Saturday, August 27, 2011

YA Review: Fact of Life #31


A Review:

This novel revolves around a unique girl who is trying to find her place in the world.  She wants a stronger relationship with her mother, but her mom spends more time helping others as a midwife, than she spends focusing on her children.  When Kat is faced with an enormous task – helping deliver the baby of one of her mother’s clients, she balks and her moment of weakness in front of her mother and the expectant family plagues her as proof that she isn’t good enough.

Kat is not what you might call “normal.”  In fact, most of the time, she feels as if she is invisible.  She walks the halls at school being pushed aside and ignored – even when she’s striking a yoga pose in an effort to “center” herself (she becomes known as the weird Yoga Girl).  But that doesn’t stop her from observing the world around her.  In fact, it is her insight and quirky behavior which makes her a memorable and likable protagonist.

She watches the popular crowd and makes assumptions about them, particularly the beautiful Libby and her boyfriend Mitch.  In her journal, she creates an out-of-sequence list which she calls the “Facts of Life,” creating a fact – or rule – to relate to her life experiences and her observations of this popular group.

Unexpectedly, her world changes when her crush of a lifetime starts to notice her and her sarcastic comments to the most popular guy in school begin to make him smile. With one she enters into a secret relationship and with the other she develops an unlikely friendship.  All the while, her mother is quickly developing a close relationship with the infamous Libby – a closeness that Kat has only dreamed of having with her mom.

Despite her envy of Libby, within Kat’s reach is everything she’s ever wanted: love, acceptance, and self-confidence.
But with it comes drama, heartbreak, and the inevitable question, who does she want to be at the end of the day?

Who is Kat Flynn?  And is she a person worth knowing if even her own mother prefers another girl over her?

In the journey of life, nothing is a definite.  One rule, fact, or stereotype cannot define every person, situation, or event.  The fact is, there are no rules in life. And as Kat learns, no one is ever exactly who he/she seems. Not her crush, not Libby, and not even her mother.

I thought this was a cute book, although the pregnancy facts and imagery threw me a bit at first.  Once I
got past it, I found the characters complex and the plot interesting.  With its theme of coming-of-age and complex
family dynamics, it is reminiscent of Sarah Dessen’s writing, which I have always loved.

Author's Website:

No comments: