by Jessica Anya Blau
Overall: a sweet coming-of-age novel narrated by 14-year-old Mary Jane in mid-1970s Baltimore. This would be a great beach read, as it takes place over the summer. Mary Jane’s stiflingly conservative religious upbringing has prepared her to be an ideal summer nanny – I seriously wished multiple times reading this that I could hire Mary Jane as my babysitter. Who wouldn’t want to hire a kind, studious girl who cooks, cleans, organizes books (!), and is tirelessly devoted to her charge, 5-year-old Izzy Cone? Izzy’s parents are mildly countercultural in ways that begin to open Mary Jane’s eyes to the world around her and question whether she wants to live in it the way her parents have told her she must. But this sweet, sheltered girl’s life is most changed by the arrival of two celebrities in the Cone house that summer. I won’t say more, but I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a fun nostalgia trip, a violence-free read, and a main character they can root for!
Likes: Mary Jane is a fantastic main character, and Blau captures the voice of a sheltered teen girl perfectly. I love the celebrities, who will immediately evoke specific people if you’re of a certain age. The Cone household is a perfectly wacky contrast to Mary Jane’s sterile, 50s-style home; I love the way Blau highlights the strengths and weaknesses of each, suggesting that a middle way is best.
Dislikes: the ending felt a little abrupt. Blau says in her acknowledgments that she rewrote the ending multiple times to please her editor, so maybe that explains it. I would have liked a touch more explanation of how Mary Jane’s mom got from point A to point B and on Izzy’s preoccupation with her witch, but these are minor criticisms.
FYI: some sexual situations, drug use.
Liz Helfrich 