Review: Miracle Girls by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt

About the Book: Ana Dominguez was happy in San Jose, but everything changed when her dad moved the family to Half Moon Bay, California, to open a law practice. Her parents think she's settling into her new school nicely, but she has them fooled. Riley, the most popular girl in school, has picked Ana as enemy #1, and Tyler, Ana's crush, doesn't even know Ana exists.
When Ana ends up in detention with Riley, her life suddenly changes. When Ana, Riley, Christine, and Zoe share their essays on "The Day My Life Changed," it turns out they have more in common than they ever would have imagined. Now as Ana lives out her faith, she and Zoe are determined to befriend Riley and Christine. But the drama of high school life has only just begun. . . .

My Review: Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt sort of pioneered the world of Christian chick lit, but sadly I havent't read any of those books. This book is, however, written very much chick lit style with the added bonus of being a YA book. (Young Adult) I have only recently stepped back into the world of reading Young Adult books. I was afraid I would find them all quite juvenile but that was silly. After all, I love shows like Veronica Mars, Gossip Girl, and my latest guilty pleasure, The Secret Life of the American Teenager. One thing I have been surprised by is the content of some books for teens. Which is riduculous considering my confession last week, but I'm getting old.

I am so happy to say that this is a fantastic book that any Christian parent could feel safe having their teenage daughter read. And that an old 28 year old girl like me still found tremendously entertaining and page-turning. Additionally, I didn't find the faith content to be overbearing and I imagine that young girls that don't share Ana's faith would still share many other things in common with her.

Ana is new to Half Moon Bay and rather friendless. Add on top of that the fact that her parents have huge ambitions for her and are extremely overprotective, plus her nanny/housekeeper has just been diagnosed with a serious condition...well her plate is full. She wants to be a good girl, though, and this is demonstrated in the opening scene of the book in which she does something I could never have imagined doing ever, and makes an enemy. She later on finds herself in detention where a group of girls each discover they share a secret...their lives are miracles.

I really don't want to spoil the book, but suffice it to say that I enjoyed this one so much, I'm dying for the next in the series to come out. (and this one isn't even on shelves yet) I'm hoping each of the "miracle girls" has their own story, because I can't wait to get in the heads of each of these girls.

Dayton and Vanderbilt have created four very fun and distinct characters with plenty of room for growth. The book is funny and light, and still tackles a few more important issues. Highly recommended to all.

Miracle Girls will be on shelves this September 8, but you can pre-order your copy now. You can also visit Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt at their website.