Monday, October 26, 2009

"A Little Help From My Friends" Book Review and Giveaway!


This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

A Little Help from My Friends

FaithWords (October 15, 2009)

by

Anne Dayton & May Vanderbilt


MY REVIEW:
I'm kind of tired today. Why? Normally when I finish a book at night when I'm going to bed, I pick up the next book I'm going to read and I read the first couple chapters so I'm started on it already when I get up the next day. In the case of "A Little Help From My Friends" I had just finished one book and it was almost 1:00 am and so I picked up this book thinking, "Well, this is book #3 in the series and I haven't read the others so I might as well try and familiarize myself with who the characters are and what the scenario is so I can really get into it tomorrow. I'll just read the first 3 chapters or so..." Three hours later at a little after 4:00 am I put the book down and sighed. I couldn't believe that I read all 52 chapters without pause, I loved it! It didn't matter at all that I hadn't read the first 2 books, although it did make me go add them to my book website so that I can get them! I also informed my 13 year old daughter that she can read this book next because there were no questionable subjects I didn't want her exposed to. It was just an all around great book dealing with Zoe and her junior year in high school as she goes through life with a little help from her friends - Christine, Riley and Ana. The four of them together comprise The Miracle Girls because they met freshman year when a teacher helped them realize that they had all had near death experiences and were truly miracles.

I don't know how Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt work together in their writing, but whatever they are doing is working and I hope they keep it up. I really enjoyed this book and hope there is a book #4 coming out so that each of the girls is equally represented and we get to see how senior year goes for The Miracle Girls!
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I am able to do a giveaway for this book - 3 COPIES!!! - and you will want a chance to read it so leave a comment telling me what you remember about your junior year in high school and I will enter you! Be sure to leave your email - good luck!


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


ANNE DAYTON graduated from Princeton University and is earning her master's degree in English literature at New York University. She works for a New York publishing company and lives in Brooklyn.

MAY VANDERBILT graduated from Baylor University and went on to earn a master's degree in fiction from Johns Hopkins University. She lives in San Francisco, where she writes about food, fashion, and nightlife in the Bay Area.

Together, the two women are the authors of Miracle Girls series




ABOUT THE BOOK

Zoe is used to being overlooked. As the youngest and shyest Miracle Girl, she was happy to fade into the background last year. But when she sheds her baby fat and shoots up four inches the summer before her junior year, everything changes. Now she's turning heads at school, and this new attention is beginning to strain her relationship with her sweet, serious boyfriend, Marcus.

Pressure builds when Zoe's assigned partner for history class is Dean Marchese--a handsome New York transplant who isn't afraid to show her how he feels.
Just when she needs her three best friends the most, the Miracle Girls are suffering from boy troubles of their own.

Even Zoe's rock-solid home life begins to shake underneath her when her parents' relationship frays in the face of serious financial burdens. As this uncertain year of growing pains comes to a frenetic head, the quietest Miracle Girl must find her voice at long last and take control of her own destiny . . . with more than a little help from her friends.

If you would like to read the first chapter of A Little Help from My Friends, go HERE

13 comments:

rubynreba said...

I remember my prom. It was my first formal dance!
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

Unknown said...

I remember all the drama, homework and photography class!

unforgetable_dreamer_always(at)hotmail.com

hippmom said...

I remember twirling the baton during football games! And all the fun I had during play practice.


Thanks for introducing us to another book we can let our young daughters read!

angelahipp (at) charter (dot) net

Cherie J said...

I remember my Sweet 16 party. It was so elegant and formal and I felt like a princess in my dress.

cherierj(at)yahoo(dot)com

Gin said...

I remember my prom. I went with two other girls, my best friend and another. We had a great time.
We even went to our first drive-in
movie late that night.

le15307@msn.com

Lora Lease said...

Hmmmm, my junior year? Darkness, tears, drugs, alcohol, burning & cutting myself, suicide attempts, psych hospital, skipping school then dropping out of school.... Soooooo glad God brought me through those times! :)

asyouwiiiiish@gmail.com

Carol M said...

I remember that was the year President Kennedy was killed. Shows my age! I also learned to drive that year in drivers ed class. I would love to win this for my granddaughter.
mittens0831 at aol dot com

May Vanderbilt said...

I'm not entering the contest. I just wanted to say thanks for the WONDERFUL review.

I'm so sorry Zoe kept you up though. I'll have to get on to that girl ;)

Anita Yancey said...

I remember my boyfriend dumped me for another girl who was younger. Please enter me. Thanks!

ayancey(at)dishmail(dot)net

Lady Araujo said...

I remember I was so sky that I didn't want to go to school. lol
I'd love to be entered.

marthanadnny(at)hotmail(dot)com

Winning Readings said...

I actually skipped my junior year - I did high school in 3 years! But I do remember the crazy rules at the Christian boarding school I was at - pants only in the winter, no holding hands with guys, etc.

We posted about this at Winning Readings: http://winningreadings.blogspot.com/2009/11/little-help-from-my-friends.html

janemaritz at yahoo dot com

Anonymous said...

I remember the socializing in junior high. Those were the days!
wandanamgreb(at)gmail(dot)com

Carolynn said...

I remember struggling through math...I just didn't get it!! Till I found this wonderful teacher who could break it down and explain it in plain english :D
carolynnwald[at]hotmail[dot]com