The Other Side of Infinity

A secretly prophetic teen and a dyslexic lifeguard, both 17 and white-cued, navigate first love amid rapidly unfolding events in this speculative romance from Smith (The Half-Orphan’s Handbook) that’s reminiscent of The Butterfly Effect. Nick Irving, a lifeguard at a public Boston pool, inexplicably panics when a patron becomes unresponsive. December Jones, who has preternatural access to everybody’s memories and futures, intervenes, rescuing the man and inadvertently rewriting the future of every person in attendance, including Nick, whose death she foretells. When a local newspaper claims that Nick single-handedly rescued the pool-goer, he insists that December come forward. She agrees, but only in exchange for helping her locate her mother, who abandoned December when she was seven. Despite her gift, her mom’s whereabouts are December’s only blank spot. While Nick’s efforts initially prove fruitless, he eventually unravels the truth. Unbeknownst to the teens, however, their mission has unintended consequences with grave repercussions. The supernatural elements, and their connectivity with December’s mom’s disappearance and the teens’ developing relationship, don’t quite gel together. Nevertheless, Smith sensitively renders the duo’s complex internality through their magnetic alternating perspectives, which propel this romantic mystery at a gripping clip. Ages 14–up. (Apr.)