Prithiga Ravichandran
The Probability of Everything is a novel by Sarah Everett that was published in 2023. This award-winning realistic fiction book, won the Governor General’s Award for Young People’s Literature. It tells an emotional and unpredictable story of an eleven-year-old girl named Kemi Carter. When an asteroid is predicted to hit Earth, Kemi’s world is turned upside down. While she feels like everything is falling apart, everyone around her continues life as if nothing has changed.
Eleven-year-old Kemi Carter loves science, probability, facts, and, most of all, her family. This consists of her dad, mom, her seventeen-month-old sister Lo, and unborn Baby Z. When her family moves to Pineview, a mostly white neighborhood, they quickly realize they are not entirely welcome. As one of the only families of colour, they feel out of place, and Kemi regrets moving there. One Sunday morning, Kemi sees a breaking news report announcing that an asteroid, AMPLUS-68, is heading straight for Earth. What starts as a normal day quickly turns into chaos. Kemi and her family join their Aunt Miriam and their cousins in preparation for the end of the world. But, while everyone focuses on survival, Kemi worries that her family may be forgotten. She decides to create a time capsule, asking each family member to add a memento that represents them. Through this process, she reminisces on the memories she had of her family. Tension builds as the final day arrives. Just when Kemi expects the world to end with panic and a loud bang, it unexpectedly ends in silence, grief, and sadness. With themes of family, racism, and identity, this emotional story showcases the racist struggles and injustices that are faced in the world today. And the huge plot twist at the end will leave readers shocked!
Although this book is truly an amazing read, there are some weaknesses that some may not like. One of the book’s biggest strengths is its powerful message about family, identity, and racism. The way the author subtly presents social justice issues makes the message even stronger. In addition, the chapters being organized as the days counting down to the end of the world adds suspense, making the reader want to continue the story. However, some parts, especially where Kemi collects mementos, feel slow and repetitive, which might not appeal to everyone. Additionally, Sarah Everett’s writing style makes it easy to connect with Kemi’s thoughts and feelings. In the beginning of the book, Kemi heavily relied on facts and numbers but learns that emotions and memories are just as important. This showcases Kemi’s character development throughout the story.
The Probability of Everything is a powerful and emotional book that explores family, identity, and racism through the perspective of an 11-year-old girl and her feelings regarding the AMPLUS-68. It is a great read for middle and high school students, especially those who enjoy emotional and suspenseful stories. Although the slow pacing in some sections might not be to everyone’s liking, the book’s deep message and themes make it a memorable read. Overall, The Probability of Everything is a great book and I would definitely recommend it. I would give it 4.5 stars.
Prithiga Ravichandran