Special Blog Book Review

You should definitely read this book. You should definitely NOT read this book at the gym, a doctor's waiting room, at church, or anywhere else where laughing aloud to yourself will earn you some curious glances. Let me just say that I made this mistake and there are now several people who won't be stair stepping next to me anytime soon.
I must admit, even though the author is a dear friend of mine and I know how extremely talented she is as an author (ie Yearbook, First Day, The Mom's Club Diaries), I was still prepared to have to do some pretty heavy suspending of disbelief to buy into the plot of this story. Milo is a typical 15 year old boy who decides to do something atypical with his life--run for President of the United States! However, despite my reservations I was immediately drawn into the story and the fact that Condie made it actually seem possible for a teenager to make a significant difference on such a grand scale.
But that is only a small part of what makes this story so clever and touching. Milo not only takes on a rigorous campaign, but he does it while coming to terms with some serious emotional issues that touch the lives of those he cares for the most.
This book resonated with me and I believe it will resonate with anyone who reads it. I think that readers will relate to Milo's struggle to know how to help a sister who is struggling with emotional issues, while dealing with some of his own. I also thought that Condie's treatment of life and death issues was very real and timeless.
The plot moves at a good pace and is full of humorous banter, believable relationships, inspiring ideas, and beautiful symbolism. Through it all, Milo's character development is a potent illustration of how we really are the product not only of our experiences, but how we choose to handle them. Milo is definitely my favorite candidate this year!