Quick read. Easy to get through.

I feel bad for the main character. Babies suck, and shitty moms suck more.

I also would have pushed Alicia. That stupid little bitch.

grrr....

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I read this in about a day. Miracle baby, I thought it had heart defects or such but no the mother had cancer when she was carring Rebekah. Now the baby is here, life is really hard for 9 year old Isabel. She is tired of being a "big girl." She wants her mama and her old life again but as we know you really cannot go back. Things begin to climax when some girls at Isabel's school begin to bully her and she doesn't handle it in the best way, but read the book and put yourself in Isabel's shoes. What would you have done. It is also about friendship and who is really your friend and sometimes it's hard to make new friends and parents just don't understand sometimes.
I enjoyed the references to towns in North Carolina; Charlotte, Rockingham, etc.

The author, Emily Smith Pierce grew up in SC and earned her degree from Chapel Hill. I met her in September of 2008 but just now picked up the book to read and I'm really glad I did.
http://www.emilysmithpearce.com/
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Isabel has a lot to deal with: being counted on to be a big girl, worrying about her mother's cancer recurring, resenting the attention her baby sister demands, her lack of friends at school. Her anger and frustration are depicted very realistically. I'd also recommend that parents in similar situations read it so as to understand what their kids might be going through. ( )

Reviewed by Julie M. Prince for TeensReadToo.com

Why did Isabel's whole world have to change just because her mama decided to have a baby? It's good that Mama's not sick anymore, but now that the baby performed a miracle and cured Mama's cancer, can't it just go away and leave things the way they were before? When Mama used to pay attention to Isabel, and Daddy used to tell her stories of Clyde the frog?

Now, Daddy's hardly ever home because he has to work a new job. Isabel is stuck with Mama and the stinky, noisy baby in a different house and a different school where Isabel has no friends except Tara, from next door. Now Mama won't even let her play with Tara! It's not fair. Nothing is ever fair anymore in Isabel's world, and it's all because of that stupid baby!

The spirited Isabel deals with real-world problems in this well-written story of survival in the third grade. From jealousy of a new sibling and fear of the return of her mother's cancer to navigating the treacherous world of playground rules and mean kids, this book will resonate with its young readers.

Pearce displays strong writing and the ability to create relatable characters and issues. A breakout first novel! ( )