Young Adult Book Reviews

Genre:  Realistic Fiction 

Age Level:  14 and Up

# of Pages: 192

RAC book:  Yes

Deanna Lambert was caught in the back seat of a boy’s car by her father when she was only thirteen.  She is embarassed and sorry for her behavior, but in her small town no one wants to let her forget it.  Of all the people who won’t forget that night, her father is the one with the best memory.  He won’t look at her the same way or trust her with anything.  Now Deanna is sixteen and still struggling with what happened three years earlier.  Her older brother is living in their basement with his teenage wife and baby, which causes more tension at home.  When Deanna decides to get a job to help out at home she realizes that her reputation has preceded her yet again and the only place she can find work is a run down pizza place where the infamous boy who tainted her reputation works.  She must decide how much she wants to make money in order to leave town. 

Story of  a Girl focuses on the idea of forgiveness.  How long should someone be punished for making a mistake?  How long should a person hold a grudge?  How long can a person stay mad for his or her life not turning out like it was supposed to?  No one has the ideal life in this book.  They have all made mistakes and must learn to take responsibility for those before they can move on and make a better life for themselves.