37 Things I Love (in no particular order) Kekla Magoon

37 Things I Love (in no particular order) by Kekla Magoon
Ellis, has less then a week left of her sophomore year but all she can think about is her father who has been in a coma for the last few years.  Her mother wants to talk about their next step but Ellis doesn't want to let her father go.  When Ellis was younger she had two best friends Abby and Cora.  Cora pulled away from the group around 8th grade, and Ellis never knew why but she was too worried about her father to find out.   Ellis and Abby are still friends but Abby can't be counted on to listen. So Ellis turns to her other friend Colin who does care enough to pay attention but Ellis still feels a bit out of sorts as if something is missing. Slowly and carefully Ellis and Cora are learning how to reconnect. Ellis discovers that her one time best friend is a lesbian.  Cora's old/new friendship/maybe something more is just what Ellis needs.   Ellis and Cora's relationship is handled very well.  However like everything else. it was secondary to Ellis trying to cope with her father's coma and learn how to talk with her mother. This has a softer touch then Magoon's  previous novels.  I appreciate an author with a bit of range, different stories should read differently.  Ellis's heart is on display throughout.  I have read all of Magoon's novels and she has yet to disappoint. Actually she simply keeps getting better.  

An excerpt