“You know how sometimes you get an idea? And then you follow that idea and complicate your life so badly that you wish it had never popped into your head? Yeah. That’s what happened. Me and my genius idea.”
Eleven-year-old Ambra Alessandra Leola Kimiko Miyamoto, who goes by Amber (“I have no idea why my parents gave me all those hideous names but they must have wanted to ruin my life you know?”), lives with her mom and six-year-old sister, Bella in South London. Her dad left the family when they were little. His absence feels like a gaping hole in Amber’s life. When Bella decides to write a letter to her dad, Amber has an idea. She writes Bella back, posing as their father, hoping to save her sister from the pain that she feels. But of course, this ruse proves difficult to maintain, especially with a sister who has a vivid imagination.
Funny, charming and poignant. This easily could have been sappy or didactic, but Amber’s spunky narration always moderates the more serious subject-matter. Family is central to the book, and while it does highlight the meaning of a dad and having one in your life, it also shows how family is family no matter who is or isn’t there. The way this family comes together and Amber tries to help her sister (even if it is a little ill-advised) is heartening. I loved the characters and enjoyed reading Amber’s narration. The letters exchanged between sisters cracked me up. This is a winner.
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