Author: Amy Goldman Koss
Title: Smoke Screen
Rating: 4
Reviewer: ~JesSie~ Grade: 7
Review:
I never had so many problems bunched together at a certain time, or even felt that pain before if that happened. But in the book called Smoke Screen by Amy Goldman Koss, I could feel the trouble and ache in Mitzi starting from the New Year, where the ground was filled with snow during the months of January through March. This book tells how making up lies can make more trouble for yourself that follows, and you could only blame yourself for it!
I love this book because the setting, the people, the theme, and the place seems so real to me. There’s a great lesson in this book that teaches you not to lie. Another reason why I like this book is because it made me want to read on. I was really eager to see what happened in the end with all of Mitzi’s problems.
Mitzi thought the next year coming would be better, since there’s a new start in life. However, she was wrong! Mitzi’s mother planning to quit smoking should be a great event in Mitzi’s life. Instead, it’s a disaster because Mitzi has to go along with her mother’s mood swings. She could be happy in one minute, and the next, she’s mad.
But, that’s not the worst thing of Mitzi’s life. The worst part is that her secret admirer, Mike Humphrey drives her insane! Mitzi loves Mike soooooo much! Mitzi always want to get closer to Mike, but this girl named Roxy is mostly in the way, and with Mike most of the time! Mike only pays attention to Mitzi, after she made a huge lie.
Well, Mitzi wanted to get Mike’s attention so she told him a lie about her mother. Mitzi told him that her mother has Stripitis, a rare, fake disease that Mitzi made up. But of course Mike gave her more attention after she lied. But the worst is yet to come. Mitzi told Mike that her mother’s at the Seventh-Day Adventist, where later on he said his mom works there. Double trouble! Of course Mitzi keeps on lying because when you start a lie, you can’t stop it! And yes, Mitzi does get consequences after all!
Even though Mike pays a lot of attention to Mitzi and talks to her often, Mitzi still wouldn’t be really happy. I mean, Mitzi has no one to express her feels to, since her best friend Birdy has become great friends with Roxy. Birdy is always hanging out with Roxy, so Mitzi isn’t as close to Birdy as much. Birdy doesn’t really care about Mitzi as much anymore. She talks about Roxy all the time. It drives Mitzi crazy!
Smoke Screen is a realist-fiction book. I like the book style because I like to read books that are in present tense. I also like the fact that the book includes what the characters are thinking inside their heads, in different perspectives.
Overall, this book is great. It was given 4 stars because the story captures the reader’s attention. It makes you want to read more and more until there’s an end. The events that happen in Mitzi’s life are all very important. The author doesn’t waste time by putting more non-important events in the book to make it more boring, which is a good thing. So, the book doesn’t confuse you of what is going on. The point and theme of the book stands out so that the readers would know and understand the message that the book is sending to the readers.
If you want to know what happens to Mitzi’s life throughout the book called Smoke Screen by Amy Goldman Koss and what happens in the end, you’ll have to read the book!
8/15/03
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