To Be Maria
To Be Maria

Seventeen-year-old Anya Preschnikov dreams of one day becoming a famous actor, but she is faced with two problems: her one-parent, dysfunctional family neglects her and has no money to support her and at school, she is the target for her peers' contempt. Anya believes that, in order to gain her stepping stone to stardom, she must dress like the rich girls and be surrounded by a large network of friends. All of this changes when Maria Hernandez--an immigrant from Spain-- comes to Peach Valley Senior High.

Maria knows what it takes to fit in. She is bold, confident and she dresses suggestively, characteristics that all of the popular kids admire. Yet, she sees in Anya what everyone else does not see: Anya's outer beauty and her immense talent.
Maria is everything Anya wants to be: popular, sexy and confident. So, when Maria extends her hand of friendship, Anya is elated. Her lifelong dream is about to become a reality, but it falls short one Saturday night at a party when a boy's rude comment sends her into a rage.
Desperate to belong somewhere, Anya and Maria set out to find new friends outside of school. They meet Alex and Marissa, a young couple who eagerly welcomes them into their world of parties and drugs. Anya and Maria soon find out that Alex is a drug dealer, but they are so lured by his wealth, good looks and aggressive confidence that they cannot resist his friendship. They don't know that Alex's gang is at war with a rival gang--one that is run by Anya's older brother, Adrik--until one incident puts their lives in danger's path. To make matters worse, Alex will not let Anya and Maria out of his sight.
Anya and Maria must find away out of this situation before it's too late.

From: http://www.blackliontours.net/#!to-be-maria-by-deanna-proach/c17dz

Book Details

Genre: 

  • Fiction

Age Level: 

  • 12 and up
Profile Picture

Anya has never fit in. She's always picked on at school and doesn't have cool enough clothes to at least be respected.Life at home isn't very cheery, either. Her father is an alcoholic, and her sister is the biggest brat in the world. She only has one friend, Patrick, but that's all about to  change. The newest member of the popular crowd, Maria, takes a liking to Anya and believes she can become popular as well. But things start to fall apart before they've even started.

To add your comments, login above or request a LitPick membership.