All You Never Wanted

Gr 9 Up—Alex and Thea Parrott's new stepdad, Arthur, is filthy rich. They have moved into a magnificent home dubbed Camelot, and can now afford anything they could ever want. Alex is beautiful, popular, and has a promising career in fashion and a seriously hot boyfriend. But a traumatic and humiliating incident during her fashion internship has caused her to retreat into a life of paralyzing fear and panic attacks. Younger sister Thea has bought into the luxe lifestyle, and now she wants everything, especially what isn't hers. When their mom and Arthur leave town, Thea plans a party that may just cause both girls to lose more than they ever could have imagined. Griffin creates a raw and mesmerizing tale (Knopf, 2012) that addresses a range of issues, including divorce, sibling rivalry, anorexia, compulsive lying, loss of bodily control, and social phobia. Chapters alternate between Alex and Thea's points of view and are narrated by Annalie Gernert and Erin Mallon. The readers expertly capture the essences of tragic and brittle Alex and catty and conniving Thea. Recommended for all library collections and an excellent choice for girl's book discussion groups.—Lisa Hubler, Charles F. Brush High School, Lyndhurst, OH