Review Detail

Reader reviewed by Bookluver-Carol

Leah Hoffman-Ross just moved to New York and she wants her new friends to think she's a typical thirteen-year-old. But Leah has a secret: She doesn't have a father; she has a donor. Before Leah was born, her mother went to Lyon's Reproductive Services and picked Donor 730. Now Leah has a stepfather and a little brother, and her mom thinks that they should be all the family Leah needs.

Despite her attempts to fit in and be normal, Leah can't help but feel like something is missing. When she finds the link to the Lyon's Sibling Registry, Leah has to see if she has any half siblings. And when she discovers that one of the other kids from Donor 730 is a girl her age, Leah will do anything to meet her -- even if she has to hide it from everybody else.

Leah was a character that any tween girl can relate to. After moving, she feels as if she won't meet new friends or won't be accepted by anyone (which is how I felt after I moved here, a couple of years ago), and it made her a very realistic character. She wasn't annoying and grew as a character. She was three-dimensional.

Charlie (Leah's little bro) was just so cute. Whenever he appeared in a scene, he sort of lightened it up.

The plot was very original. There aren't a lot of books that deal with a girl finding her half-siblings from her donor. The book was heart-warming and it keeps you reading. It moved at a normal pace (not too fast but not to slow either) and it really allowed the story to flow.

One of the questions that the book raised is what makes a family? It's not just blood relatives, but it can also be people who make you feel loved and care about you.

Courtney Scheinmel wrote a wonderful debut and is just a great writer. She wrote some fully developed characters, and made them all seem real. She really made the characters grow and just made this novel so much more interesting.

I definitely recommend this book, especially to reluctant tween readers.