Search - Absolutely Normal Chaos

My daughter loved this book and loaned it to her best friend with highest recommendations.

Mary Lou Finney is less than excited about her assignment to keep a journal over the summer. Then, her cousin Carl Ray comes to stay with her family. At first, Mary Lou is disappointed with Carl Ray. She thinks he is lazy and not very interesting. While Carl Ray gets settled, Mary Lou records the events of her everyday life in her journal. Her friend Beth Ann has been invited to join a secret club, a cute boy named Alex invites her to go swimming, and a neighbor with a mysterious relationship to Carl Ray passes away unexpectedly. As the mystery unfolds, Mary Lou finds there is more to Carl Ray - and to herself - than she ever knew.

Thirteen-year-old Mary Lou Finney has an assignment to keep a journal over the summer. She thinks it's boring, but finds herself filling up more than one book as things start to happen. First, her 17-year-old cousin Carl Ray comes to stay with their family. Then her best friend gets a boyfriend, making her feel left out, and suddenly a boy shows interest in her. Creech is good at putting you right in the mind of a 13-year-old girl, and Mary Lou's summer experiences and the lessons she learns from them make an interesting and fun read. It's a book I will definitely keep for my kids.

sweet book. I don't recall any unnecessary content.