Secrets Of My Suburban Life

This reviewer rarely ventures into the world of YA books and Teen Fiction, and was not aware that SECRETS OF MY SUBURBAN LIFE was just that – teen fiction. But there was no doubt about it, that this book was very funny and enjoyable and regardless of being Teen Fiction or not, it was very good.

The story is narrated by Ren (Lauren), who is learning to deal with life with a single (widowed) Dad, moving to a new city, going to a new school, and trying to fit in with new friends. Ren's mother was a writer who happened to be killed by Harry Potter – a stack of Harry Potter books fell on top of Ren's mother and killed her. So, instead of continuing life in New York, Ren and her father, who also happened to be a writer, are now in the suburbs of Connecticut, which is very boring in comparison to New York.

Farrin is the most popular girl in school. Ren and Farrin "connect" when Ren is forced to join the cheerleading squad (since Ren was a failure at all other sports, and every student was expected to participate on at least one sports team). They are also in some of the same classes, and it's during one of these classes that Ren learns an awful secret that Farrin has been keeping. It's so bad that Ren's life will change because of it. Farrin has been secretly communicating with an older man via the Internet, and Ren is afraid that Farrin is about to make a big mistake. Ren figures out a way to impersonate Farrin online to intercept the pervert, but the "joke" is on Ren when she finds out who this pervert is that Farrin is about to meet!

The book is told from Ren's point of view, along with email communications between a girl (Sexgurl) and an older man (FDA), and Ren's letters to her mother, who she confides with and misses terribly. At times Ren appeared to be a lot older than her teen years, possibly because she’s had to grow up that much faster after her mother died.

SECRETS OF MY SUBURBAN LIFE is populated by all sorts of characters typical to the average teenager’s life. Ren's got a best friend, Shannon, who she left behind in New York and misses a lot. Shannon, however, has moved on with her life, and has some secrets of her own. Ren's got a crush on Jack, the most popular guy in school, who unfortunately is dating Farrin. Jack and Ren do strike up a friendship, to the astonishment of Ren, and she is secretly hoping Jack may start to have feelings for her. But the competition is pretty fierce. What guy wouldn't want Farrin for a girlfriend? Luckily for Ren, she manages to get involved with Jack's family by mentoring his little sister Amanda, a girl who is as obnoxious as they can get. Ren can't believe that the two are even related. Through Amanda, Ren is able to hang out with Jack’s family, and comes closer to him than she ever imagined.

Ren is also making new friends at school, in particular T'Keyah who's related to a famous basketball player, but the two don't hit it off right away. It's a lot of work being the new girl in school, and Ren wishes that her mother never died.

While a good part of the story is funny and light, there are moments that are much more serious, as Ren deals with the death of her mother, being at a stage in her life when having her mother there was most important. Young readers will connect with Ren, who is the best part of the story and the reason to read it. A very likeable character, Ren is definitely the perfect protagonist.

This reviewer is recommending SECRETS OF MY SUBURBAN LIFE because it was such a delightful surprise. Filled with teens that many young readers will relate to, this book is fun to read. It was a very refreshing change for this reviewer, mainly because of the main character, Ren, and for the first time, this reviewer actually enjoyed a book that was aimed at a younger audience.

February 2008