Asking for Trouble

Asking for Trouble (London Confidential)
by Sandra Byrd

What’s a girl to do when she moves to a new school in a whole new country?
Savvy and her family move to England for her fathers job. Starting a new school is hard enough but in a new country makes it even more tough. Some of the kids and neighbors seem nice but standoffish.

Savvy has a few hard decision to make in the quest to win friends and be excepted in a group. I’m a big sap, and the loneliness Savvy feels did make me tear up. This book has a good biblical message, but it isn’t preachy and doesn’t slap you in the face.

Both dd and I enjoyed learning about how things in England differed than here in US. We found some of the candy mentioned in the book at World Market to try which was fun. In an interview with the author about why she decided to set the series in London she says “I think, at heart, we are all fantasy travelers, excited about visiting new places - especially places that speak English! London is such a fun, cosmopolitan town. They speak English, but with an enchanting accent that American girls often imitate because it sounds so, well, posh!  We love their royalty, their history, the fact that they are both very similar and yet different from us. The girls who read the London Confidential books may not be able to visit London in person this year, but they can go there via the book. And then plan the REAL trip to follow.”

This is a book aimed at tweens/teens. I say tweens because there isn’t anything in this book that wouldn’t let my 12 yo read. My 15 yo dd read this book in one day and really liked it as well. Both dd and I want to continue the series. We have discussed what we would like to see happen with the main character. Will Savvy join the youth group? Will friendship with Penny ever grow? Will she get the cute boy? Sandra Byrd states, “The final two books in the series release on September 1, 2010 and talk about good friendships and bad, why it's important for Christian girls to stick with only liking, even crushing on, Christian boys, how to persevere in times of trouble, and taking your first adult steps in your faith. When girls open any of the books, they'll find a girl who is a lot like them, with dreams and hopes and fears like theirs, and God who works things out in ways they would not have imagined.  There are friendship ups and downs, school ups and downs, guy ups and downs, family issues and lots of fun. I wanted to write books that would be fun to read, and yet still be meaningful. I hope the girls find the books to be just that.” We are looking forward to seeing what will happen. 

Thank you to Tyndale House Publishers for the review copy in exchange for my honest review.