Marilyn Levy

All that brainy Joanne ever wanted to be was pretty. And popular. But her life takes an unexpected turn when he friends pair her up with her ex-crush, and end up crashing. Before the crash, she considered herself a loner, and only felt very comfortable around her two friends. But after her surgery/nose job, she picks up a new life as a popular girl. She realizes after multiple tries to understand who she really is, that beauty is not the only aspect of life, and is only "skin deep". She tries to hand out with her new friends as well as her old ones. Will she ever figure it her new and improved life? Find out by reading this Young Adult realistic fiction novel!… (mere)

ISBN 0449703266 – I actually picked the book up because there’s a kid wearing a baseball glove on the cover and the reference to HOME… hey, it said baseball to me. At first. I’m very single-minded, sometimes. It’s got nothing to do with baseball, of course, but it’s still a worthwhile read.

Billy hasn’t heard from his mom for a few years when she writes to invite him to spend the summer with her in California. His father is going to Europe for six weeks, so it seems like a good time to spend time with Mom. The Chicago boy figures he’ll get to see his mother, Disneyland, maybe the beach… but he’s not counting on what he gets. His mother has joined a cult and is determined to help Billy see the light and join them. The rest of Billy’s family doesn’t make any contact with him, at least that he’s aware of, and he’s hurt by that. The cult takes him on the run, out of the country, to keep him “safe” from the family that, unknown to Billy, really is trying to reach him.

For the record, the religion in the book, Omkara, seems to be named for a sacred syllable in the Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religions – it’s not an actual religion. I was really surprised to like this book. The fact that it’s written for young adults, a group that is considered most susceptible to born-again groups and other cults, is a plus, since it offers a viewpoint that they might be able to relate to. The somewhat ambivalent feelings that Billy has at the end seem realistic and a bit frightening. Well done.

- AnnaLovesBooks… (mere)