Brett McCarthy: Work in Progress

Great story for teen readers. Many things to think about. Great visual images to discuss. Down to earth language. Keeps life real!

A truly human story about a girl struggling to find herself as she embraces the obstacles of adolescence, family, and life in her own strong, unique, and unexpected ways. Brett is smart, witty, and obsessed with words. And don't let the Catcher-in-the-Rye-esque cover fool you, this is a story of trial, tribulation, love, and hope. For anyone who has every wondered how we become who we are, how we manage to constantly redefine ourselves and our relationships in an uncertain world, this is beautiful place to start.

Maria Padian's BRETT MCCARTHY: WORK IN PROGRESS tells of an eighth-grade corner kicker in Maine whose prank makes her become a juvenile delinquent and a loser. Brett has to figure out how to survive when everyone is changing, many are now against her, and nothing is easy. Middle school leisure readers will find this a compelling tale.

At first I thought I was getting a fairly typical -- though very knowing -- young adult novel about the trials of middle school friendship, but the story grew on me, and I found I couldn't put it down. A compelling plot, a creative first person voice, and depth in the relationships, particularly as the story of Brett's grandmother Nonna evolves. The building of chapters around Brett's vocabulary lessons is not corny: it begins and ends with the concept of (self) definition in a satisfying, theme-building way.

Normally a decent student, a star soccer player, and responsible only daughter, Brett McCarthy isn't exactly sure what is going wrong. First she is suspended, then earns unlimited lunchtime detentions with the middle school principal, and then she is suspended again. It is enough to freak anyone out. To complicate matters, Brett learns that her long-time best friend is not only dealing with divorcing parents, but has also lost her mind and decided to try out for the cheerleading squad. With her friends deserting her, Brett turns to her grandmother, "Nonna," only to suspect something fishy is going on with her and some medical situation. Brett is an extremely likeable teen dealing with a crazy middle school year. Typical adolescent problems are creatively mixed with Nonna's kooky schemes, a lot of chocolate brownie baking, and a plan to resurrect an old lighthouse. One adventure after another holds the readers' attention and keeps this story moving quickly. Debut author Maria Padian has something for everyone in this book. Brett's father, an English professor, provides countless poetry references for just about any situation. Brett's own love of vocabulary shows up as she introduces a new word with each chapter. And with 45 quick-read chapters, readers are bound to increase their personal vocabulary whether they want to or not. There is no shortage of humor. I found myself chuckling plenty. Padian doesn't shy away from heart-rending emotion, either. Be sure to have a tissue or two close at hand. Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"