Lucky T

June 20, 2005
The author of The V Club (aka The Virginity Club, in paperback) cooks up another frothy novel from an original premise and delivers a positive message. When Carrie's parents divorced, her father gave her a "lucky" T-shirt from Morocco; after that Carrie lands a spot on the varsity basketball team, leads in school plays-and even scores a cute boyfriend, Jason. She also secretly hopes that it will "make her lucky enough to bring her family back together." But when her mother accidentally donates the T-shirt to Help India, Jason suddenly breaks up with Carrie, and she blows a big test. To retrieve her shirt, the California teen joins her mother's hippie best friend and her obnoxious daughter, Doreen (whom she nicknames "Dor-mean"), on a volunteer vacation in Calcutta. The plot is predictable, from Carrie's unconvincing reconciliation with Doreen, to her slow realization that she has it better off than most, with or without her shirt. But readers get a vivid sampling of Calcutta ("A few feet away a man sold steaming hot, spicy-scented meat out of a pot.... People bustled around, pausing to make purchases or bargain with hawkers") and may also get caught up in Carrie's romance with a college student and volunteer, even if the writing occasionally strikes readers as over-the-top ("He had this sultry deepness to his voice that Carrie just wanted to record and listen to on her iPod player for all eternity"). Ages 14-up.

September 1, 2005
Gr 8 Up -A fairy tale set in India, this sweet yet predictable book ends happily ever after. Carrie, a talented, beautiful, selfish, yet likable teenager, is in Calcutta trying to track down her lucky T-shirt that was accidentally sent to a shelter there. This shirt is one of the few connections she has with her often-absent, divorced father. She makes the trip on the premise that she wants to build housing for the less fortunate, but definitely puts her search for her shirt first. She meets Dee, a gorgeous volunteer at an orphanage, and goes to work there, again for the wrong reasons. Dee and Carrie find themselves in an up-and-down relationship as she struggles with her materialism and his self-righteousness. Carrie grows to love the children and realizes how fortunate she is to have family, friends, and material things. Although the message is strong, the character development is somewhat lacking. Still, this is an enjoyable read in which the girl gets the guy, reconciles with her best friend, and learns what really matters most in her life. Fans of Meg Cabot's -The Princess Diaries - series will enjoy it." -Julie Webb, Shelby County High School, Shelbyville, KY"

Copyright 2005 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 3, 2005
The author of The V Club (aka The Virginity Club, in paperback) cooks up another frothy novel from an original premise and delivers a positive message. When Carrie's parents divorced, her father gave her a "lucky" T-shirt from Morocco; after that Carrie lands a spot on the varsity basketball team, leads in school plays-and even scores a cute boyfriend, Jason. She also secretly hopes that it will "make her lucky enough to bring her family back together." But when her mother accidentally donates the T-shirt to Help India, Jason suddenly breaks up with Carrie, and she blows a big test. To retrieve her shirt, the California teen joins her mother's hippie best friend and her obnoxious daughter, Doreen (whom she nicknames "Dor-mean"), on a volunteer vacation in Calcutta. The plot is predictable, from Carrie's unconvincing reconciliation with Doreen, to her slow realization that she has it better off than most, with or without her shirt. But readers get a vivid sampling of Calcutta ("A few feet away a man sold steaming hot, spicy-scented meat out of a pot.... People bustled around, pausing to make purchases or bargain with hawkers") and may also get caught up in Carrie's romance with a college student and volunteer, even if the writing occasionally strikes readers as over-the-top ("He had this sultry deepness to his voice that Carrie just wanted to record and listen to on her iPod player for all eternity"). Ages 14-up.

Copyright 2005 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.