11 Birthdays

This book was extremely adorable I finished it in a few hours and did not take a break because that's just how much I enjoyed it. It's a short quick read about an 11 year old girl who keeps reliving her birthday. She and her ex-best friend Leo, who share the same birthday, will not be celebrating it together because of a fight they had. :( She must find a way to figure out how to stop her birthday from repeating and maybe just maybe find a way to be friends with Leo again. :) Ahhh this book is soo CUTE! This was my first Wendy Mass book and will not be the last. I highly recommend this cute read especially for those who are 11 or a bit younger. That doesn't mean older folks won't enjoy it because I'm not that young and I thought it was flippin' awesome. -tvandbookaddict.blogpsot.com

Amanda and Leo were born on the same day. Each year, the two celebrated their birthday together. They were the best of friends. That is, until the big fight. On their 10th birthday, Amanda overheard Leo telling his guy friends that the only reason he hung around Amanda was that he felt sorry for her. Amanda was crushed. She and Leo didn't talk for a full year. It looked like their 11th birthday was going to be celebrated apart and it was... sort of... In fact, for Amanda and Leo the day of their 11th birthday just kept repeating and repeating. 11 Birthdays is a bit like the movie Groundhog Day. The characters keep repeating the day until they finally figure out the clue. For Amanda and Leo, they have to find the connection between their dilemma and a curse.

Amanda is excited to turn 11, though less so than she'd normally be since it's the first year she won't be having a joint party with her former best friend, Leo. They had a falling out when they turned 10 and she overheard him saying that he didn't like her anymore to his friends. Little does she know that he regrets saying that, though she's about to learn as the two of them are doomed to repeat their birthday again, and again, and again. Amanda quickly grows tired of waking up to the annoying SpongeBob balloon in her room and having to act surprised at everything from a pop quiz to birthday presents. Once the pair figure out that they're in their predicament together, they have to devise ways to both make their ongoing birthday more interesting for themselves, help their friends and family, and stop the curse that was put on them by a woman who may or may not exist. Mass puts a fun twist on the Groundhog Day plot that will keep young readers guessing...and laughing. It's also refreshing to read about a young male/female friendship that isn't rooted in romance but in true friendship.

On the day that Amanda Ellerby and Leo Fitzpatrick were born, a mysterious woman with a birthmark shaped like a duck told their parents that the two newborns would grow up to be the best of friends, and that they should always celebrate their birthdays together. Through a fluke, one year later, both sets of parents booked the same location for their child's first birthday, and Amanda and Leo took to each other so much that celebrating their birthday together in the small town of Willow Falls became a great town tradition. Ten years later, Amanda Ellerby is absolutely dreading her eleventh birthday party, the first that she will spend without her ex-friend, Leo. She hasn't spoken to him in exactly one year, ever since she heard him say those nasty things about her at their last joint birthday party. What's worse is that she's heard all these rumors about the incredible party Leo's parents are throwing for him--with a hypnotist, a band, and a real football player--while she's stuck with this costume party idea that her own mom came up with. The day finally arrives, and Amanda's eleventh birthday ends up even worse than she could have imagined. She has a pop quiz in History, she bombs the gymnastics tryouts, and only a few people show up at her party (some kids even leave to go to Leo's party instead). When she finally takes off her itchy Dorothy costume with the blistering shoes and crawls into bed, she feels nothing but relief that this horrible day is over. Except that it isn't. The next day is her birthday again. And the day after that. And the day after that. Is Amanda the only one stuck in this terrible time loop? I absolutely fell in love with this sweet tale of friendship, magic, and old rivalries. A quickly moving story with some unforgettable characters, 11 BIRTHDAYS takes that Groundhog Day premise and turns it into something much more meaningful. Reviewed by: Allison Fraclose

My aunt gave me this book for my 11th birthday and i loved it! It made me really think because sometimes I wish I could repeat a day and do everything over and make everything better. Or take something back that I've said. I really loved this book.