In The Unlikely Event by Judy Blume

February 25, 2016 Coming of Age 15

Howdy Bookworms!

You remember Judy Blume, right? She was an absolute fixture of my adolescent reading life. Remember that time I wrote about how Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret holds an extra super special place in my heart? (It’s HERE if you’re curious.) In 2015 Judy Blume released her first novel in… Well I don’t know how long. But it had been a while, so it was a pretty big deal. That book? In the Unlikely Event.

intheunlikelyeventThe book opens with Miri Ammerman returning to her hometown of Elizabeth, New Jersey after a long absence. She’s back to attend a memorial event dedicated to the insanity that was Miri’s 15th year of life during which a succession of airplanes crashed in Elizabeth. I was about to roll my eyes massively when the second plane crash happened… And then I Googled it. This ACTUALLY HAPPENED. In Judy Blume’s hometown. She lived through this, and dude, it was nuuuuts.

Of course, In the Unlikely Event is not an autobiography or anything, but you can bet your sweet bippy that it borrowed from her own life experience. How could it not? That is a crazy fricking thing to have happen, you can’t make this stuff up. Well, you CAN make this stuff up, but only if you don’t mind massive eye rolls from people like me.

This book is pure Judy Blume. Miri is a fifteen year old girl dealing with friendships and family and faith and first love. It’s right in her wheelhouse and where she shines. I thought In the Unlikely Event was a good book. I don’t think it’ll ever really gain a place within the canon of her best work, but it was enjoyable enough. I mean… If you can find a book enjoyable that features multiple plane crashes… Just add it to the list of stuff that’s wrong with me.

Alright Bookworms. Since this book proves that sometimes truth is stranger than fiction, tell me your fave truth is stranger than fiction story. 

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15 Responses to “In The Unlikely Event by Judy Blume”

  2. Megan M.

    I once sent a scathing set of text messages to my best friend’s boyfriend (he was being a REAL JERK, let me tell you) from the parking lot of a grocery store. Then I went inside, and not five steps later who do I run into? My best friend and her boyfriend. It was like I planned it or something (I had no idea they were there.) Awkward!

    Reply

  3. Jenny

    I love those, can’t make this up, kind of stories. Can you believe I’ve never read a Judy Blume book? I really need to read one.

    Reply

  4. Jenny @ Reading the End

    Hahahaha, yep, “enjoyable enough,” I can’t wait to dash out and read it. :p What I’ve heard from everyone about this book makes me think that, like, a high level of affection for Judy Blume could make it worth reading? And I just don’t have that. I think she’s amazing, but I don’t think I read enough of her books as a kid, or loved her enough, to want a read a book PURELY on the strength of its Judy-Blume-y-ness.

    Reply

    • Words For Worms

      LOL, well, you know. I am nothing if not honest. And sometimes I just can’t muster a ton of enthusiasm, even for Judy Blume. It was fine, but my head did not explode from the awesomeness.

      Reply

  5. Kristen M.

    So, I have totally not gotten along with Judy Blume on reread as an adult even though I read so many of her books as a kid. So, I wouldn’t have picked this up even before I know about the plane crashes. But now that I know about the plane crashes? Um, no. I’ve got the heebie-jeebies even thinking about that sort of thing!

    And I can’t think of a truth-stranger-than-fiction story right now. Oh, wait! Yes! Have you heard about all of these feet in tennis shoes that keep washing up on the north Washington and British Columbia coasts from the ocean?
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salish_Sea_human_foot_discoveries
    You couldn’t make that up or, if you could, why would you want to?!

    Reply

  6. shanayatales

    Whatever is wrong with you – we seem to share it, because I find this plot very interesting. 😀 But I have never read Judy Blume..do you think this is a good place to start?

    Reply

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