Mysterious Ways by Wendy Wunder
Wunder does a masterful job of blending the fantastical and supernatural elements with real-world issues.
Author Wendy Wunder of the acclaimed novel The Probability of Miracles is back with a playful yet profound story in her latest YA, Mysterious Ways. Our main character, 17-year-old Maya has a gift (or should we call it a curse?) that allows her to instantly know everything about a person as soon as she looks at them. She has access to every thought, secret, desire, success, and every tragic failure that makes up a person. Because of her “abilities” she finds herself being sent to a psychiatric facility. Reading this book will have you constantly asking yourself the age-old question: is there such a thing as knowing too much?
Young Adult Coming-of-Age Story
I found Mysterious Ways to be a very unique read, especially when it comes to the YA genre. This book walks the line of comedy and tragedy as we dive into the overwhelming mind of Maya and her omniscient and God-like attitude of modern times in a small Pennsylvania town. When asked about which superpower you would want if you could choose, I always picked mind reader which always seemed like such a useful and practical answer but after reading this, I might have to change my answer.
The fact that Maya can read minds doesn’t mean she is able to filter out what she hears and unfortunately, most of what she hears is negative. Constantly being subjected to cynical and at times disturbing thoughts naturally begins on weigh heavy on her young shoulders giving Maya the idea that us as humans are pessimistic in nature and believes that soon, much like the story of Noah’s Ark, our world will flood wiping away all wickedness.
Because of her gift (or curse) she is placed in the Whispering Pines Psychiatric Facility, which comes with its own challenges. But to then have to enroll in a new school and assimilate back into society? That seems hard enough for a regular teenager but for someone like Maya, I can only imagine how difficult that would be!
From the start, this book captures the chaotic nature of the mind of a teenage girl. Wunder’s portrayal of Maya seems very authentic, which helps immerse you further into her world. Maya’s journey is a tumultuous but inspiring one. Because of her ability she can seem quite jaded, for good reason, but that only lends more satisfaction to her interactions with others and development as you make your way through her story.
Relatable and Authentic
Wunder also does a masterful job of blending the fantastical and supernatural elements with real-world issues, such as struggles of adolescence, mental health, anxiety and exploring the intricacies of finding your identity which keeps the narrative relatable and authentic for the younger readers.
Mysterious Ways is filled with heart, humor and encourages to the reader to contemplate the human condition, while offering up a fresh perspective on the complexities of growing up and realizing that it might be best not to know everything.
About Wendy Wunder:
Wendy Wunder is the star-reviewed author of The Probability of Miracles and The Museum of Intangible Things. When not writing, she often works as a rogue librarian and is currently a bookseller at Porter Square Books. She lives in Boston with her writer-husband, dancer-daughter and two dopey (but adorable) pets with no particular talent.
(Photo Credit: Matthew Guillory)
Publish Date: August 27, 2024
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Author: Wendy Wunder
Page Count: 336 pages
Publisher: Wednesday Books
ISBN: 978-1250770202