Ask Amy Green

August 9, 2010
This earnest but unmemorable Irish import follows the eponymous 13-year-old, who is dealing with divorced parents, new siblings on both sides of her family, a falling-out with her best friend, and her first crush. Amy's salvation is her aunt Clover, her mother's 17-year-old sister. Flighty Clover has landed a coveted job at The Goss magazine, where she answers letters from unhappy teens and ropes Amy into helping her with revenge strategies against those who have wronged those who write in: "We're not going to let boys behave like eejits anymore." The girls crash parties and impersonate casting agents, embarrassing wrongdoers in the name of justice. First in a planned series, adult author Webb's first book for young readers keeps the narrative contemporary with references to social media, hip clothing, and text messages; some references and slang, like the term "agony aunt" for the type of column Clover writes, may be lost on U.S. readers (a glossary, written in Amy's voice, helps). When a pearl necklace is stolen and Amy is framed, she looks to Clover for help, bringing the story to a predictable close. Ages 11–up.