The Rest of Her Life (2007)

Jodi Picoult lovers, listen up! Here, finally, is someone as good as she is, someone who can mix the commercial and highbrow with ease. When Leigh's daughter, Kara, kills a fellow high school student while distractedly driving the family SUV, the troubles of the whole clan are thrown into vivid relief. Leigh, who's been trying to forget her own childhood, must confront her tense relationship with Kara. Meanwhile, younger son Justin hovers, desperate for attention. Though Laura Moriarty draws The Rest of Her Life's dilemmas out with real skill, she's made one mistake: Leigh herself is too wooden, too restrained. A-