Just Another Girl Review

Just Another Girl by Melody Carson

Publisher: Revell

Pages: 221

Realease Date: January 2009

Genre: Realistic Fiction

From: Library (2010)

Challenge: Read Your Name (2010)

Synopsis:

Aster Flynn is stuck. She has to spend all of her "free" time with her younger sister, Lily, who, though fifteen, is mentally handicapped. At age seventeen, Aster should be hanging out with friends, dating boys, and working at a fun job. But her dad's MIA, her mom is always at work, and her older sister Rose is too self-centered to give her any help. It's not that Aster doesn't love Lily--it's just that for once she'd like to be able to be a normal teenager.
So when a cute popular guy seems to take an interest in her, Aster hatches a plan. Somehow she has to get her workaholic mom and deadbeat dad to be the parents Lily needs so that Aster can have a life of her own. But can she ever get her parents to start acting like adults? Is this new guy worth the trouble? And, most importantly, will Lily get hurt in the process?
With its real-life characters and struggles, Just Another Girl will immediately draw teen girls in. Author Melody Carlson knows how to write to girls just where they are.

              In the back of the book it informs me that Melody Carson has also written a teen version of the bible or something called a "devotionals", it shows.  I'm not saying this a book for only Chirstian girls any religous girl or any girl with questions and hard times in your life would enjoy this book.  But for Chirstian girls the fact Aster is a very mature chirstian girl will help you relate to her in a spirtual (awesome) way.
             What a perfect book for a New Year's this is!  I'm really coming up with some great resoulotions for this year by reading this book.  And it's really beautifully written.  This is why challenges are so great because I would have never read this book without the Read Your Name Challenge. 
              I love Aster!  She's so mature: I can really relate to her.  Actually, I love all the characters!  They're so real.  Owen, for example, is a really deep character even though he's "the bad guy" in some scenes; I've met a lot of people like him.  Lily is hilarious!  George sounded like the most religous/deep person I've ever read about/met.  I wish there was a guy like him that I knew (there's no way I'd let him slip through my fingers).  Even though Owen was nice (sort of ), George was amazing and Aster deserves him.
              How many times have you read a book about treating people nicely, or getting to know people, or don'e let someone control your life? How many times was it cheesey or a failed attempt?  This book is that only it's a WIN!  The message is so deep, powerful, and I can relate to it.
              I wish this book was more well known.  Since I just finished Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers I'm going to do a comparison.  They're both deep books, but Some Girls Are is for the girl that's depressed or hates the world.  Just Another Girl is for the mature girl who wants to become a better person.
           (That was a long review)

Characters: 8
Plot: 9
Suspence: 9
Theme: 10
Pace: 9
Mood: 10
Cover: 8
Overall: 9.5- Deep and Powerful