Science fangirl Ruby Wright has a lovesick puppy of a father who moves her out to the middle-of-nowhere Ohio in order to cement his long-distance relationship–an act that simultaneously obliterates Ruby’s chances with the dream boy who’s recently rebounded into her waiting arms.  Ruby’s stepmother is flaky, her stepsister is psycho, and her “new” high school is crumbling into the ground.  Lamenting the long-ago death of her real mother and general suckitude of her life, Ruby wanders into a cornfield where she makes friends with a lone, creepy oak tree.  It turns out the tree is an entrance to a physics-defying wormhole–a hub between realities.   Is there such a thing as a perfect life…and will Ruby find hers beyond the wooden door?

When you read Relativity, you will question the effects of choice, chance, and fate in your own life.  You will also start looking for doorways in tree trunks.

Bishara takes her book to the next level, blending the young adult paranormal genre with elements of a psychological thriller reminiscent of The Butterfly Effect.  I absolutely love the protagonist whose cynicism, wit, and obsession with scientific facts color the way she sees the world.  I give this one five out of five creepy trees!

Michelle Joyce Bond

Photo credit: goodreads.com http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17286818-relativity