The Unbearable Book Club for Unsinkable Girls

by Julie Schumacher
Hennepin County Library, hardcover, 230 pages
genre: teen fiction

I had read a review of this book somewhere (connected with an author event) and I knew I wouldn't be able to go to the event, but was curious about the book. I put my name on the reserve list and by the time I got the book, I thought it was non-fiction. Since it was due at the library, I thought I'd skim it and return it (still a waiting list on it). Wow! I'm so glad I had time on a long car ride to read the whole thing. What a wonderful story!

CeeCee, Adrienne, Jill, and Wallis are very unlikely friends. When two of the moms come up with the idea of a mother-daughter book club, CeeCee and Adrienne are appalled. They are going into their junior (or senior) year of high school and do NOT want to have to do a book club. Jill takes her SAT-prep very seriously and thinks discussing the summer reading titles before AP English is a good idea. Wallis is the wild card . . . we never really learn her story, but the bits and pieces are intriguing. Adrienne's identity crisis is well developed and resolved throughout the story. (And I LOVE the "essay" and chapter headings!)

Schumacher is the director (?) of the creative writing program at the U of M. She can definitely walk the talk! This book is wonderful and one I'll add to the collection at PRMS.