Life as I Knew It

Just grabbing this off the shelves in the holiday-gift rush, this book was not high expectations-wise for me. I am pleased to say, however, that it was well-worth it. It is about a 16-year old girl living in a small, quaint North Vermont town. Angelina as a narrator is good, telling about her father and the event that happened that changed her, her family, and her town's life forever: he had a stroke, leaving him paralyzed on one side, not able to eat or talk. The narration is excellent, and the story line was very touching and deep, very moving. One part that I did not like was the theme of gayness in the novel, with her best friend being gay and her having a crush on him, and her mom's best friend being a lesbian. I wouldn't mind so much if, in the end, her recently widowed mother kissed her lesbian friend passionately on the lips. But overall, it was worth the read and I enjoyed reading it. There are some good lessons in here as well.