Enter into the life of a typical high school sophomore girl: there’s inevitably going to be boys, family drama and a whole lot of changes going on. This is the life of Carly, who lives deep in the South of Atlanta, Georgia.
She leads a pretty normal teenage life except for the small detail that she lives in Buckwood, the most prestigious neighborhood in her state. Thus, she pretty much gets whatever she wants, whenever she wants. She has wealth, privilege and parents who adore her, so what more could she possibly want?
Written by Lauren Myracle, New York Times bestselling author of Thirteen and TTYL, Peace, Love and Baby Ducks is a great summer beach read, but don’t look for anything much deeper or profound than that.
The story follows the simple premise that sisterly love prevails above all else. Yes, above even boys and friends. No matter what, your sister will always be there for you even though at times, life in high school can be a bumpy road.
The book opens as Carly returns from a summer camp where she hiked and camped out in the wilderness for 6 weeks. Upon returning, her younger sister, Anna, a high school freshman, has suddenly become “hot.”
She’s developed a curvy, feminine figure and now, none of the boys at their Christian school care about Carly, all they can think about is her younger, hotter sister. Carly has an extremely difficult time dealing with the change and ever since she’s gotten home, her friends even seem to like Anna better than her.
Carly becomes caught in the middle of everything and desperately wants to rebel against the life of privilege that she’s lead her whole life.
Except, she doesn’t quite know how to. She cuts her hair, dramatically changes her wardrobe, and even rebels against the picture-perfect image that her parents have of her. But nothing seems to be working for her.
In addition to this rebel streak, the book carries a hint of a religious undertow as the girls attend Holy Redeemer, the most prestigious private, Christian school also in their state. Through the course of the novel, Carly’s religion is challenged, but she never confronts the lack of religiousness she feels inside.
Though the book keeps a pretty slow pace throughout, it ends in a completely shocking surprise.
The book is decent, however, I wouldn’t recommend to someone looking anything profound or that would make you think. It’s simple, can be read in a day, and totally predictable. If you’re looking for a book that makes you think, look elsewhere. Peace, Love & Baby Ducks provides a few laughs but nothing of real substance.
By: Lauren Myracle
289 Pages
Published by Penguin Group (USA)
Released May 14, 2009
2/4 stars
