Review: The Next Thing On My List, by Jill Smolinski

The Next Thing on My List is an easy-to-read story about a young woman, June, who changes her life by completing the 'to-do' list created by Marissa, a young woman who died in June's car during an accident. Until that point, June had been a stereotypical gen X slacker, drifting through her life, not really making any effort to further herself in any way. Her guilt and devastation over being the driver of the car where someone died serve as the impetus for a six-month evolution where, thanks to Marissa's list, she overhauls her personal life, career, and emotional health.

Some of the items on the list are simple, such as eat ice cream in public, and some are tough, like kiss a stranger. A few are very, very difficult for June, such as make a major pitch at work, or find someone from Marissa's past and 'make them pay'. As June goes along the list, one checked-off item leads into another, almost like nesting-dolls of fate.

The story flows pretty well, although sometimes things were a little too easy, and the characters are interesting. Actually, I found some of the other characters more interesting than June, especially Deedee, the Little Sister she meets as a result of the item, 'change someone's life'. June's life was actually a little boring, but then, that was the point of the book, that she'd done almost nothing lasting in her life, nothing of interest. She was a blank slate. By the end of the book, June was an interesting person.

Another thing I liked about this book is that it's a reminder that, yes, we *can* all change our lives, or other people's lives, by making a few decisions, and putting ourselves out there. Our biggest enemy is usually ourselves and our own inertia.

Rating: three out of five stars: light, quick reading, entertaining, somewhat uplifting.