"The Long Way Home" by Ann M. Martin

I was surprised how much I enjoyed The Long Way Home compared to Better to Wish. This book focuses on Dana, the daughter of Abby and Zander. She is an aspiring artist who looks up to her father more than anyone. Though she loves her mother, brother and twin sister, she just isn't as close to them. Their lives are happy, until tragedy strikes (isn't that always the way in the literary world?) and soon Dana will have to make some tough decisions in order to live the life she dreams of.

I thought that Martin did a great job with Dana's story. Though I liked Abby's, I felt that her development fell a little flat and her story didn't work as well with the way the book was written. However, it worked well for Dana. In this series, we see glimpses of the girls' lives set over the course of multiple years. Because of this, there is sometimes a little bit too much text devoted to filling the reader in on what they missed from one period to the next, but it seems that Martin had a better handle on this with The Long Way Home.  I was apprehensive to read this book, since I didn't feel that the first was the strongest of Martin's writing. But since the sequel is a much stronger book, I now look forward to completing the series. Tweens looking for a little bit of history mixed in with an interesting style of showing a girl growing up will like these books.

Happy Reading!
-Melly

"Better To Wish" by Ann M. Martin

A new series by Ann M. Martin features Abby Nichols and her family.  In Better to Wish, the chapters capture a day in her life from when she is a child to when she is a young adult.  She is growing up in the 1930s and experiences the Great Depression, her family's financial stability but lack of personal stability, new siblings and many other changes along the way.

I enjoyed this book and think that it is a great way to begin to introduce elements of history into the lives of younger readers (especially girls- boys probably won't care for this book as much).  However, there was one thing I really didn't like.  The book is set up so that we see snapshots of her life and I feel that cuts down on the amount of character development a book needs in order for me to really care about the characters.  I read this book rather quickly and when I was done, I didn't feel like it had much of an impact on me.  I may also have some prejudice because so many of Ann's other characters are practically family they have stuck in my mind and been such a huge part of my life.  I won't judge this book too much until the rest of the series is out, but if it weren't for the fact that it says Ann M. Martin on the cover, I must admit I might not plan on completing the series.

Happy Reading!
-Melly