The Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Gr 9 Up—Sixteen-year-old Annabelle Jackson must deal with the fallout of her actress mother's self-imposed exile from the Hollywood spotlight. Once famous for her role in a popular sitcom, Janie Jackson is now better known for appearing in the gossip blogs due to her outlandish behavior. Annabelle, who has her own quirky habits and suffers from panic attacks, struggles to hide her mother's increasingly dangerous addictions, but can no longer keep the paparazzi at bay when her mom is arrested for drunk driving on the Pacific Coast Highway. After Janie gets out of rehab, mother and daughter learn that their financial advisor has not only killed himself, but he's also robbed them of their estate. Forced to sell their belongings and move to a small apartment, Annabelle is sure her mother will relapse. However, a chance encounter with a famous action star leads to an audition for a movie that could turn Janie's career around. Suddenly Annabelle is faced with a new town, a responsible parent, and the potential for a romantic love interest. The fairy-tale ending is satisfying, but the dialogue and Annabelle's internal monologues are stilted. Some plot elements feel contrived, and characters struggle to be more than stereotypes. Readers will likely forgive these flaws in favor of a plot-driven story that deals not only with the codependent behavior of a girl with an alcoholic parent, but also the common fears and insecurities of a teenager.—Lynn Rashid, Marriotts Ridge High School, Marriottsville, MD