The Ninja Reviews. . ."Absolutely Maybe" by Lisa Yee

What do tacos, platform shoes and kool-aid dyed hair have in common? Nothing really unless you read Lisa Yee’s latest book Absolutely Maybe.

The story revolves around Maybelline Mary Katherine Mary Ann Chestnut aka Maybe (yes, that’s her name and her mother’s name is equally long). She’s a daughter of a former beauty queen who does not live up to her mother expectations – kool-aid dyed hair does not scream Miss USA. After living through rounds of her mother’s various marriages in the boring town of Kissimmee, Florida, she decides to find her real father in California. In her quest, she is joined by two friends who get swept away in their own adventures.

This is Yee’s first venture into young adult literature and her efforts paid off. Yee has written children’s books before: Millicent Min, Girl Genius, Stanford Wong Flunks Big Time, and So Totally Emily Ebers. Each of these shares experiences of a developing friendship with wit and humor. This is the same for Absolutely Maybe. The characters are whimsical and quirky adding something more to a typical storyline of a girl finding herself. Whether it is the unusually long names, the stories of past boyfriends, her best friend’s out of this world personality, or a taco truck of deliciousness, the book served as an enjoyable, quick read.

Review by Lina

This book is on YALSA's top 10 nominee 2009 books for teens. You can see the list of nominees here. During August 25 through September 18 you can vote on your favorite and help create YALSA's next top 10 list!