My Ultimate Sister Disaster

"For 14 years narrator Franny has stood in her sister Zooey's shadow as she has danced her way to prima-ballerina status at Lincoln Center. Zooey's stardom has left Franny completely off her parent's radar, breeding contempt between the sisters. However, when Zooey suffers a major dance injury, her unusual life-and its costs-becomes painfully apparent as Franny realizes that she has taken everyday events like attending school for granted. Slowly the girls form a genuine friendship that doesn't go without a few bumps and bruises, but at the heart of their friendship is a mutual need for support. This has been sorely lacking from their parents, who have essentially both been emotionally absent, especially their mother, who is in Kenya studying, ironically enough, girls' transition to womanhood. Allusions to Salinger's Franny and Zooey are woven throughout, but those unfamiliar with that text won't miss this book's universal message about the lifelong bond of sisters and the resiliency of family."—Kirkus Reviews

"Franny, 14, thinks her older sister got the better deal. Zooey is a beautiful, statuesque ballerina with a cool name. Franny is not quite five feet tall, has no talent for anything, hair that never cooperates, and, let's face it, a horrible name (the girls' parents discussed J. D. Salinger's work on their first date). Though they were close as children, the sisters now spend little time together and argue when they're in the same room. With their anthropologist mother in Kenya and their father spending long hours working in his clothing store, Franny feels more alone than ever. When Zooey breaks her leg during rehearsals for a career-making role and is homebound for weeks, the sisters get to know one another all over again. It turns out that Zooey's life isn't so perfect. There are many elements to this novel, but ultimately the story is about sisters and misconceptions. Franny is immediately likable and sympathetic, and Zooey's diva-tude is conveyed perfectly, as is her gradual regression to typical teen when she's sidelined from dancing. Fans of Sarah Dessen and Deb Caletti will enjoy this lighter tale of teen drama."—Heather Miller Cover, Homewood Public Library, Alabama, School Library Journal