Review: Don't judge this book by the cover, deeper than it seems
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 01 28, 2013
I think I misjudged the impact this book would eventually have on me. It started out a little heavy, with mentions of death and it's circumstances, though it was done in a light, humourous way-I didn't know what to expect after that first chapter. We learn, right off the bat, that Stacy hasn't had the easiest life. It's strange, I'm not exactly sure what tone to place this book in. I felt like it wanted to be so many things, but had an overall underlying tone that was a bit dark-with overtones of the typical life of a 14 year-old girl starting high school.I was on the fence about Stacy's character. She was naive about things that reflected her age, and lack of experience, but was then beyond her years in ways that impressed me, and drew me back to her when I started pulling away a little. I definitely enjoyed the side characters a lot more, especially her sister Becca, and her best friend Chad. I felt like their place in her life, and the events that occurred in theirs, pushed Stacy's story forward, more so than she was accomplishing herself.There was definitely an abundance of insta-love in this book, but I checked my frustration as I read on, and realized that I was pretty much of the exact same mindset at 14-15 years old. Some of the scenes in Stacy's life when it came to "crushes" mirrored my own at that age so much, it kind of scared me. I found the link between us that made me want to start rooting for her, and comforting her, through her "series of unfortunate events" (ha).This book dealt with some pretty strong issues, (death, suicide, mental disease) which I kind of wish were elaborated on more, but it added to the storyline just enough to make it feel well rounded, and completely unlike the fluffy book you THINK it would be, judging by the cover. I think Margaret Lesh did a good job of helping her characters achieve growth, and move forward. I recommend this one to anyone who wants to check out a good coming-of-age story.