Emy's Book Blog

Things are changing for Elizabeth Clarry, and changing fast. From her disappearing best friend to her letter-based new one, from rekindling a relationship with her father to the agonies of a first love, we join Elizabeth as she finds her feet and grows comfortable in her skin.

Firstly, this book is told entirely through letters, notes and post cards, including many letters from fictional societies (such as the Association of Teenagers) that write to berate or congratulate Elizabeth on one thing or another. This is not the sort of book I'd normally pick up, so I'm very glad I did. It was very well done. There was the risk that a book told in this style could end up too shallow or too full of information dumps, but this book was deep, complex and gave us just enough information to satisfy.

I enjoyed the fact that Elizabeth and Christina's friendship grew so deep without them even meeting each other. It showed the power of words, and of the written letter, and showed what could happen if a school penpal project was actually followed through with (as opposed to exchanging one letter and never speaking of it again, as happened to me on several occasions).

I also enjoyed the fact that the love interest during the first half of the novel changed as the novel continued. Quite often the protagonist gets the first guy she falls for!

Overall, this book was an refreshing, easy read, despite the complex issues it dealt with. I'm looking forward to reading the others in the series. :)