by Lauren Roedy Vaughn
ages: 14+
First sentence: “I should be getting ready for school right now, but I’m not because my mother has thrown off the flow of the morning.”
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Danielle:
is an adopted only child of successful parents
lives in L.A.
loves classic literature, and dressing up in period clothes
is a senior at an alternative high school, since she has a bad case of OCD
keeps a journal of all her essays, emails, thoughts
feels like an outcast among her peers
feels like she’s fat, which isn’t a surprise, considering where she lives
and is trying to make some sort of change in her life. Though she doesn’t know what.

Told through Danielle’s journals, essays, emails, and letters, this is the story of Danielle’s senior year, and her journey to figure out how to operate in the world. The best thing about it, truly, is the voice: Danielle is a strong, compelling (if not always reliable) narrator, and her story — you have to stick through to the end to find out what it is, fully — is both a heart breaking and inspiring one. There are some awkward and horrible moments, but there are also some wonderful ones, too. (Pot smoking, aside.) She’s a remarkable character, and has a remarkable story to tell, one that made me tear up (in the salon, no less!) a little at the end.

The only real drawback is that I wanted The Big Lebowski and the Dude to play a bigger role. They’re important, they’re there, but they don’t show up until most of the way through. I figure if it lands a mention in the title, it should be a bigger part of the story. That said, it’s a small quibble with an otherwise excellent book.