THE SNOWBALL EFFECT

Whenever faced with a decision, 17-year-old Lainey Pike always chooses the chicken—selecting the safest option, so she knows exactly what she’s going to get. However, when her mother commits suicide, Lainey begins rethinking her comfortable approach to life choices, especially her decision to commit to her long-term boyfriend, Riley. Playing heavily into her change of heart is her reunion with her estranged older sister, Vallery, and their new role in raising their younger brother, Collin, who has major behavioral issues and becomes the focus of many complicated and difficult decisions. Pushed out of her comfort zone, Lainey begins taking chances, sampling a variety of life experiences and subconsciously applying her mom’s teachings from her former role as a life coach. Expertly weaving together quirky family stories, realistic characters and tough decisions, Hoxter presents a unique coming-of-age story, which highlights that teens need not just go with the flow but can and should control their own destinies. (Fiction. YA)