The Literati Read...: Gimme A Call

Gimme A Call

By: Sarah Mlynowski

Synopsis (From Goodreads): A new life is just a phone call away!

Devi's life isn't turning out at all like she wanted. She wasted the past three years going out with Bryan—cute, adorable, break-your-heart Bryan. Devi let her friendships fade, blew off studying, didn't join any clubs . . . and now that Bryan has broken up with her, she has nothing left.

Not even her stupid cell phone—she dropped it in the mall fountain. Now it only calls one number . . . hers. At age fourteen, three years ago!

Once Devi gets over the shock—and convinces her younger self that she isn't some wacko—she realizes that she's been given an awesome gift. She can tell herself all the right things to do . . . because she's already done all the wrong ones! Who better to take advice from than your future self?

Except . . .what if getting what you think you want changes everything?

Fans of Sarah Mlynowski's Magic in Manhattan series will love this hilarious new novel with a high-concept premise.

Julie's Review:

To be honest, this book had a rough start for me. The first few pages felt quite heavy with play-by-play description of actions and the writing was just a little clunky. The dialogue also seemed to be trying too hard to sound like teenagers. I prepared myself for a read that would be manageable and just okay. Much to my surprise, after the first 10 pages or so, I was sucked into a premise so delightful and full of opportunity for 'newness' that I didn't even notice when the writing became smooth because I was so enjoying the story of Devi and her froshie self.

The concept could easily have gone wrong but Mlynowski did a great job of keeping it fresh and reliably connected. Devi is able to call her freshman self and get her to change all of the things Devi thinks she's done wrong over the years. Devi is careful not to give too much away because she doesn't want the butterfly effect to kick in, but she wants to use this opportunity to change her own life and that of her friends. Mlynowski was very clear in explaining the rules of the situation and the effects of freshman Devi's actions in Senior Devi's life. She also gives the characters realistic reactions to the situation and time to adjust. (One thing I despise is when characters too easily believe that some new, previously impossible thing is now perfectly normal!) There are some interesting scenarios where, of course, young Devi's actions don't have the intended effects. Also, senior Devi sometimes chooses to lie to her younger self, thinking she knows better. But what happens when your younger self refuses to listen to you and is tired of taking your directions?

Mlynowski refrained from going over the top with morals and lessons about choosing your path and finding what is most important, etc., but still managed to give readers some food for thought. I wouldn't say that this book was one of my recent favorites, but with it's high-concept plot, interesting characters, and cleverly written back-and-forth between freshman and senior Devi, this book is definitely a fun and enjoyable read

Julie's Rating: