Heaven Is Paved with Oreos

Narrator Sarah, a diehard science nerd, adores her best friend Curtis, whom readers may remember as the laconic younger brother of female athlete DJ Schwenk (Dairy Queen, rev. 5/06). But no one at school will believe that they are just friends. Tired of fighting a losing battle, the pair initiates the “Brilliant Outflanking Strategy” of pretending to be dating, only to have it backfire when both start to feel more than just friendship for each other. In the middle of that mess, Sarah’s unconventional grandmother invites her on a trip to Italy, where they retrace a famous pilgrimage and Sarah learns some uncomfortable family secrets. Both narrative threads are compelling, but they don’t entirely mesh, and readers who tune in for the romance, or to revisit the Schwenk family, will be disappointed by how little page time Curtis actually gets. Despite this disjointedness, Sarah’s voice is tart and inquisitive, and her observations make the pilgrimage come alive. The family backstory, meanwhile, raises interesting questions about parental responsibilities and women’s roles over several generations. Not Murdock’s strongest, but readers with an interest in travel or in family stories will find much to enjoy. claire e. gross