That's Life, Samara Brooks

January 25, 2010
This funny, inventive book stars 13-year-old Samara Brooks, who was adopted at birth and sometimes questions her identity: “If I wasn’t Mom and Dad’s biological daughter, then I wasn’t really... the Samara Brooks I’d thought I was.” Encouraged by her parents to make an effort to fit in, Samara starts a gambling ring in the middle-school cafeteria. Determined to prove she’s not a bad person when she’s discovered, Samara proposes an experiment to prove that her DNA is not so different than that of good girl Lily. But when photo negatives of Samara’s DNA are stolen, the authorities think Samara is the thief, and she, Lily, and science geek Nathan set out to find the person responsible. Ehrenhaft (Dirty Laundry
) delves into major themes of science, religion, and destiny, but his tone is light and never preachy. Lily and Nathan occasionally take over the story’s narration, which rounds out their characters, though Samara’s voice remains most prominent. She ends up fitting in—though not how she or her parents anticipated—and readers will likely be heartened by her growth, discoveries, and newfound friendships. Ages 10–up.

May 1, 2010
Gr 5-8-To Samara, 13, who isn't in it for the money, setting up a blackjack table at lunch seems like a good way to make friends. Then, when she gets called to the principal, she proposes to use the school's electron microscope to show that she and the other kids are just the same, at the genetic level, so they should be punished in the same way. When Samara's DNA ends up looking like symbols in the ancient Phaistos Disk and the Voynich Manuscript, everyone has questions about her identity. These questions remain largely ignored when the results are stolen, with Samara and her pals Lily and Nathan the main suspects. Told in three alternating points of view, the story touches on issues of science versus religion (with both looking ridiculous). It is a funny, fast-paced read, with some lingering questions about belief, science, and the supernatural for readers to mull over."Jennifer Rothschild, Prince George's County Memorial Library System, Oxon Hill, MD"

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2010
Grades 6-8 Under pressure from her adoptive parents to fit in better during the new school year, Samara is soon busted for running a gambling table in the cafeteria. She convinces the principal not to contact her parents but instead to let her conduct a science experiment showing that she doesnt deserve more punishment than the gamblers. Samara allies herself with two of her former lunchtime customers: class president Lily, who is influenced by a televangelist minister, and Nathan, who is obsessed with secret codes and believes that God is an alien. Events spiral out of control after someone breaks into the science lab and a police investigation begins. Narrated by Samara, Lily, and Nathan in rotation, the fast-paced story is engaging, though some plot twists and minor characters are unconvincing, and the ending is disappointing in several respects. Ehrenhaft may have taken on too much in a short novel, juggling adoption issues, teen gambling addiction, genetics, historical codes, and religion. Still, with its intelligence and understated emotions, Samaras wry narrative, in particular, has its appeal.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)