The book is about life of Sofia after her mom’s death, her grief and struggle, feelings, family drama, and teenage stuff. The age when she needs a mother the most, is not around and about how, after all she gone through. will climb the mountain of life and whether she will reach a summit or fall.

Characters- Sofia- sweet nice girl. I really liked that author made this character sad and not whinny. Dear Kate- Savior of teens, and so was for Sofia. She was amazing in the book. I loved her advises and how she also was struggling with her own kid and handling. Alexa- Athletic. Spicy and hot, but in nature. She gave a real hard time to all characters in the book. Initially, I didn’t like her. Usually I like open, bold and smart character but she was rude and bitchy with everyone. But, as story progressed I liked her. And she actually made book dramatic. Kiki, was also cool and great supporter of Sofia. Male characters were good but you see it’s more female oriented so I’m not discussing them. Sorry boys! ;)

What I liked? I loved the beginning of the book. It gave warning that the book is going to be sad. It was sad of course, but book had a sense of humor that lightened up the grief of Sofia. The book was actually from January to January and each chapters in month. I really liked that style, different and unique. Book was divided in 2 parts- first was from Jan to mid-year and second- July to Jan.

First part, all about characters their background and new change in their life. = sad, grief, fun, dramatic, exciting. When I reached the end of this part, I felt like book just ended, really because I expected this an end. So, on starting second part I was clueless. Second part = surprise, dramatic, character development which was really amazing especially of Sofia and Alexa.

Another thing I loved was email exchange of Sofia and Kate, I loved how Sofia has signed off all emails. In fact, throughout the book Kate’s email from various girls were really engaging. It gave the book very realistic touch - How virtually we can open up with a stranger, we ask anything without hesitation. And girls having questions regarding hormones, boyfriend, kiss, and sex, was all there in the book, like an education but in form of story that all girls needed to know at this age. Kate’s advises were meaningful and yet fun to read.

I loved author’s note at the end. The background of author that actually resemble to the characters and author has been “Dear Carol” advice columnist. That was wow! There were many Spanish lines and it feels good when book teaches different language through story.

Overall, Speed of Life is not very different story but definitely is funny, speedy, cute romance, entertaining, and meaningful book. I will call this a mother-daughter book.

Who should read it? Contemporary lovers, teen girls.

Younger teens will find many ways to identify with Sofia and her friends. Weston provides a non-threatening, non-preachy way to tackle some of the more sensitive issues girls may face. While the plotting and writing style aren't perfect, readers will appreciate the warmth, humor, and honesty that make this an appealing story.

A great book about how life must go on after a huge loss. Sophia has lost her mother and she is at the stage in her life of growing up. It is sad and the reader will have sympathy for Sophia, but the reader will also find laughter in this little gem. A great summer read for those entering middle school. One of my favorites reads of this year.

This book is a gem! I loved the main character, Sofia, and found her endearing and an honest representation of a 14-year old girl. At times her best friend Kiki, was a bit corny, and some of the dialogue was just a bit off, but overall this book rang true to some one who spends a lot,of time with pre-teens and teens. I looked forward to reading it and thought about it when I had to put it down to actually get on with my life.

Brief Summary: Sofia is a 14-year old living in New York City. She attends a private all-girls school where her mother was a beloved Spanish teacher. Was. When the story opens in January, Sofia's mother has died 8 months ago and Sofia and her father and trying to cope with the loss and their new relationship as a two person family. Sofia and her BFF, Kiki, attend a speaker at their school, Dear Kate, who writes an advice column for teenagers. Both girls are enraptured by Dear Kate's wisdom and honesty. Later that evening, Sofia's father attends a parent session with Dear Kate. The story progresses from January to January, a Year in Sophia's Life. Sofia starts writing to Dear Kate, asking for advice she wishes she could ask her mother as she struggles with life's challenges of becoming a young woman. Dear Kate writes back in endearing and sincere letters. Sofia's father begins dating, and in the spring we learn that the "Mystery Woman" is Dear Kate! Sofia's father and Kate reconnected at the school assembly - they knew each other in high school. From there, Sofia grapples with all of the changes happening in her life and begins to navigate high school and dating - with Dear Kate by her side.

What I Liked: the story is sweet, but not sappy; heartfelt but not too deep; and the relationships are honest and real. I Liked that Sofia was only 14 turning 15; a lot of YA is about kids a few years older and the content is more mature. Speed of Life goes at Sofia's speed - one month at a time. She does not rush into dating, sex, or drinking alcohol - which I appreciated in this story. I Liked that the story was realistic and believeable.

What I Didn't Like: Not much! There were some cheesy one-liners from Kiki and Alexa, Dear Kate's daughter, but other than that, I really enjoyed this book.

