Review: Charming and Intense Coming of Age for YA Readers
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 08 23, 2013
Sometimes, exactly what you need has been right in front of you the whole time!  You just need to open your eyes and open your heart to the obvious!  It's All in Your Mind by Ann Herrick touches on the fantasy of love and reality of life as her young heroine comes of age, learns about life and what she wants from it.Remember wanting to fit in?  That's exactly what Vija wanted, to be like all the other American girls, but her parents still cling to old world ways.  When she attracts the attention of a folksinger at a local coffeehouse, she knows he is everything her parents would disapprove of, but finds herself drawn to him like a magnet, going so far as to sneak around to see him.  But shouldn't this be sounding alarms in her mind?  Nolan represents excitement and thrills and a chance to cut loose, even if he does seem a little secretive and overbearing at times.  When tragedy strikes and Vija must help out with the family business, is it Nolan who comes to her aid?  It's the boy next door, her lifelong friend, the brainy guy, Joel.  The guy she never once thought of as boyfriend material.  Who will Vija choose? What will tip the scales?Ann Herrick has done a remarkable job of weaving a tale that touches on relationships, love, and the confusion of being a teen who hasn't spent life in the fast lane and really isn't sure it's what she wants, but is caught up in the thrill of breaking away.  Ms. Herrick's characters are crisply defined, and from the fly-on-the-wall viewpoint she gave me, I was rooting for Vija to make the right choices before something life-altering happened.  It's All in Your Mind details one of life's lessons without heavy-handed preaching, but with a full measure of entertainment, appropriate for and identifiable with YA contemporary YA readers.I'd like to thank Ms. Herrick for providing me a review copy!