LitPick Review
Catriona (Cat-reen-ah) Starr doesn't want to go to Portland, Oregon to live with her dad and literally evil stepsister while her mom is on the International Space Station. She likes her stepmother and stepbrother Geoffrey, but Olivia (her stepsister) is horrible. Eventually, she calls her mom, who sends Great-Aunt Abysinnia to the rescue!...or not. Things go from bad to worse. Toads start appearing when Cat speaks, while Olivia gets flowers and diamonds! When the secret gets out, Geoffrey is kidnapped, and Olivia (a.k.a. Diamond Girl) is wanted for ransom. Can Cat learn to work with her stepsister so they can save the one thing they both care about?
Opinion:
I have always been a fairy-tale fanatic, and love reading rewrites of the originals. This new version of Toads and Diamonds wasn't only a rewritten fairy tale, it also touched upon the different aspects of middle school life. I feel a little bit sorry that Cat's fairy godmother is a little mixed up, but any fairy godmother's better than none, right? As I read this book, I could hardly stop laughing. It was absolutely hilarious! I especially liked the part where the toads came out of her bassoon! This is my idea of a good teen fiction book. I think anyone could read this book and love it.
