One Way or Another

by Kara McDowell

Overview

Sliding Doors meets To All the Boys I've Loved Before in a sweet, smart holiday romance about a girl who decides to stop letting her anxiety stand in the way of true love.

The average person makes 35,000 decisions every single day. That's about 34,999 too many for Paige Collins, who lives in debilitating fear of making the wrong choice. The simple act of picking an art elective is enough to send her into a spiral of what-ifs. What if she's destined to be a famous ceramicist but wastes her talent in drama club? What if there's a carbon monoxide leak in the ceramics studio and everyone drops dead? (Grim, but possible!)

That's why when Paige is presented with two last-minute options for Christmas vacation, she's paralyzed by indecision. Should she go with her best friend (and longtime crush) Fitz to his family's romantic mountain cabin? Or should she accompany her mom to New York, a city Paige has spent her whole life dreaming about?

Just when it seems like Paige will crack from the pressure of choosing, fate steps in — in the form of a slippery grocery store floor — and Paige's life splits into two very different parallel paths. One path leads to New York where Paige falls for the city . . . and the charms of her unexpected tour guide. The other leads to the mountains where Paige might finally get her chance with Fitz . . . until her anxiety threatens to ruin everything.

However, before Paige gets her happy ending in either destiny, she'll have to face the truth about her struggle with anxiety — and learn that you don't have to be "perfect" to deserve true love.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781338654561
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	10/05/2021
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	509,593
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.10(d)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Born in the mountains and raised in the desert, Kara McDowell spent her childhood swimming, boating, and making up stories in her head. As the middle of five children, Kara entertained her family on long road trips by reading short mystery stories out loud and forcing everyone to guess the conclusion. After graduating from Arizona State University with a BA in English Literature, Kara worked as a freelance writer. Now she writes young adult novels from her home in Arizona, where she lives with her husband and three young sons.

Editorial Reviews

09/01/2020

Gr 7 Up—The walls of Paige Collin's bedroom are covered with travel posters. She imagines grand adventures that take her away from her small Arizona town. But Paige is unable to make decisions, large and small, leading to meltdowns as she minutely examines each new possibility. Luckily, she has great friends: Clover, who introduces her to the 8-ball app, which takes decision-making out of her hands by creating random choices; and Fitz, who guides her through the meltdowns. She is also madly in love with Fitz. Unfortunately, Fitz bounces from girl to girl, confirming that Paige has been relegated to best friend status. When opportunity knocks, providing Paige a choice of a holiday trip to New York with her mom or a visit to Fitz's family vacation home, she is stunned again by indecision. In one swift moment however, she slips on a wet floor, hitting her head, and suddenly the two possible scenarios play out. Told in alternating chapters, she goes on her trip to New York, and also heads up to Flagstaff for her visit with Fitz. Each scenario plays out to the end, providing Paige insight into her friendships, love, and the realization that the havoc her anxiety causes can be controlled with help. VERDICT Written in the rom-com style that Paige and Fitz love the most, this book will delight readers who love watching romance at work, knowing that the two protagonists are meant for each other, and wondering: Will they ever realize it?—Connie Williams, Petaluma P.L., CA

School Library Journal

Anxiety drives the story in this audio rom-com for teens. Paige loves Fitz, and Fitz loves everybody but Paige because she is his best friend. Narrator Erin Spencer portrays Paige as an intelligent girl who ruminates over every decision in her life. Spencer’s portrayal of Paige’s anxiety sounds authentic, and listeners will identify with the quick shifts in her thoughts. For Christmas vacation, Paige must decide if she’s going to New York City with her mom or to Fitz’s cabin in the mountains with his family. Spencer’s tone and pacing keep the story moving and the humor heartfelt. Listeners will devour this happy Christmas story. E.E.S. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

NOVEMBER 2020 - AudioFile

Anxiety drives the story in this audio rom-com for teens. Paige loves Fitz, and Fitz loves everybody but Paige because she is his best friend. Narrator Erin Spencer portrays Paige as an intelligent girl who ruminates over every decision in her life. Spencer’s portrayal of Paige’s anxiety sounds authentic, and listeners will identify with the quick shifts in her thoughts. For Christmas vacation, Paige must decide if she’s going to New York City with her mom or to Fitz’s cabin in the mountains with his family. Spencer’s tone and pacing keep the story moving and the humor heartfelt. Listeners will devour this happy Christmas story. E.E.S. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

NOVEMBER 2020 - AudioFile

2020-08-12
One choice leads to two possible fates, each involving romance at Christmas.

Arizonian Paige Collins struggles with making decisions because the voice in her head always thinks of the worst-case scenario. With Christmas just around the corner, she has to choose between a snowy mountain cabin getaway with her best friend, Fitz, or a trip to New York City with her mom. Paige is in love with Fitz, but she’s also an aspiring travel writer, making each option enticing and terrifying. Just after using a magic eight ball app to make the decision for her, a slippery fall leads to split timelines exploring both options, taking a cue from Sliding Doors. Rom-com–loving, grand-gesture–making Fitz is single for once, so at the cabin Paige finally has the opportunity to share her feelings. In New York, she develops a crush on surly, philosophy-quoting Harrison. However, in both situations, her untreated anxiety threatens to ruin any chance of romance and a happy holiday. Paige’s narration is endearing and authentic, negative thoughts and all. Her descriptions of anxiety and panic are spot-on, and she often uses grounding techniques to help her. Cliffhanger chapter endings maintain a brisk pace between each timeline all the way to the uplifting, hopeful ending. Both settings are filled with enchanting, romantic Christmas-related activities. Main characters are assumed White.

An engaging combination of delightfully over-the-top Christmas swoons and realistic anxiety representation. (Romance. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews