Just Another Girl: A Novel by Melody Carlson
Aster Flynn wants a life of her own.
At seventeen, she'd like to date, hang with friends, maybe even find a summer job. Instead, she's stuck at home with her younger sister--who seems to get needier by the minute. Her older sister is all about, well . . . herself. And Aster's parents . . . Don't even ask.
But things are about to change. Or so she hopes. Enter: a cool guy and some new friends, and Aster is ready to get out and grab a slice of normal life.
But will her family get in her way?
My review
rating: 5 of 5 stars
As far as teen fiction goes, even including other books and series from Melody Carlson herself, this is the absolute best book that I have ever had the experience to be exposed to. It is just fabulous and if I could afford it, I would buy every single teenage girl I know a copy for keeps.
"While Owen and Miles talk sports, I people watch. And this is what I see: teenagers trying to act like adults. Or how they think adults act. But mostly they look ridiculous, and I wonder what they don't want to do something that's more fun than drinking, smoking, flirting, and making out. Why are those activities considered to be fun?"
— Melody Carlson (Just Another Girl: A Novel)
Aster is "just another girl". She is 17 years old, middle child of two sisters, and about to start her senior year. Normal right? Then throw in that her older sister is beyond materialistic, her dad is a no-show, and her mom a work-a-holic. Still fairly normal, just slightly rough on the edges. Then if one also considers that her younger sister is hitting her teenage years will the body to prove it, but the mentality of a five year old left over from a birth complication and the fact that she is her full responsibility makes things even a little more difficult.
Being a teenager can be hard. I know that I would never want to go back to be seventeen. That is just an area in my life that I did not enjoy. Reading this book, I am inspired. I can see the scenes and easily visualize that situations. Aster is surrounded by the teenagers that seem to have never made a mistake and she is also surrounded by those that seem to make mistakes on purpose. Everything that occurs in her story is something that any girl could find herself involved in. A part of myself feels very influenced by Aster, knowing that if she can survive such a thing, then my issues really might be manageable as well.
I highly recommend that parents and teenage girls step into Aster's life and spend a couple days understanding what it is like to be "just another girl".
View all my reviews.
| Price: | $9.99 |
| ISBN: | 978-0-8007-3257-8 |
| ISBN-10: | 0-8007-3257-X |
| Dimensions: | 5.5 x 8 |
| Number of pages: | 224 |
| Carton Quantity: | 64 |
| Publication Date: | Jan. 09 |
| Formats: | Paperback |
Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books, several of them Christmas novellas from Revell, including her much-loved and bestselling book, The Christmas Bus. She also writes many teen books, including the Diary of a Teenage Girl series, the TrueColors series, and the Carter House Girls series. Melody was nominated for a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her books, including the Notes from a Spinning Planet series and Finding Alice, which is in production as a Lifetime Television movie. She and her husband serve on the Young Life adult committee in central Oregon. Visit Melody's website at www.melodycarlson.com.
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