FOLLOW THE BLUE
Brigid Lowry
St. Martin's Griffin
Fiction
ISBN: 0312342977
208 pages

In this funny and wise Australian novel, 15-year-old Bec's mother, Vera, is a celebrity chef. Her father, Lewis, is an architect who recently has had a breakdown and been admitted to a mental hospital with severe depression.

It's a black time for Bec's family. Her nine-year-old sister Bing finds some comfort in her new guinea pig, Begonia. Eleven-year-old Josh is glued to his computer and no longer tries to share long-winded information on off-the-wall subjects. Vera drinks too much wine, while Bec composes collages to quell her own sorrow over her father.

Finally, Lewis is released from the hospital. That afternoon, the three kids are home alone when the gate is left open and Begonia escapes. Bing is so upset over her missing pet, which puts a damper on the homecoming --- until Begonia reappears.

Time passes. Just as the family begins to settle back into contentment, Vera and Lewis announce they're going to the United States on a book tour and will be gone for six weeks. Bec is furious but feels she must be a good sport about it. Mrs. Dempster, soon known as "Mrs. D," joins the household as housekeeper in the parents' absence. Unfortunately, Mrs. D is the dullest woman Bec knows.

But Mrs. D is not without her charms. She cooks a mean pizza, watches "The Simpsons" with the kids, feeds them junk food --- and she once knew the Beatles! Although her siblings are soon Mrs. D's fans, Bec doesn't like her. She misses her parents with a fierce dark yearning.

Bec's horoscope predicts great luck, which immediately comes true in a big WOWza way. She also makes a new friend, Jaz --- and meets Jaz's gorgeous older brother. Bec senses a major change happening within herself. Before she knows it, she's acting in a manner that is both foreign and confusing. Can she find her way out of the maze of boy troubles, home disaster and school issues?

There is so much to love about FOLLOW THE BLUE, I don't know where to begin. First of all, it is both humorous and intelligent. The plot is simple yet deep, with subtle twists. Bec is a completely real person who can make the reader laugh out loud and who sometimes makes mistakes. She has adventures but they never feel like comic book episodes, enjoys a refreshing and tender (yet never icky-sweet) relationship with her siblings, and is a caring friend. In addition to this likeable main character, there is a quirky but complex cast (even the adults are multi-layered and believable --- a rather rare accomplishment). And author Brigid Lowry's voice is lyrical and original.

One of the many great pleasures of reading is discovering a new favorite author. I look forward to reading every book this gifted writer has published. Highest recommendation.

   --- Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon (terryms2001@yahoo.com)

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