Final Thoughts: this is a book I will definitely recommend to my students. I think the age recommendation of 11-15 is perfect and is the same age population of the students I work with. I think it is an appropriate read for that age group and parents will not have to worry about mature content. This story made even a 30-something get teary-eyed! Sofia was 13 when her mother died; I was 15 when my father died. I felt that her experience of adjusting to life without her mother and the life situations that come up which Sofia must figure out on her own were real.

Overall, this is a fun but touching read. I cared about the characters and was invested In their lives. I highly recommend this book to teens and adults!

* I posted this review on my Goodreads page, but I was unable to add the link here.

Thank you Sourcebooks Jabberwocky for providing an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Though it's been a year her mother passed away, fourteen year old Sofia Wolfe misses her badly. She and father are still coping over the loss. She feels lonely without her mother's presence and she doesn't know how she'll express her feelings to her father. After Katherine Baird or well known as Dear Kate, an advice columnist at a teen magazine visited their school, she decided to email her asking for advises and talk randomnly about girl stuff. She finds comfort opening up to her but things get awkward when her father introduces her new girlfriend and it happens to be the woman behind Dear Kate.

I really like this book. It's greatly written and I like Sofia's character development. Her mother's death left a huge impact in her family and struggled in moving on. I like her honesty and innocence. There are times she's naive and that's okay because it's part of growing as she continues to learn many things. I like that she's flexible and understanding. She slowly adapts to changes and I think she adjusted really well. Also, I like the little cute romance between her and Sam and how she get along with Alexa (Kate's daughter). It's not easy for these two but I'm glad they worked it out.

Carol Weston’s Speed of Life is an honest, enjoyable read

SPEED OF LIFE by Carol Weston, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, April 4, 2017, Hardcover, $16.99 (ages 11-14)

Being a teenager is hard enough without losing a parent. But things are about to get even more complicated for the lead character in Carol Weston’s Speed of Life.

Sofia’s mom died eight months ago. And at the time, her friends where right there for her. Eight months is a long time, though, and her friends are ready to move on. Sofia, on the other hand, can’t just flip a switch and be all right.

On a whim, Sofia writes to Dear Kate, an advice columnist for Fifteen Magazine. Sofia doesn’t expect a reply, so she’s surprised to receive a quick response. Soon the two are exchanging emails and Sofia shares things she only would have shared with her mother before. In Kate, she finds a friend beyond the friendly advice.

But what happens when a friend turns out to be the person who is tearing your world apart?

Speed of Life is a “girl” book. There’s no other way to put it. I remember thinking, “there’s no way I’d ever hand this to a boy,” while reading it. There’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, I think that’s one of the book’s strengths. But it is something to keep in mind.

Speed of Life is not overly flashy. The characters authentic with author Carol Weston steering clear of the overly dramatic teenage behavior characterized in Hollywood. At the heart of the book is Sofia, and she is immediately honest and likeable. Kate, too, is interesting, and her advice is good enough to have real-world applications for readers.

This is the first Middle-Grade book I've read in a long time, and I didn't realize how I missed it. I jumped into this book only knowing the description and was happy to read and figure out that the book was as good as it sounded. I really wish I had a Dear Kate I could ask questions to, my life would have been a lot easier. The characters in the story were so real and I felt I was there with Sofia seeing her struggles and her fear of her life being rearranged. I love that the story was told month by month and ended the same day the book started on January 1st. It basically just shows how much Sofia had changed, how everything had changed, in just a year. It was a really enjoyable read. I highly recommend to preteens and those who enjoy reading Middle-Grade contemporary novels.

Speed of Life was a great read. Sofia is a young teen dealing with a huge loss of a family member and the story details how she deals with the loss and moving on. Another huge part of the book deals with Dear Kate and makes a point that even adults may not have all the answers in life. You just have to deal with things the best you can and continue to move forward.

Speed of Life was an interesting book and the author's voice certainly sounded like that of a teenage girl sonit will appeal to its target YA market.

To me, this read like two books stuck together. I expected the story to end after Sofia's visit to hospital but then part 2 appeared - this read a little like a sequel.

The book would appeal to the teenage market: 13+ in my opinion.

Sofia Wolfe lives in New York with her father. Her mother died from a brain aneurysm a year ago. She goes to an all-girls private school. One day, Dear Kate goes to her school to do a presentation. Dear Kate is an advice columnist for Fifteen magazine, and Sofia's best friend Kiki is obsessed with her. They sneak into the presentation for parents at night, which both girls convinced their parents to attend. Kiki hopes that her mother and Sofia's father will start dating. As Sofia deals with confusing issues about growing up, and without a mother figure to speak to, she starts emailing Dear Kate her questions. When Sofia's dad starts dating someone, she doesn't want to hear about it, but she emails Dear Kate asking for advice. This all derails when she meets her father's new girlfriend. Then Sofia not only has to think about the loss of her mother, but also her dad's new girlfriend, his girlfriend's teenage daughter, having her first boyfriend, and the possibility of moving and starting at a new school.

