Publishers Weekly
Newbery Medalist Kadohata's (Kira-Kira) gifts for creating and containing drama and for careful definition of character prove as powerful as ever in this wise, tender and compelling novel. Although the 12-year-old narrator, Shelby, and her three sisters are as different as their respective fathers (whom they rarely see), they remain devoted to one another and to their stunningly beautiful Japanese-American mother, who uses her looks to collect men the same way she collects pieces of jewelry (and for much the same purpose). When their mother is critically injured-and disfigured-in a car crash, the girls are dispersed from their Chicago apartment to the care of the four fathers. At first Shelby's father, a Japanese-born gum manufacturer in rural Arkansas, reminds her of "one of those nearsighted Japanese men with cameras who moved in clusters throughout Chicago tourist attractions." But when one of the fathers appears to be mistreating a sister and Shelby tries to plan a way for all four to reunite, she begins to appreciate her father's kindness and generosity, and to find beauty in unexpected places. Her growing insight into the difference between beauty and perfection accompanies steady revelations about families and love. Ages 12-up. (June)
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School Library Journal
Gr 7 Up- Shelby, 13, and her three sisters, ages 16, 8, and 6, have different fathers. They live in early-1980s Chicago with their free-spirited mother, Helen, a striking and beauty-obsessed Japanese bombshell. Helen is a cult of personality unto herself, and the older girls happily care for the younger ones while Mom collects boyfriends. When she is in a disfiguring car accident, the girls separate to live with their fathers. Shelby's dad is a kind, level-headed Japanese greenhorn, while six-year-old Maddie's, an Anglo, is a patronizing, abusive bully. The four girls plot their escape-back to Helen, but really back to one another. The novel is oddly missing pop-culture references, so the '80s setting is perplexing and extraneous. The first chapters of the book are packed with contrived, purposefully madcap shenanigans and creaky, expository dialogue. Once the scene is set, though, Shelby settles into a more natural, thoughtful voice, and the surprisingly gripping plot gains pace and substance. The cloyingly devil-may-care mood of the opening turns mercifully more sober and suspenseful as the girls' troubles deepen. The sisters have distinct, authentic voices, and their conversations are smooth, snappy, and believable. The male characters are well drawn too, especially Shelby's sweet, hilarious father, who gets the best lines in the book. Shelby's running commentary on beauty is smart and poignant, as is her portrayal of a mother she both loves and reviles.-Johanna Lewis, New York Public Library
Kirkus Reviews
Shelby, 13, and her three sisters adore their beautiful, narcissistic mother, Helen Kimura, who supports them on the proceeds of her symbiotic relationships with men. Each girl has a different father, so after their mother suffers a serious car accident, the girls are parceled out to their respective dads. While Shelby learns to love hers, she also longs to reunite her original family unit. The girls understand and accept that maintaining and using her "outside beauty" is Helen's profession, but Shelby, at least, recognizes that beauty can take other forms, too. Her plain, shy, Japanese-immigrant father is a case in point, and the nonjudgmental love she shares with her sisters and mother is another. To enjoy this fairy-tale-without-fantasy, readers must buy the premise that this lifestyle has produced a happy, high-functioning family; once they've done that, the superb composition and characterization will carry them along. Realistic or not, two important truths underlie this quirky and disarming tale: Tolstoy was wrong; not all happy families are alike. And, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. (Fiction. 12 & up)
JULY 2008 - AudioFile
Newbery Honor winner Cynthia Kadohata creates another unique yet realistic family that explores the ties that bind. Helen Kimura, a sexpot adored by her daughters, collects men and their gifts but is unwilling to settle down because there are always “bigger fish to fry.” When she’s critically injured in an accident, her four daughters are separated; each goes to her own father. Sue Jean Kim narrates from second daughter Shelby’s viewpoint. Kim makes each sister real. Shelby is the serious, quiet sister who is willing to move heaven and earth to reunite her family. Marilyn is the most like her mother. Lakey is torn between a desire to live with her father and her need for her sisters. Maddy has mastered the little sister skill of wheedling with a well-placed “Pleeaasee?” N.E.M. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine
