Review: Funny How Things Change

Funny How Things Change
Melissa Wyatt
2009; Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 978-0-374-30233-7 (hardcover)
ARC provided by author

Summary: The West Virginia mountains are a part of Remy. His town might be dying as the coal runs out, but Remy knows everyone and is related to most of the town. And the most important person in town is his girlfriend Lisa. She's smart, beautiful, and just as crazy about Remy as he is about her. In fact, she doesn't want to leave Remy behind when she goes to college. Lisa wants Remy to come with her to Pennsylvania. He says yes, but that doesn't mean his mind is made up. Money, his father, the mountains, and a girl named Dana will all play a role in leading Remy to his final decision.

A love letter to a vanishing, unique place, Funny How Things Change honestly shows a young man grappling with a major life choice. While most people see leaving as the right choice, Remy struggles against this choice even as he makes plans to leave. Gradually, he comes to see that he should pick the option that's right for him and him alone, one that values the things that are important to him. Thanks to memorable characters, authentic voices, and vivid descriptions, Melissa Wyatt tells her story in a compelling, thoughtful manner. A novel that values setting as much as character and plot, Funny How Things Change is bound to be popular with any reader who's pondered their future and wanted to go against the seemingly right choice.