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    The Best Possible Answer: A Novel
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    The Best Possible Answer: A Novel
    Unavailable
    The Best Possible Answer: A Novel
    Ebook244 pages2 hours

    The Best Possible Answer: A Novel

    By E. Katherine Kottaras

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    AP Exams – check
    SAT test – check
    College Application – check
    Date the wrong guy and ruin everything you’ve spent your whole life working for– check

    Super-achiever Viviana Rabinovich-Lowe has never had room to be anything less than perfect. But her quest for perfection is derailed when her boyfriend leaks secret pictures of her to the entire school—pictures no one was ever meant to see. Making matters worse, her parents might be getting divorced and now her perfect family is falling apart. For the first time, Vivi feels like a complete and utter failure.

    Then she gets a job working at the community pool, where she meets a new circle of friends who know nothing about her past. That includes Evan, a gorgeous and intriguing guy who makes her want to do something she never thought she’d do again—trust. For the first time in her life, Vivi realizes she can finally be whoever she wants. But who is that? While she tries to figure it out, she learns something they never covered in her AP courses: that it’s okay to be less than perfect, because it’s our imperfections that make us who we are.

    E. Katherine Kottaras once again captures what it means to be a teenager in The Best Possible Answer.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Publishers
    Release dateNov 1, 2016
    ISBN9781466884687
    Unavailable
    The Best Possible Answer: A Novel
    Author

    E. Katherine Kottaras

    E. Katherine Kottaras is at her happiest when she is either 1) at the playground with her husband and daughter and their wonderful community of friends, 2) breathing deeply in a full handstand, or 3) writing. She now lives in Los Angeles where she's hard at work on her next book.

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    Reviews for The Best Possible Answer

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    • 4/5
      I wanted to read The Best Possible Answer because I liked the sound of Vivi. I am drawn to books about anxiety, young people making mistakes and how they learn from them, and the complicated family dynamics that it hints at. Vivi is it dealing with panic attacks at the beginning of the book and her mom has finally realize how much stress she's only trying to do so much and be so much as an honor student and although she is trying to encourage her to slow down part of the problem is that she won't admit what else is going on with Vivi. We know from the synopsis that her boyfriend had leaked some pictures of her and it really affected her in a lot of ways and her mom just wants to look at the school aspect of it and tell her to calm down instead of trying to face the emotional pain that she's facing with that. As far as family dynamics that's pretty complicated as well. Her dad is not living with them and not on good terms with her mom even though her mom just dealt with thyroid cancer and well things are looking okay she's still got a lot of uncertainties. Vivi has a younger sister who looks up to her a lot and wants to be closer. When her mom takes away the normal academic summer camp that she usually goes to that one chance to and it also brings her new friends into the picture. Vivi's father is a story unto himself. He has a lot of secrets, and he has hurt those around him in a lot of ways. Vivi figures out some of the things that he was hiding, and it only adds to her confusion and identity issues. I liked the friendship aspect in this one as well. Vivi and her best friend Sammie live in the same building and they have been friends for years. They've always been close, but their own family issues that left them hurting have allowed them to bond even more and know that someone else understands. I do wish that the whole aspect of both of them liking the same guy wouldn't have been there, but it did allow for a lot of character growth and for them to look at their relationship and how to work on it. I liked the story line, how Vivi realized a lot about herself, her life, her plans for the future, and how she interacts with others. She wasn't in the best place at the beginning but she certainly learned a lot and while the main story lines were tied up, she still had a lot of room to grow, make choices, and move on with both old and new friends.Source: earc from Netgalley via St. Martin'sDisclaimer: I received this book as an ARC (advanced review copy). I am not paid for this review, and my opinions in this review are mine, and are not affected by the book being free.Bottom Line: Good read, had decent emotional connection, and complex family dynamics.
    • 4/5
      The anxiety of the narrator comes across very clearly in this book - it opens with Viviana having panic attack after taking AP exams. As she approaches her senior year of high school, Viviana is facing a lot - her last relationship ended with nude photos being shared across her school, her father has mysteriously left for months, and her best friend is moving across town. While her summer does have a few bright spots, it becomes a train-wreck as Viviana slowly starts to realize the complexity of her father's relationship with the rest of the family and that the truth may be more obscure than she's always believed. A very enjoyable read and I applaud the author for creating a compelling book and a main character who is able to move on from her past.
    • 4/5
      4.5 stars.

      In The Best Possible Answer by E. Katherine Kottaras, a teenager's lapse in judgment results in a heartrending betrayal that soon pushes her to the breaking point.

      Viviana "Vivi" Rabanovich-Lowe is an overachiever whose parents' unrealistic expectations are quickly escalating into an impossible burden for her to bear. The oldest daughter, she is under intense pressure to get accepted by her father's alma mater, but a scandal with a vindictive ex-boyfriend ruins her reputation and sets the stage for her downward spiral. With an enormous amount of pressure on her to do well in her AP classes, excel on her college entrance exams and turn in college applications, Vivi briefly lands in the hospital which results in her doctor ordering her to relax and stop pushing herself. When her best friend Sammie Salazar gets her a summer job working with her at their apartment building's swimming pool, their friendship is tested when Sammie's crush Evan Witlock expresses interest in Vivi. Finally learning to let loose, Vivi's world is upended by summer's end after she discovers a shocking family secret and she learns about a few other unexpected changes.

      Vivi always followed her family's strict rules until she fell for her ex-boyfriend. In the aftermath of their breakup, her father moved out and her mother put her on an even tighter leash. Under extreme stress due to her classmates' bullying and resentful of her parents' inability to forgive her, Vivi begins experiencing panic attacks. Still trying to live up their unrealistic expectations, she continues pushing herself to excel in her classes and ace her exams but her exhaustion leads to a bike accident that ends in a brief hospital stay. Still feeling like she is too blame for all that is wrong with her family, Vivi has a difficult time speaking up about her frustrations and the pressure she is under to excel. Even when she does work up the courage to voice her opinions about what is important to her, her parents overrule her objections which just adds to her ever growing feelings of hopelessness. At first dreading working at the pool, Vivi is delighted by her newfound friendships with her co-workers but she is determined to ignore her growing feelings for Evan for Sammie's sake.

      Vivi's friendship with Sammie easily withstands all of their various ups and downs but it is not always picture perfect. They are one another's sounding boards and they unconditionally support each other no matter what. Their bond is tight enough to withstand the conflict surrounding Sammie's crush on Evan and his subsequent interest in Vivi. Tempers flare and feelings are hurt, but when Vivi needs Sammie's help navigating the new "normal" for her family, Sammie is there for her, no questions asked. Sammie has Vivi's best interests at heart and she selflessly encourages her bestie to act on her feelings for Evan. Sammie also gives Vivi advice that she might not want to hear, but in the end, it is what she needs to hear in order to make positive changes in her life.

      The Best Possible Answer is an engaging young adult novel that will resonate with readers who have dealt with betrayal and high expectations from family members. The friendship between Vivi and Sammie is incredibly heartwarming and it is quite refreshing seeing such a positive portrayal of teenage friendship. The story arc about Vivi's family secrets is a little overly dramatic but this discovery is the impetus for much needed changes in their lives. Although there is a slight romantic element to the storyline, it is very understated and it plays a very minor role in the novel. This latest release by E. Katherine Kottaras is an entertaining and insightful novel of healing that I highly recommend to readers of all ages.