Everyone Else's Girl

October 1, 2005
It's a late twentysomething's worst nightmare: moving back home with her parents. Meredith's mom is on a dream vacation, and her dad is at home with a broken leg. And since her two siblings in the area can't (or won't) be his nursemaid, "Saint Meredith" leaves behind her perfect life and perfect boyfriend in another state to help out. Sleeping in her old twin bed and running into high school classmates, she suddenly feels 17 again, i.e., awful. To complicate matters, her classmate neighbor has gone from super geek to total babe. These and other elements make for one hot summer during which Meredith realizes that maybe her perfect life isn't all it seems. In her second novel (after "English as a Second Language"), Crane shows a growing depth. Her characters are human and flawed, and Meredith sees some unflattering aspects of herself. This makes the novel work -there is warmth without being smarmy and hope but no perfect solutions. And the humor we enjoyed in Crane's debut bubbles up here, too. Recommended for all fiction collections. -Anna M. Nelson, Collier Cty. P.L., Naples, FL

Copyright 2005 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.