Review: Exceptionally well written
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 22, 2013
What a wonderfully evocative book this one is.  A tale of two teenagers growing up in 1960's New York and the troubles they manage to get themselves in to as they struggle to achieve their goal of winning places at a prestigious school up state away from Little Italy in the city and the confines of a strict convent Catholic school which they both hate. They have to help their class win a completion to collect the most food for the annual appeal and so Stella (from a Catholic Italian family) and Pin (the daughter of Chinese parents) embark on a series of journeys with the ultimate goal of winning their escape from the city.Unfortunately, it doesn't go quite to plan due to their arch-rival Angie Como, and because Pin, who looks after her little sister Audrey (their parents are always working in the restaurant they own) steals a teacher's wallet in order to be able to give her little sister a birthday present and it all goes downhill fast from then on.They flee to Manhattan, attract the attention of the police and museum staff, and at the same time, the narrative allows for some very real issues such as the possible deportation faced by Pin's parents hanging over them. Bob Dylan's Blowin in the Wind early on in the story sets the scene for changes to come, as does the brooding presence of Stella's bullying father.This book is so well written it conjures up images and memories by the bucket load. Parents will empathize with Stella and Pin's parents and their financial battles just to survive and the emotions the girls go though as they start to leave their childhood behind will be familiar to everyone who struggled during their teenage years. Bullying parents, strong friendships and a longing for a better life, not to mention 60's pop music all combine to produce a brilliant coming of age book with a twist.