Book Review: "Through Thick & Thin" by Sandra Byrd

Savvy Smith, 15, sees her chance to write a full column in the paper, making her name and making her way in her new hometown near London, England. But the choices she faces when given the chance to choose between friends, family, and fame may turn her dream into a nightmare.

As I said with the first book in the series, this book really makes me want to move to England or at the very least go for a visit. I honestly think that Savvy has THE life. I was really glad that she's adjusted so well to living in a foreign country and that she was open to the changes. It can get a bit annoying and cliched in other books where teens hate having to leave everything behind instead of embracing what could be an awesome new adventure.

I really love how this book combines teen life with British culture yet still makes it all very easy for readers to relate. Fashion Week sounded really fun and I wish I could have been there to experience it myself. I was really glad how the In Crowd girls aren't too mean in this series. In fact, Hazelle is worse than they are! While Savvy may not want to totally get in with their group, it's nice that they accept her as a friend and she's treated with respect. There are also the typical issues that teens deal with such as relationships with parents and respecting rules. It's all handled very well.

These books are targeted at the younger teen crowd but I think that older teens and even adults would enjoy this book. Savvy doesn't act the way other 15 year olds are portrayed in teen fiction. She's quite mature but still knows how to have fun. There's talk about faith in the book but it's not overpowering to the story. I really love this series and I can't wait until the next installments come out later this year. Teen anglophiles will devour this series as I did.

Through Thick and Thin by Sandra Byrd is published by Tyndale (2010)

This review copy was provided by the publisher