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Miss Fortune Cookie by Lauren Bjorkman

Monday, July 2, 2012

When the sensibly timid Erin starts an advice column inspired by fortune cookie wisdom, no one at her ultra-competitive high school guesses her identity. This gives Erin the freedom to write whatever makes her laugh. Until someone actually takes her advice.

Goodreads Summary

Erin's not your typical high school student. She works hard for excellent grades and the risky chance to get into Harvard, a top University. Her friends, Mei and Linny, are equally driven. Erin and her friends share the same dreams and desires, but do not share the same Asian ancestry. Believe it or not, Erin's non-Chinese genes cause her grief with her friends, specifically Mei, in the novel; is Erin's sadness misplaced, however?

Erin began her Miss Fortune Cookie questions/answer blog to boost her college applications and because she enjoys it. Little does she know that one of her friends will take her answer a little too far. Erin spends roughly half the book trying to correct what she believes is her mistake. The first half of the book is more about development of the characters and background information, setting the scene.
The latter half of the book is filled with laughter, some romance, friendship, and school.

Erin's character is likable. She is almost too perfect, at times. She does extremely well in school, cares for her friends and mom, and focuses on doing well in all areas of life. Mei is not as friendly as Erin; her character is more "stiff" during the book. Linny is likely the friendliest of the bunch. Her open arms and expressive facial features make her very likable. There is a slight love interest in the book; however, the love interest is not focused upon at all. The secondary characters pull together to round out the book. The plot itself may not be the most original, but the author put her own spin to it that makes the book memorable. This book is recommended to young adult/teen readers.

4 Stars

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This product or book may have been distributed for review, this in no way affects my opinions or reviews.

5 comments:

  1. Unknown said...:

    Interesting that Erin runs a Q & A blog. I always wished I could have been one of those driven students on the path to Harvard. It must be difficult to stay that focused. I like romance but if the story is great I don't need it to be the main focus. Interested in the friendship and why Erin feels grief over her genes.

  1. Lili said...:

    Like Jennifer Messerschmidt, I love a good romance. It's my favorite type of read, but the story doesn't need to have a main focus on romance if the rest of the plot line can carry it. While it is rare, it is possible. This seems like one of the books that can successfully do this because the summary interests me. (:

  1. This sounds like a great, lighthearted read. And one that I would gladly devour. It would be so nice to read a book that doesn't focus on romance. As much as I like romance, sometimes it is nice to take a break on it, and read about friends, and true life troubles. Thanks for your review of Miss Fortune Cookie!

  1. deasuluna said...:

    Miss Fortune Cookie sounds like the perfect light contemporary to read to take a break from paranormal and dystopic reads. I have always loved books with a Asian theme or influence woven into the story they make for great reads. I really didn't put to much effort into my school work till the middle of my high school years so I don't think I can relate at least till I started to get competitive with some of my old friends making bets on who would have to treat who to something like the movies or lunch and so on. Definitely going to have to pick this up on my next trip to the library!

  1. Unknown said...:

    I like the sound of this coming of age book.