some innocence. This insulated world collapses in the aftermath of family break ups and the path to becoming grown-ups is suddenly more complex. Over the next decade, Suzie and Bella barrel through college and into relationships. Sam drifts about switching jobs, and they all reshape their ties to aging parents. Despite stumbles and losses, each finds a way to adulthood, sometimes aided and sometimes held back by their childhood bonds.
VERDICT Like Meg Wolitzer's The Interestings, Antalek's second novel (after The Summer We Fell Apart) is an engaging ensemble piece with revealing insights about friendships. A great choice for book clubs looking for new adult titles.
Reviewed by Jan Blodgett, Davidson Coll. Lib., NC , Dec 01, 2014
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