Two Roads from Here

In a novel addressing the age-old question of fate versus free will, Steinkellner (Trash Can Days) places five teens at crossroads. football star Brian needs to decide whether to quit the team after receiving two serious head injuries. Allegra isn’t sure if she should accept a scholarship to Stanford and abandon her needy family. Wiley, who’s in love with Allegra, is trying to find the courage to admit his feelings; dance team member Nikki is pondering whether to go all the way with her boyfriend; and thespian Cole is contemplating a scheme to cheat on the SATs. Structured as two separate stories in one, the novel reveals what happens when the characters make one decision, then what happens when they make the other. Is one choice more “right” than another? Will the teens end up in the same place regardless of what they choose? The philosophical answers will pique readers’ interest, but keeping track of the characters and their various options amid the switching realities may prove a challenge for some. Ages 14–up. Agent: Alex Glass, Glass Literary Management. (June)