The Question of Miracles by Elana K. Arnold

Iris is miserable. She and her parents moved from sunny California to Oregon, where it rains every day. She misses her old hometown, her old house, and most importantly, her best friend, Sarah. But after Sarah died in a tragic accident, her parents decide that it's best for them all to have "a fresh start."

I've read a lot of books where people move away after traumatic incidents, but most of them center around the folks left behind to deal with the aftermath. So it was a nice change to read about Iris and how rocky "fresh starts" can actually be. Iris is instantly likable, and so are her parents. And can I just say that it's rare for a middle grade book to have likable, well-adjusted parents!!

Anyway, Iris is befriended by a strange boy, Boris. Boris' mother claims that his birth was a miracle, and there are even Catholic priests and a committee researching these claims. Iris starts to wonder: if miracles are real, why do they happen to some people, and not others? Why did Sarah have to die?

I really enjoyed this book. There are no easy answers when it comes to death and grieving, and most of the people Iris encounters in her philosophical journey refuse to give her a cliched solution or empty comfort. But while this sounds like a bleak novel, it's actually not. there are sparks of hope everywhere in Iris' new life: from her father's budding vegetable garden, to a new pizza place that reminds Iris of "Thanksgiving dinner."