I'll admit, I love a dash of drama thrown into my realistic fiction, and with Teen books there are no limits to the amount of it I can find. "How to Save a Life" by Sarah Zarr has that perfect combination of real life circumstance and one of a kind appeal that I'm always craving.

Jill figures she's got enough going on, what with the unexpected death of her father 10 months and the subsequent and stifling quiet that has permeated the house she shares with her mother, not to mention the fact that she's been steadily detaching herself from friends and family. Then, out of the blue, Jane's mother announces her plans to adopt a baby, but wait, it gets more complicated (cue the drama). Jill's mother decides to bring Mandy, a very pregnant 17 year old, into the house to stay until she gives birth to a baby that Jill's mother will adopt. Suddenly Jill's not only feeling ousted by the possibility of a new sibling being thrown into the mix, but she has to share her home with a quirky and intensely private girl who could be giving birth to her sister or brother. Crazy stuff, right?

However unconventional the synopsis of this story may sound, overall the sincerity of the writing and of the characters will pull you right in. Despite my thirst for all kinds of crazy drama, my favorite aspect of this book was its element of subtlety and respect for the character's situations. In no ways are the circumstances of Mandy and Jill contrived into some sort of soap opera. Instead, each girl gets her deserved spotlight in a story that intertwines characters while still making sure to set each apart from the other. I ended up loving the characters I thought I would dislike, and questioning the ones I thought I would root for. This is the kind of book that comes along every once in a while and shakes up my perception of the quick summary I read on its back cover.

So, if you do like the drama and if you don't like the drama, this book is for you! Sara Zarr's writing is eloquent, perceptive, and has that unique mix of appeal for young readers and older readers alike. Trust me, there's a reason this book was chosen by Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal as a "Best Book of 2011".