The Wonder of Us

Gr 7 Up—Riya and Abby have been friends since preschool, but Riya moving to Germany for a year has drastically changed their relationship. An argument has severely damaged their bond. In an attempt to fix things, Riya suggests Abby join her on her Grand Tour of Europe, paid for by Riya's grandmother. The girls meet in Florence, each one ready to try to heal the rift. They're joined by Riya's older cousin Neel, their chaperone. Many things have changed for them in the year they've been apart: Abby's parents announced their divorce, and she has spent the last few months taking care of her father. Riya had a much harder time adjusting to a foreign country than she thought, but she's found an outlet and new friends to help her decide her future. The pair travel to Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Scotland, Iceland, and finally England. Along the way, the girls reveal their secrets and heartaches and struggle to find balance and a new way forward. Told from both teens' points of view in alternating chapters, this is a vivid story of growing older and apart. The protagonists' personalities come off the page and are distinct. There are few secondary characters, but they are also well-developed, although Riya and Abby are at the novel's center. Recommend to readers who enjoy realistic fiction, alternating voices, and novels about friendship and forgiveness.