From the Publisher
"In this tale of growing up and apart, Bjorkman (My Invented Life, 2009) does a fine job capturing the intense pressures and disappointment students face when college-admissions time rolls around." — Booklist
Praise for My Invented Life:
“I knew I was going to like this book the second the main character asked a Ouija board if her sister was a lesbian.” —Brent Hartinger, author of Geography Club
“Shakespeare would be proud to be included in this smart, funny, cheeky book.” —Ellen Wittlinger, author of Hard Love, Love & Lies, and Parrotfish
“Humorous and heartfelt.” —Booklist
“Roz’s voice is witty and genuine.” —Publishers Weekly
“This is an enjoyable read that will be especially appealing to theater aficionados.” —School Library Journal
Kirkus Reviews
This lighthearted romp set in San Francisco's Chinatown offers a thoughtful take on cultural identity and friendship encased in a far-fetched plot. Back in eighth grade, Mei uninvited Irish-American Erin from a sleepover on the grounds that she wouldn't "fit in" with the Chinese-American girls. The pair's mutual friend Linny helped paper over the rift, but Erin still hurts. She feels Chinese inside. China was her birthplace and home for years; she loves its language, literature, food and traditional medicine--she's even dyed her hair black. She blogs her Chinese-American inner self via her alter ego, Miss Fortune Cookie, dispensing "Confucius says" advice to the perplexed. While UC Berkeley–bound Linny organizes protests against bigotry, Mei and Erin wait to hear from the Ivy League. Darren, Mei's true love, is staying in California, but Mei's hardworking single mother insists she attend Harvard; Stanford just won't do. (Not every reader will identify with the agony of choosing among top-ranked private colleges.) Fearing the couple might elope, Erin enlists Linny and handsome Weyland to dissuade them; a frantic but repetitive chase ensues. Erin's ruefully self-aware obsession over her fractured friendships rings touchingly true, but the relentless madcap hijinks and nonstop action work against depth, leaving promising subject matter unresolved. It's fun, but it could've been so much more. (glossary, pronunciation guide, author's note) (Fiction. 14 & up)
Children's Literature
- Justina Engebretson
Erin Kavanagh is living a double life. To the public, she is Erin, just another ordinary senior at Lowell High School who is applying to Ivy League schools and experiencing life with her best friends, Linny and Mei. Unbeknownst to the world, she is also the mysterious Miss Fortune Cookie, the brains behind the popular online advice blog that has gone viral. Only Linny knows Erin's secret identity. Things get complicated, though, when Miss Fortune Cookie receives a letter from Mei seeking advice, and Erin's well-intentioned response sets in motion a roller coaster adventure. Will Erin be able to count on the wise advice of Miss Fortune Cookie to get her through the crazy adventures of senior year, or will she need some outside help? Turn the pages of this young adult novel for a fresh, original tale of crazy first loves and rekindled friendships. The author balances plot development with character growth to advance the story, giving it just enough action and depth to appeal to teen audiences. The main character is charming and unique, with enough flaws to make her relatable. There is minor profanity and sexual content, so it may not be appropriate for preteens. Themes include friendship, love, cultural diversity, gay marriage rights, family relations, and parental expectations. Overall, this novel will most likely interest teenage girls. Reviewer: Justina Engebretson
School Library Journal
Gr 8 Up—Erin and her best friends, Linny and Mei, live in San Francisco's Chinatown and are seniors at an elite public high school. Mei and Linny are Chinese, Erin is not. Born in China, she has grown up immersed in the culture and considers herself "Chinese on the inside." Linny is the glue that holds their friendship together, as tensions still exist between Erin and Mei from an incident years earlier. Linny and Erin plan to attend UC Berkeley, but when Erin is accepted at Harvard, she has to weigh what she wants versus what she thinks others want for her. Mei, also accepted at Harvard, would rather attend Stanford in order to be near her secret boyfriend, Darren, but her mother will have nothing but "the number one university." When Erin, who anonymously writes the advice blog Miss Fortune Cookie, answers a letter that she believes is from Mei and Mei seems to follow the advice by announcing her plan to elope with Darren, Erin is shocked. As she attempts to correct her mistake, she meets a potential new love, Weyland, and a pesky kid, Lincoln, and continues to struggle with the decision about her future. Even though the ending is happy, it feels artificial. Previous events are referred to as though readers should already be familiar with them, and characters, like Lincoln, provide humor but don't seem to really belong. Although more serious, Cara Chow's Bitter Melon (Egmont USA, 2010) is a better selection about Chinese mothers and daughters.—Kefira Phillipe, Nichols Middle School, Evanston, IL
