Abbie's Rival
by Tracey Morait
Published by K&T Mitchell
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Reviewed by Leslie Granier
Abbie Palmer is a typical teenager – not interested in school but definitely into partying and meeting boys. Abbie, who is fourteen years old, lives in England. She has a sixteen-year-old pen pal in France named Colette. Wanting to impress Colette, she makes up stories to make her life seem more exciting. A problem arises when Colette emails Abbie stating that she is coming to England for a visit. Abbie’s excitement about meeting her pen pal is tempered by the realization that Colette will discover her lies. Also adding to her angst is the fact that her best friend Shireen is not at all interested in meeting Colette because she perceives her to be snobbish.
This book is aimed at girls aged nine to twelve. It tackles age-appropriate issues such as sibling rivalry and blended families. There is also an important lesson to be learned from this story. People need to be proud of who they are and not be tempted to portray themselves as something or someone they are not. Abbie and Colette could have had a much better relationship if they had not kept the truth from each other.
The characters in this book are fun and believable. The author expertly portrays their feelings. Abbie’s insecurities about her appearance are heightened by Colette’s beauty and her ability to turn the heads of many boys, including the one with whom Abbie is enamored. Colette’s brash exterior is a mask to hide the real reason she wanted to get away from France.
Abbie’s Rival is a good story with which many older children can relate. They will enjoy experiencing the drama, the jealousy, and the general difficulties teenagers face as they head toward adulthood. Since the story is set in England, the words and terminology are based on the local language. I could figure out most of the unfamiliar words, but I had to guess at a few.
Armchair Interviews says: Good read for those “tweens” in your life.