SPECIAL TOPICS IN CALAMITY PHYSICS

by Marisha Pessl
 
I will admit, this book took me a while to get into, but once I did, it was WORTH IT! The friend who recommendedSpecial Topics described it as Gilmore Girls meets murder mystery, and that’s a good place to start.  The protagonist and narrator is a super-smart, teenage girl with a single parent.  She doesn’t quite fit in at her new school, but is focused on her dream of getting to Harvard.
 
Out of nowhere, the cool film teacher and her entourage of student followers decide to take Blue, our narrator, into their group and under their wing.  They meet weekly at the teacher’s house for dinner and form relationships that are more adult and with higher stakes than any normal high-schooler might experience.
 
To give you any more plot would ruin the suspense, but it unravels in a smart and ultimately satisfying way, though you won't believe how crazy things get by the end!  I would recommend this book as a fun read for anyone who wishes their high school years were a bit more dramatic! (Lily)