《美宝的冒险》 Meet Maybelline Mary Katherine Mary Ann Chestnut, named for two Miss Americas and her mother Chessy’s favorite brand of mascara*. Chessy teaches the students in her charm school her “Seven Select Rules for Young Ladies,” but she won’t tell Maybe who her real father is — or protect her from her latest scuzzball* boyfriend. So Maybe hitches a ride* to California with her friends Hollywood and Thammasat Tantipinichwong Schneider (aka Ted) — and what she finds there is funny, sad, true, and inspiring. The book by Lisa Yee immediately plunges the reader into the mind of Maybe, the main character. It seems that Maybe has not had an easy life, and the reader instantly sees how this has shaped her. By the end of the first few chapters, the character is as comfortable and familiar as an old friend, allowing the rest of the story to fall into place easily. Maybe’s life, already difficult, takes a sudden turn for the worse, and she takes off for California with her best friends, each in search of their own future. The characters were both believable and likable. Maybe’s mother has enough problems to merit a book about her own childhood, and the mystery surrounding her provides opportunity for Yee to develop the other characters. Her actions cause situations that force everyone else in the story to react. Maybe’s best friends are realistic and interesting, responding to circumstances in much the way one would expect teenagers to respond. The book is available at online bookstores like jd.com.(SD-Agencies) |