Yes, I’ve been reading books like crazy. Traditionally I’m a before bedtime reader, catching a few chapters before lights out. This has changed in the past year thanks in part to an unmanageable growing list of books on my taller than me TBR list. Normally I only post reviews on Mondays as a part of  Shannon Messenger’s Marvelous Middle Grade Monday celebration. Thanks to my increase in reading time, and no I’m not sick, jobless, or with nothing to do, I’m four weeks ahead in my posts for MMGM – good all the way through this month.

How did I do it? I bring a book with me everywhere. It’s amazing how much time there is during the day. I might sneak away at lunch for 10 minutes, there’s a 15 minute wait at the dentist, another 12 or so waiting for a haircut. It adds up and if a few extra minutes at night presents itself, out comes the book. I’m also not someone who hides a book in their lap, huddled over each word. I proudly hold each title about a foot from my eyes and read away. I did get a few stares in the haircut salon. One guy was reading ESPN magazine and the other furiously texting. They kept glancing my way, I’m sure wondering what I was doing reading ANDI UNEXPECTED by Amanda Flower.  They never asked but they should have. It’s a great start to a fun series (ANDI UNDER PRESSURE, the second Andi Boggs novel, will be released this October.)

PUBLICATION DATE:2013 READING LEVEL: 4.8 WORD COUNT: 44,130

FULL PLOT (From Amazon): After the sudden death of their parents in the jungles of Central America, twelve-year-old science geek Andora ‘Andi’ Boggs and her diva teenaged sister, Bethany, move to rural Killdeer, Ohio to live with their eccentric twenty-something aunt. And while the timeworn house has been home to the Boggs family for generations, Andi feels far from at home. Exploring the attic in her grief, she discovers proof of another Andora Boggs in the family tree hidden in a Depression-era trunk. Despite the meddling of the citizens of Killdeer, Andi and her new friend, Colin Carter, are determined to find out who this first Andora was, how she vanished, and why no one in town wants to talk about her. As more and more unanswered questions pile up, Andi and Colin must decide who they can trust with their secrets and who is interested in Andora’s story for the wrong reasons.

FIVE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT ANDI UNEXPECTED by Amanda Flower

1. A strong female protagonist. Andi has questions and is not afraid to find the answers. Her voice shined on every page.
2. Her friend, Colin. He’s a smart boy other kids can’t relate to. He also has asthma and has to constantly monitor his own health. It’s an honest look into what children with asthma go through.
3. The friendship that grows between Andi and Colin. It will be interesting to read how this relationship moves forward in future novels.
4. The mystery is fun to follow as you try guessing what happened to Andi’s ancestor.You’ll also be wondering which adults are helpful and which are not. The results are surprising.
5. The honest and real snapshot of Andi and her older sister as they cope differently with their parent’s death. The sisters don’t really like each other or the way each acts. It’s a sub mystery within the bigger one that both girls will need to solve.

FAVORITE LINES:

“Andi’s not a fit name for a girl. Parents today think they have the license to name their children whatever they wish. Ridiculous, You hardly hear any good solid names anymore. I miss names like Ruth or Mary or Rebecca. It’s all Apple, Mango, and Pear these days. What, do people think they are making a fruit salad instead of naming a child?”