Fancy White Trash by Marjetta Geerling

Abby Savage is the only normal one in her family. She thinks so, and pretty much everyone else around her thinks so, too. Abby has two sisters, a mom, a largely-absentee alcoholic dad, a stepfather (who is also her sister’s ex-boyfriend and the biological father of her niece), a niece, another niece on the way, and – surprise! – another sister on the way. She also has a gay best friend, Cody, and a love interest in Cody’s older brother, Jackson, who are also her next-door neighbors. This mish-mosh of characters perfectly represents the way that this novel is written. This is a just-for-fun book that presents too much sexual banter, drinking, and overall “unwholesomeness” to really warrant a positive recommendation. However, despite the lack of quality that goes into the plot or authentic character development, teenage girls are bound to be sucked into Abby’s drama. The text is quick-moving and readers might just feel compelled to follow through to see how everything wraps up. The characters are all entertaining in the style “Jerry Springer,” but if you have an aversion for soap operas, you might want to choose an alternative brand of chick lit.

Without the quality to make up for the content, too much underage drinking and out-in-the-open sexual behavior limit this book’s readership.

Call number: YA GEERLING (Teen Room)

Reviewed by kate the librarian