Infandous

Reviewed by: Carla McAllister - New Gloucester Public Library, New Gloucester, Maine, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: July 24, 2015

Review

17-year-old Sephora is attending summer school for mathematics as she prepares for senior year. Her mother is drop-dead gorgeous, a former model, and a single parent. They share an extremely tight bond. Dad was never on the scene and Sephora is the reason that her Mom was disowned by her family, lost her modeling career and lives in comparative poverty in Venice Beach. Mom is not a typical mother, believes in sex for fun and is not what one would consider a good role model for a young girl. Sephora turns junk into sometimes violent art, enjoys surfing, and compares her life with fairytales more Grimm than Disneyesque. Intermittent chapters of fairytales relate to Sephora and her mother's relationship. She has a disturbing sexual secret which provides an unexpected twist toward the end of the story. This book is definitely for older young adult readers as it speaks of rape, drugs, and drinking and reveals stark harsh truths that some might find distressing.

Overall Book Score: good