Speed of Life by Carol Weston

Both Sofia and her father are just going through the motions, dealing with their own grief after Sofia's mother dies. Sofia starts to write to a advise columnist, Dear Kate, as a way to deal with the crushing and confusing emotions in her new "motherless" life.  Then she notices that her father has become less depressed, and figures out that he is seeing someone.  Sofia feels betrayed at first, but soon learns to care for her father's new girlfriend, Kate, the same one Sofia had been writing.  Kate's own teenage daughter is another matter.  Can she and Sofia ever learn to be friends?

This book received a lot of starred reviews, and for good reason.  It looks at life squarely, but not without hope.  Sofia, and those around her all have difficult things they are working through, but there is always the promise that things will get better.  I liked the book, but I am moving it to the Young Adult section.  It really is a YA book, not a kid's book.  It deals with a lot of mature themes, and has quite a bit of mature language in it.  (239 p.)