What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:
1. *Merci Suarez is starting sixth grade and isn't sure how she feels about it.
2. *Merci and her older brother attend a private school, but are attending the school on a scholarship. One of her classmates finds out about this and makes it her mission to make Merci's life miserable.
3. *Merci is assigned a new "buddy" who is new to the school. She is thrilled about her pairing, but her arch enemy isn't, and sets out to make the buddy her own.
4. *As Merci struggles with changes and challenges at school, she also find life changing at home. Her beloved grandfather is beginning to show memory issues and Merci doesn't want to see him change and/or suffer.
5. *As much as her family tries to protect Merci from her grandfather's health, she sets out to figure out what is truly going on. Merci has a lot on her plate, both at home and school, but is determined to make the best of some difficult situations.
What I Thought Of It: The story was a great one. The characters were incredible, unique, and interesting. There were a few times when I thought the plot moved along at a slower pace than I would have liked. Merci was a special young girl that had to deal with a lot. I enjoyed how the author presented the challenges in her main character's life. She didn't sugarcoat anything, but also didn't make the events too dark and/or disturbing. The "voice" of Merci jumped off the page and right into my mind and heart. As an adult "older" male, there were some sections of the story I couldn't relate to, but I just had to remind myself this story was written for young readers.
Who Should Read It: The best audience for this story would be a fifth and/or sixth female reader. I think they would be able to relate to the story and Merci's experience the best. A strong fourth grade reader would also be able to handle the text. Middle-school readers may also enjoy the story. Happy Reading!
Rating: 3 STARS out of 5 Stars
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