Review of "Effie at the Wedding" by Tracy Marchini

Summary:
Effie has a million reasons why she's not thrilled to be at her sister's wedding -- and the monstrously pink bridesmaid's dress isn't even on the list. When Effie finds herself locked in the bathroom, she thinks she might just stay there. After all, it's better than hearing from her mom about how often she's been to the buffet or how beautiful Ophelia looks in her wedding dress.

In this hysterical young adult short story, Effie will have to find a reason to celebrate... or get used to her porcelain throne.


Review:
I will be the first to admit that Princess Diaries-esque stories aren't really my cup of tea.  I've definitely read my share of them.  But, as far as stories go in this particular genre, Effie at the Wedding I would say is better than most.  


Since ages were not really given right away, I was at first kind of turned off by how emotionally immature our protagonist was.  But when it was later revealed that Effie was, in fact, a teenager in high school, my outlook on the whole story changed for the better.


Effie herself is charming and goes through the usual list of high school mental uncertainties that I'm sure just about any girl would relate too on some level.  What I liked about this story was that the author touched on some pretty heavy teenage topics (self-image, self-esteem, relationships, change, etc...) without really weighing down the the plot.  It wraps up with a few heart-warming lines that let you know that Effie's family really does love her despite all the mental torture she put herself through.

This is a sweet, well-written short story with lots of good messages for the young adult reader.  If you are an adult reader that appreciates a cute "girly" story, I would recommend this story.

3/5 stars
Reviewed by Alain Gomez

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