what i believe

what i believe by Norma Fox Mazer

This book was a bit unusual. It is all about this girl named Vicki whose father loses his job and the economic impact that has on the family as well as the emotional impact. The family has to move, Vicki has to change schools, they have to sell many of their possessions, and they have to take in a boarder. Vicki keeps all of this secret from her new friend, Sara. She wants to pretend there is nothing wrong with her or her family. Her lies continue as she keeps a big secret from her family and friends.

The unusual part of this book was how it was written. The book is broken into short poems, lists, and other types of writing. Somehow all of these poems, lists, letters, etc. all flow together to tell Vicki's story. She is also nice enough to tell the reader what type of poem it is in the title of the poem. If you can get past the changing format, this is an okay book. It is a quick read, good for summer reading.