Reprise Review: Maisy May / Naomi Kramer

Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: YA

Approximate word count: 25-30,000 words

Availability    

Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: YES  Smashwords: YES  Paper: NO

Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

Aussie Naomi Kramer may have the distinction of having the only book in the Kindle store in Greek, at least the only one of which I’m aware. Her novella DEAD(ish) is available in a Greek language edition as well as English. In addition, she has a sequel (in English only) called (technically) DEAD. Coffee addict Kramer has two kids and lives in Ipswich, just up the road from Brisbane.

Description:

Maisy May Dickens is a typical teen girl, if you consider an ex-druggie turned religious mother, no dad in sight, and a thing for fast cars as typical. At least she has a sense of humor.

Appraisal:

I love Maisy May. I'm talking about the character, but obviously, the same good feelings extend to the book as a whole. In many ways Maisy is a typical teenager with typical teenage problems. She's working at making the transition from kid to adult. Like almost every high school kid, there are teachers she doesn't like, cliques she clashes with, and adults she'd rather avoid. Sometimes her Mom is great and sometimes she wishes she'd just go away.

What sets Maisy apart is her sense of humor. She sees the funny side of everything. She recognizes the absurdity of so many experiences in life. Her internal dialog had me laughing out loud almost constantly. Most importantly, even when her life takes an unplanned and traumatic turn, she keeps laughing. This novella is the first of a trilogy. I'm eager to see what the next installment of Maisy's life brings.

FYI:

Although aimed at an older YA audience, as someone well past that age I found this book both entertaining and thought provoking. Don’t let the YA label scare you off. There is a small amount of profanity, sexual and religious themes. Kramer is Australian so expect some Aussie slang.

Format/Typo Issues:

I read this prior to starting the blog, however I believe there were very few, if any, issues at that time.

Rating: ***** Five Stars