Who
hasn't wished they could go back in time and do something a little
differently? I sure have. For instance, I would have told myself that
the 80s bird nest bangs I thought were the height of fashion will
make me cringe every time a Facebook friend tags me in an old
picture.
But
the past is complicated. All the little bumps along the road make us
who we are, and small actions can set off chain reactions for
ourselves and those around us. Sarah Mlynowski's Gimme
a Call
explores in a playful and charming fashion what is gained and what is
lost by taking a different path in life.
Senior
Devi Banks certainly wants a do-over. She spent more than three years
of high school pouring herself into her relationship with Bryan,
blowing off friends and academics in favor of more time with him.
She's happy with her decision until he dumps her right before the
senior prom. Devi wishes she could go back and build something of
value for herself that would stand without her boyfriend's presence.
Devi
gets this chance when she drops her cell phone in a mall fountain and
discovers the only calls she can place are to her freshman self.
Throughout the story, the narration shifts between freshman Devi
(“Frosh”) and senior Devi (“Ivy”), as they
try to create a better future for themselves. They perform
experiments and have instant feedback, as Ivy can remember the
original version of the past but lives in the altered version.
For
example, if Frosh adds extracurriculars, which college acceptance
letter will be on Ivy's wall? If they play the lottery, what will
their house look like? And, the most important experiment in Ivy's
opinion, how much better will her life look if she can keep Frosh
from ever having a relationship with Bryan?
Sounds
simple, right? Not really, as the Devis finds out. A whole crop of
new questions arise. What if your past self and future self want
different things? What if your future self makes unreasonable demands
of you, insisting it is for your own good? What if your changes hurt
other people? And what if you simply can't stop liking the boy your
future self insists will ruin your life?
I
had fun watching the Devis experiment and grow. Through it all, Ivy
learns that there are no quick fixes to her problems — living
with your mistakes is part of life. Frosh learns that goals and
long-term perspective matter, but so do trusting your own instincts
and living in the moment.
Gimme
a Call
is imaginative, light, and thought-provoking — chick-lit at its
best.
Read
this book if...
You've
ever wanted to hit the “reset” button on a certain moment
in your life.
You
enjoy some light fantasy elements, but aliens and werewolves are a
little too far out there for you.
You
want something that makes you think, but is still light-hearted and
fun.
Erin
Cowles is a mother of two, living in the Washington D.C. suburbs.
Before motherhood, she used her masters in library and information
science in a law firm library. Now she uses it to find good books for
her family at her local public library. She teaches part time for a
SAT prep company, where she enjoys the challenge of making rather
dull subject matter interesting and making college a reality for her
students. During women's history month, she profiles Mormon women
that inspire her at ldswomenshistory.blogspot.com.
Erin
currently serves as a counselor in her ward's primary
presidency.