The Queen of Everything    by Deb Caletti Order:  USA  Can Pulse, 2002 (2002) Paperback Read an Excerpt     Reviewed by Melissa Parcel Jordan MacKenzie thought her life had finally turned around. After many years with her strange, hippie mom, she chose to move in with her seemingly normal optometrist father, and now the school 'bad boy,' (the most popular guy) Kale Kramer, has been paying attention to her. Jordan even has an ordinary job working at a women's weight loss studio with her friend Melissa. But then everything starts to go horribly wrong. Jordan's father begins to date Gayle, who is married. When the affair becomes an obsession, his life and Jordan's are tossed into tumultuous chaos. This is not the fluffy story that one might assume from its title and cover, but rather it takes a deep look at life, love, and family. Jordan is a sympathetic, detailed character, to whom most teens will relate. Her anxiety about fitting in, having the right family image, and the boyfriend others desire, is exactly what young adults experience daily. Jordan's transition - from being a conformist to living her life in a way that makes her happy - is well written and intriguing. The reader knows from the beginning that Jordan's father ends up committing a crime, and the story unfolds slowly so that by the time it happens you can understand the course that took him there. But a sense of heaviness envelops the entire book, because it's clear that things are not going to turn out well. And the fact that some characters are mentioned early on but not really introduced until much later in the book causes confusion. But, despite these concerns, Queen of Everything is a fascinating tale that encompasses many of the emotions and realities of being a teenager. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Teens books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews