PEACHES by Jodi Lynn Anderson

I just read the novel Peaches by Jodi Lynn Anderson - a teen fiction book. This book was the perfect thing to read when I was feeling stressed or overwhelmed and needed to get away. Any teenage girl could relate to this interesting and engrossing novel.

    Peaches is about three very different girls, who become best friends under odd circumstances. Murphy McGowen, the wildest girl in Bridgewater, is forced to work at Darlington Orchard when she’s caught trying to steal the owner’s Creme de menthe. Birdie Darlington, the owner’s daughter, is a girl who has been home schooled her whole life and isn’t afraid of getting a little dirt under her nails. Leeda Cawley-Smith, the richest, most popular girl in Bridgewater and Birdie’s second cousin, is forced by her parents to come and work at the orchard during spring break. These three girls learn what true friendship really is. They help each other deal with guy problems, and Birdie’s parents getting divorced. What was the best part about this book? They do it all while picking peaches under the Georgia sun.  

    This book is so well written. The novel is told through each character's point of view, which helped me to understand each of the girls' thoughts and feelings. I could understand why Murphy did what she did but I could also understand why Leeda was upset by it.

The other convention that I absolutely loved was the character development. Each character changed over the course of this book in a way that you could feel like you were changing with them.

Still, if it was possible, Uncle Walter looked even older than he had in April, the gray at his temples having grown up the sides of his head like fungus.

Standing on the porch besides Walter, Birdie looked the opposite – she looked fresher, a little thinner, and excited. Her eyes scanned the group in front of the porch frenetically. Leeda looked behind her to see who Birdie might be looking for. Instead, her gaze landed on Murphy, skulking in the back, dark circles under her eyes and her arms crossed around her waist.

I think this passage shows how the characters changed physically and mentally overtime. I have never read a book as realistic or truthful as this one. Everything that happened in this book happens to a lot of people every day.  The plot structure of this book isn’t very normal, but this is why I like it. Everything flows together and makes sense.

Jodi Lynn Anderson is a great writer and I rate this book an 8. I recommend this book for any teenage girl. If you like Peaches I suggest you read the rest of the series or Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares.

Reviewed by Baylee Stovall

8th Grade