The Wonder of All Things

Julia Whelan expertly narrates Mott's (The Returned) story of sacrifice and love. Ava's best friend Wash is seriously injured when a plane crashes into a crowd during an air show. Miraculously, 13-year-old Ava's touch heals his wounds but at great cost—when Ava heals someone, she becomes sick. A secret until now, Ava's gift is broadcast to the world owing to cell phone footage of this act. People from all over descend on the little town demanding Ava's help. Evangelical minister Isaiah Brown befriends the girl's overwhelmed father and promises to aid the family in navigating their new notoriety, but everyone has their own agenda, even Ava's father, and when she's faced with Wash's cancer and her sister's illness, young Ava must figure out how much to sacrifice for others. Mott's story is best when he sticks to Ava and Wash's developing love; Whelan captures their voices perfectly.