Perfect World

Children's Literature

The story, which is written in the first person, is about a girl trying to figure out just where she belongs in this confusing world. She is at the age where she must make difficult decisions and choices in her life. The story line of the book starts on Day 1 and ends on Day 121. The girl's best friend Jenna wants to speed up the intimate part of her life and Lacie is just the opposite. Peer pressure plays a vital part in this story, but at times I felt it was more like emotional blackmail than peer pressure. Jenna fixes her up on a date with a young man so that the two girls can go together to visit Avery, Jenna's boyfriend. Fortunately for Lacie, her date is a nice young man who has problems of his own and understands Lacie more than she knows. This is a poignant story about a girl's first love, finding where she fits in, and building a relationship with her mother. At one place she thinks, "I want to say so much but nothing comes out. But I don't have to tell her . . . because she knows. She is my mother and mothers always know." I find this a sad story because it is difficult to understand and accept the pressures high school teens face on a daily basis. This book is straightforward and honest, which will appeal to young adults. The author does not "sugar coat" emotions felt by the characters. Actually, he does an excellent job developing believable characters, and I am sure that once this book is read, it will be passed on to friends. 2004, PUSH Scholastic Inc, Ages 14 up.
—Kathie M. Josephs