Book Review: "Much Ado About Anne" by Heather Vogel Frederick

*Although the books I review on my blog are almost always Christian fiction, there will be a few spotlighted regular fiction titles I will review from time to time.*

This year the mothers have a big surprise in store for Emma, Jess, Cassidy, and Megan: They've invited snooty Becca Chadwick and her mother to join the book club!

But there are bigger problems when Jess finds out that her family may have to give up Half Moon Farm. In a year filled with skating parties, a disastrous mother-daughter camping trip, and a high-stakes fashion show, the girls realize that it's only through working together—Becca included—that they can save Half Moon Farm.

Acclaimed author Heather Vogel Frederick captures the magic of friendship and the scrapes along the way in this sequel to The Mother-Daughter Book Club, which will enchant daughters and mothers alike.

This was one of the most refreshing teen books that I have read this year. I'm totally not the target age of this book, but I so enjoyed reading it. I wish that I had this group when I was growing up. I don't know exactly how well my mother and I would have fit in, but the idea that 4 best friends and their moms can spend quality time together like this is priceless. It's a wonderful reminder that mothers still love their daughters and can still be close and share interests with them. Instead of rebelling, the girls do like spending time with their moms. Yes, they do get embarrassed by them and there are times when they wish they had someone else for their mom. However instead of badmouthing them or being outright defiant, they accept their mothers for who they are.

They also picked one of my favorite books ever. In fact I'm listening to it right now on CD in my car. Anne of Green Gables is a favorite among girls of all ages and it's perfect for the target age of this book. The added notes and trivia about LM Montgomery were very insightful and I learned things about her that I never knew before. I also think it was great to see how everyday occurrences in our time can be totally related to events in Anne's world.

These girls are the same age as the characters in The Clique series, but the MDBC girls actually ACT like their age. Yes there are some girls who are interested in fashion but they are not label obsessed. It's ok to be a bookworm, animal lover or tomboy in this book. It celebrates growing up and being a girl, and not glorifying materials things. They are very resourceful and very creative. The idea for the fashion show is wonderful, although they were lucky to have celebrity connections for it to turn out so well.

I like how the book is setup. It's split into four seasons and each character gets her own chapter with her own POV. To me, I didn't find it confusing at all. Each girl is different, and it was great to see things from each perspective. I also love the references to Jane Austen from Emma's family. I do hope by the next book they'll be deemed old enough by Mrs Chadwick to read one of her works!

Now I want to do two things. First I want to go back and reread all the Anne of Green Gables book (which if you haven't already, I highly recommend that you do). Second, is I want to find the first book in this series and read it. I cannot wait til the next adventure of the Mother Daughter Book Club and see what literary adventure they pick next.

This is a wholesome and enjoying read perfect for tweens and teens. Therefore this book I CAN recommend to the readers of this blog.

Much Ado About Anne by Heather Vogel Frederick is published by Simon and Schuster Children (2008)