Thursday, August 9, 2012

A Girl Like Me by Ni-Ni Simone


Elite Parker is living a lie.  She works so hard to keep up the show - great clothes, attitude to spare, amazing voice, and hot boyfriend - but her home life is a dangerous mess.  Elite has been raising her four younger siblings for years, paying the bills and keeping everyone fed, healthy, clothed, and (most importantly) together.  Her mother is an addict with an addict boyfriend and their father was never in the picture.  Elite is struggling to hold down a job, keep up her grades, and keep her facade from crumbling.  When her vocal talent wins her tickets to the hottest concert of the year, Elite is swept up in a fairytale romance that threatens to ruin everything she has worked so hard for.

Written with plenty of humor and slang, A Girl Like Me is almost always a hit with readers looking for “real” books.  Ni-Ni Simone’s honest depiction of a family in crisis and the responsibilities shouldered all-too-often by older siblings is immediately relate-able, despite the over-the-top romantic fantasy.  This is a Cinderella story that emphasizes family, friendship, and honesty. --Regan Schwartz

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