Narrator Sophie, a high-school senior, is in the third trimester of her pregnancy in this uneven story that blends magical realism and serious problems. Strange dreams of whales haunt her, not just at night, but during the day. Meanwhile, she argues with her increasingly cold mother, who is unhappy about the pregnancy, and defends herself against hostile fellow students. Why Sophie has so few friends, a recurring theme, is never clear. Add to this threatening anonymous notes, Sophie’s unwillingness to name her baby’s father, and the mystery of who her own father is, and the result is too many disparate elements. However, Sophie comes across as a compelling character, and the unsolved mysteries will probably keep readers interested all the way to the happy, if overly optimistic, end. (Fiction. YA)
