The Probability of Everything

by Sarah Everett Narrated by Jordan Cobb

Overview

A heart-wrenching middle grade debut about Kemi, an aspiring scientist who loves statistics and facts, as she navigates grief and loss at a moment when life as she knows it changes forever.

Eleven-year-old Kemi Carter loves scientific facts, specifically probability. It's how she understands the world and her place in it. Kemi knows her odds of being born were 1 in 5.5 trillion, and that the odds of her having the best family ever were even lower. Yet somehow, Kemi lucked out.

But everything Kemi thought she knew changes when she sees an asteroid hover in the sky, casting a purple haze over her world. Amplus-68 has an 84.7% chance of colliding with earth in four days, and with that collision, Kemi's life as she knows it will end.

But over the course of the four days, even facts don't start to feel true to Kemi anymore. The new town she moved to that was supposed to be “better for her family” isn't very welcoming. And Amplus-68 is taking over her life, but others are still going to school and eating at their favorite diner like nothing has changed. Is Kemi the only one who feels like the world is ending?

With the days numbered, Kemi decides to put together a time capsule that will capture her family's truth: how creative her mother is, how inquisitive her little sister can be, and how much Kemi's whole world revolves around her father. But no time capsule can change the truth behind all of it, that Kemi must face the most inevitable and hardest part of life: saying goodbye.

A stunning portrait of grief, loss, and that moment in life that splits the world into ""before"" and ""after,"" Sarah Everett's middle grade debut is an unforgettable reading experience, from each insightful phrase, all the way to the explosive ending.

Editorial Reviews

AUGUST 2023 - AudioFile

Jordan Cobb narrates the approaching-end-of-the world records of 11-year-old Kemi, a Nigerian American whose color puts her at odds in her white neighborhood. Cobb re-creates the warm tenderness of Kemi's family, especially their playful interactions with an exploring toddler and their anticipation of a baby due in five months. Cobb voices Kemi's strength with respect to the impending doom, emphasizing her wit and intelligence as she collects mementos of her family for a time capsule and flees into the comfort zone of probability and statistics that her father has nurtured in her. Nearing the story's end, reality shifts, and Kemi is revealed as an unreliable narrator. Cobb's narration helps listeners bridge these shifts because she has so authentically portrayed Kemi's thoughts and feelings all along. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine

Publishers Weekly

★ 05/01/2023

After learning that an asteroid is set to destroy Earth, a sixth grader builds a time capsule to commemorate her family in this pensive read from Everett (How to Live Without You). With her parents and younger sister Lo, 11-year-old Nigerian American Kemi Carter, an aspiring scientist obsessed with probability statistics, makes up one of the few Black families living in a predominantly white neighborhood. And despite some tension with a prejudiced neighbor, Kemi feels that she has a pretty good life with a loving family. So when she learns that there’s an 84.7% chance that Earth will be destroyed in four days by asteroid Amplus-68, Kemi determines to collect her family members’ “most important stuff, the things we love most,” to create a time capsule, hoping that their memory will survive even after they’re gone. But as her family and friends go about their lives, Kemi feels as if she’s the only person taking their seemingly imminent demise—and her time capsule—seriously. Kemi’s astute voice resonates with a deep love and loyalty for her family, rendering her insistence in honoring them and subsequent narrative reveals as heartrending, hopeful, and palpably felt. Ages 8–12. (June)

From the Publisher

Kemi’s astute voice resonates with a deep love and loyalty for her family, rendering her insistence in honoring them and subsequent narrative reveals as heartrending, hopeful, and palpably felt." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“This realistically drawn, gut-wrenching novel will stick with readers long after they’ve finished reading. A powerful exploration of grief.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Thought-provoking and utterly unique, this is an impactful book that deserves a place in all middle grade classrooms and libraries.” — School Library Journal (starred review)

“One of the best books I have read this year (maybe ever).” — Colby Sharp, Nerdy Book Club

"My heart hurt as I raced through the last chapters of this unique book that shines a light on family, friends, grief and love." — Lisa Yee, author of Maizy Chen's Last Chance

“An empathetic, unflinching portrayal of childhood bereavement, this gut-punch of a story brings familiar themes from Everett’s YA works to a younger readership." — Booklist

"Sarah Everett writes with captivating grace, even as she navigates difficult topics and probabilities. This book is a love letter to big-hearted, curious-minded kids everywhere. An instant classic.” — Christine Day, award winning author of I Can Make This Promise

School Library Journal

★ 07/01/2023

Gr 3–7—Nigerian American Kemi Carter, 11, considers herself a scientist, in particular a scientist of probability. When a giant asteroid, AMPLUS-68 has an 84.7 percent chance of hitting Earth in four days, Kemi decides to create a time capsule to make sure future earthlings know how incredible her family was. They may not be famous, or have invented anything, but each member of Kemi's family deserves to be remembered for what makes them special. While gathering items from her family, including her pregnant mom, little sister, and cousins, she realizes she doesn't know what one item represents her dad. He recently left his time-demading job to be with their family, and their move to a predominantly white neighborhood has had bumps, with some not accepting them because of their race. As the apocalypse quickly approaches, Kemi finds each family member supportive of her plan, but continues to seek out her dad's true passion. As the countdown progresses, readers will likely be contemplating their own time on Earth, when a huge plot twist hits. Everett has woven together big themes of racism, mortality, and grief with a heartbreaking story that will stick with readers long after the conclusion. Teachers will find much to discuss, making it a perfect choice for read-alouds or book groups. VERDICT Thought-provoking and utterly unique, this is an impactful book that deserves a place in all middle grade classrooms and libraries.—Michele Shaw

AUGUST 2023 - AudioFile

Jordan Cobb narrates the approaching-end-of-the world records of 11-year-old Kemi, a Nigerian American whose color puts her at odds in her white neighborhood. Cobb re-creates the warm tenderness of Kemi's family, especially their playful interactions with an exploring toddler and their anticipation of a baby due in five months. Cobb voices Kemi's strength with respect to the impending doom, emphasizing her wit and intelligence as she collects mementos of her family for a time capsule and flees into the comfort zone of probability and statistics that her father has nurtured in her. Nearing the story's end, reality shifts, and Kemi is revealed as an unreliable narrator. Cobb's narration helps listeners bridge these shifts because she has so authentically portrayed Kemi's thoughts and feelings all along. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

★ 2023-05-09
An 11-year-old girl processes the end of her world and prepares for a new beginning.

What happens after the world ends? Kemi Carter contemplates this as she counts down the last four days before a possible apocalypse brought about by the looming presence of Amplus-68. The asteroid has an 84.7% chance of colliding with Earth. Keen scientist Kemi knows that the likelihood of survival is slim. She looks up facts about asteroids and investigates what the end of the world would be like, but she realizes that her family members are handling this differently than she is. Kemi decides to start a time capsule preserving something each of them loves so “the next earthlings could find it and know about us.” As Kemi, who has an African American dad and a Nigerian mom, gathers mementos, she reflects on what life has been like since they moved to their new, prosperous, primarily White neighborhood—a change that has brought complications. These memories lead up to a shocking plot twist that will have readers questioning her reality. Everett skillfully uses Kemi’s love of facts and statistics to process her feelings; as the story slowly reaches its climax, this element helps tie its many themes together. Individual family members are fleshed out as they share stories of their cherished possessions and demonstrate their support of Kemi in various ways. This realistically drawn, gut-wrenching novel will stick with readers long after they’ve finished reading.

A powerful exploration of grief. (author’s note, resources) (Fiction. 8-12)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940176855760
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	06/27/2023
Edition description:	Unabridged
Sales rank:	1,214,836
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

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