Story of A Girl

"This is the story of a girl, who cried a river and drowned the whole world..." Yeah, I can't remember who sang that sort of awful but very stick-in-your head pop song, which found its way back into my head as I read Sara Zarr's most excellent debut novel Story of A Girl. Deanna Lambert was just thirteen when her dad caught her in the back seat of a car with her older brother's friend Tommy, and though sixteen now, no one will let her forget it. Branded a "slut" though she hasn't done anything with any guys since, Deanna wants to change her image. It's summer in Pacifica, a small town just 15 minutes from San Francisco, but as Deanna explains, it's like a different planet. It's the kind of town that's filled with people who grew up there; it's that hard to leave. But Deanna's working on her escape - from a house that's made uncomfortable by a dad who still won't look her in the eye - and it involves a summer job at the pizza shop. She plans to earn enough money to put towards first month's rent or a down payment for a place with her brother, his girlfriend, and their baby. Sounds good, right? That's what Deanna thought, until her first day of work when she learns that she'll be working with... Tommy. Okay, there is no way I am telling you any more about this book. You've got to check it for yourself.
* * * * * (5 stars)

Okay, I think I am going to start rating the book reviews. One a one to five star basis.

* (1 star) - this even got published? my cat could write a better book
* * (2 stars) - might be interesting to some people, but not to most
* * * (3 stars) - pretty good good (like an okay Gilmore Girls episode)
* * * * (4 stars) - hard to put down, quite good
* * * * * (5 stars) - one of the best books of the year, impossible to put down, made me cry