I couldn't put down this book! I liked that the age level for it is between middle-grade and young adult. I don't think there are enough books for this in between age, which is important to have. Sofia's perspective is more middle-grade since she is just graduating from middle school and starting high school. However, she has to face many teenage issues when it comes with her dad's girlfriend's daughter.

This book also talked about many issues that teens face but may be afraid to ask. This comes out in the questions that Dear Kate is asked in her column. Girls, such as Sofia, feel more comfortable asking her questions through email, rather than speaking to someone in person about these awkward topics.

Sofia also mourns her mother and faces the possibility of her father remarrying, which is a real issue for many young girls. I like the way this story deals with these difficult parts of life in a positive way.

This is a great book for both young readers and parents alike!

This review will be posted on my blog on May 25, 2017.

Cute, relatable story lost its pacing and rushed towards a too-neat ending. First half was really, really great.

When I requested this book, it was listed as YA, however, I felt that it could be seen as a book for a younger age. Definitely not a child's novel by any means due to the content, but 11-12 would be a good starting point.

I found myself really getting attached to the characters, and I found my heart breaking for Sophia. It's an excellent read for those who are going through a significant loss in their lives, and how you can cope with big changes ie. a parent dating again, or changing schools. You find that Sophia's friends have a hard time understanding her pain and will continuously try to push her towards something she isn't quite ready for.
I'd definitely recommend this book to others, and certainly wouldn't push aside the thought of reading it again!

I thought this book was terrific! Sofia is an amazing character who is going through some really hard times. Luckily she has some great people around her-her dad, her best friend Kiki, and a new friend-an advice columnist called "Ask Kate". There are some very big social issues in this one, which might make it a bit too big for some of the younger middle grade readers, but LOTS of kids are going to love reading about Sofia.

I am beyond excited to share this review with you, it is one of those books that was hard to put down. If I had had more time I would have read this in a day but thought I did well to read it over about three days.

The Speed of Life, a book that sees Sofia wading through death and the changes that come with it… “But Mom died on April 7, and I died a little that day too.” The book also takes Sofia on a roller coaster of new found feelings “…And no, I wasn’t depressed. I was sad. Who wouldn’t be?” Not all is sad because the Speed of Life is also about self-discovery ”I didn’t want to get rid of her. I just wanted her to be bolder and braver. I wanted her to speak up and sing and laugh and be herself again, her best self. She could do that, couldn’t she?” And family “Thank you for everything too: your email, your sweet presence in our home, and all you’ve done to welcome me in your life.” This story is also about trusting that the one person “Dear Kate” who is the keeper of your secrets, once she starts dating your father.

The character development was very well done in this book and it is almost like the author Carol Weston, loves each of these people as though they were her family because that is how well I know these characters now. The main character Sofia, appears complex but she is just battling so much uncertainty that she needs an outlet to let her thoughts and feelings breathe. Gregg, Sofia’s dad seems distant but as his character grows he is a compassionate, goofy father who is learning to survive death himself.

Each of the other characters, all equally as complex are integral to the story…Kikki, “Dear Kate”, Alexa, Sam and Sofia’s beloved Abuelo. The story couldn’t have been done without Abuelo, he is the connection between Sofia and her mum. While the other characters bring Sofia sunshine, a listening ear, advice, acceptance, frustration and uncertainty, Abuelo brings family and heart, he is the one thing that doesn’t change for her.

This book is not just for teens, I was fully engaged and delighted with this book so I also recommend it for adults. I know that there are many teens out there that will relate to Sofia’s journey whether they have lost someone or not. The feelings she battles, the joys that she swims in are all feelings that teenagers battle and often don’t talk about.

This book is the type of story that you should savour but will be impossibly hard to stop reading. I applaud Carol Weston for an outstanding novel.

The Speed of Life – Some Days Change Everything

There's a lot to love about Speed of Life! The main characters are so real and engaging. At times I thought Sofia sounded younger than 14, and at the end I thought she sounded much older than 15, but I cared about her and wanted her to find joy and be able to move on from her mother's death. The premise is so cute; Sofia writes some personal, even embarrassing, emails to Dear Kate, before she learns that her dad is dating Dear Kate! Sofia is not ready to accept her dad's new relationship while she still misses her mom so much, but life doesn't stop. The story takes us through all the changes Sofia faces over the course of a year (give or take), from friendships, to a mean, potential step-sister, to a first boyfriend, and moving away from her childhood home. I think middle school girls are the perfect readers for this novel. I think a sequel would be fun; I'd love to keep following Sofia on her journey.

After losing her mother, fourteen-year-old Sofia Wolfe walks through a difficult year with grace and humility. She approaches her most sensitive questions head-on, unafraid to reach out to the enlightened Kate, even after she accepts Kate as her father’s new love interest. She confronts disappointing realities, acknowledging loss without giving up on herself. Carol Weston’s writing moves at the Speed of Life, validating hurdles in the delicate teenage years through a warm, approachable voice with a pace mirroring life. Using realistic voices and diverse characters, Weston addresses sensitive subjects accurately, encouraging young women to become comfortable wielding their voices. Speed of Life channels the heart and honesty of Judy Blume in an anthem for young women.

This is a beautiful novel about learning to live after losing the most important person in your life, and about the awkwardness of growing up when you’re stuck between child and adult. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret meets The Princess Diaries in Sofia’s voice, her pre-teeny voice mixed with the serious issues. This is the book I wish I’d had when I was in middle school, but I think anyone can appreciate the coming-of-age story.

Speed of Life has some wonderfully subtle diversity that I really appreciated: Sofia is half-Spanish (as in, from Spain); her best friend, Kiki, is Vietnamese and Brazilian; and Dear Kate’s daughter, Alexa, has a gay dad with a boyfriend. While all of this is part of the story, it’s subtle and natural without feeling forced.

I love the way the book deals with the issues 11-to-13-year-olds really want (and need) to know about, like periods and boyfriends and when to have sex. Having Dear Kate as a big part of the plot means that there’s some well-placed advice for kids that doesn’t come off as corny. Girls who are uncomfortable talking to their moms (or, like Sofia, can’t) will relish the realistic answers Dear Kate provides.

The treatment of grief in this novel is heartfelt and raw. As the story progresses and Sofia grows, the way she deals with grief changes; it becomes less obvious, peaking through occasionally in certain moments without being the biggest part of her story. She learns that it’s not about “getting over” losing her mom, but about learning to move forward; her mom will always be a part of her. I think this book could really do some good for kids dealing with the loss of a loved one.

While I enjoyed reading this book, it’s not without flaws. I didn’t enjoy the short scenes that made for an episodic feel, although I recognize that this would probably work for a Middle Grade reader more than it did for me. Additionally, some of the young characters make problematic statements that aren’t really further addressed. Early on, Kiki refers to the “ABCs of adolescence” as anorexia, bulimia, and cutting—it’s clearly supposed to be a joke, but I don’t think there’s anything funny about any of those things. Later, Alexa refers to her dislike for the main character in The Catcher in the Rye, that he’s “whiny and depressed. He should’ve just taken meds!” While I recognize that these statements are part of the characters (and their immaturity), they perpetuate harmful stereotypes and aren’t ever addressed by adult figures in the story.

Overall, I think this is a great book for parents or for younger teens, particularly girls struggling with the loss of a parent, or girls with non-traditional families. The coming-of-age story shows Sofia’s character growth and will resonate with anyone who’s ever been fourteen.

Refreshing voice - I work with teens and Carol Weston nailed it. I'm sort of sick of the "mean girl" character very popular in books and tv these days. SPEED OF LIFE is the anecdote to my frustration! Sofia isn't all sugar and sweet that you'd want to roll your eyes and gag. Just the opposite in fact - she's real and honest, and to read this story from her point of view is a breath of fresh air. The synopsis is a bit misleading - the story is way more than just her dad dating an advice columnist she had confided in - it's about Sophia growing up in today's society and navigating the ins and outs of surviving her teen years without her mom, who passed away, and how her friends and family (even a potentially blended one) rally around her. The supporting characters aren't evil like they are in so many middle grade/YA books, they're sympathetic and quirky and funny. What a welcome change from what's out there to choose from to read these days. I highly recommend this book.

Sofia lost her mother eight months ago, and her friends were 100% there for her. Now it's a new year and they're ready for Sofia to move on. This book was a delightful read. Told from the perspective of a naive teenage girl who has just lost her mother.. The book is well-written and heart-warming

The story unfolds as the main character, Sofia, deals with her father's new relationship and her friends moving on with their lives while she feels stuck in sadness and grief. I would recommend this story to any teenager as a good coming-of-age story with a delightful twist!

This book really hit home with me! Really I think everyone who loses a parent at a young age would benefit from this book. It just shows the real life that we sometimes have to go through. I enjoyed this so much and it will stay with me for awhile