When 12-year-old Lauren Suszek is abandoned by her mother in an amusement park, she's not sure what to do. It's clear her mom isn't coming back and Lauren sure as heck doesn't want to go into foster care. With no other alternative, she decides to hide in the park until she can come up with a better plan. "Borrowing" a uniform and a name tag designating her as "Mouse," she sets about imitating an employee, albeit one who secretly lives inside one of the rides in Ghost Town. 

Things are going along rather swimmingly until a nosy girl starts poking around. Not only does Cat seem to know exactly who "Mouse" really is, but she's obviously determined to rat her out to the authorities. Lauren refuses to be caught. She's become an expert at hiding in plain sight. Will her camouflaging skills be enough to keep her out of trouble now, when it matters most? Or will Cat be able to trap the wily Mouse once and for all?

Have you ever thought about what it would be like to live in a busy, magical amusement park? Maura Jortner has. Her debut novel,102 Days of Lying About Lauren, was inspired by a trip she took to Disney World in which she started imagining living inside the Haunted Mansion attraction. Although the park in the book is never named, it has all the sparkly enchantment of The Happiest Place on Earth. It's a fun setting for this heartfelt story. Lauren is a sympathetic heroine, but she's likable because she's hopeful, funny, and compassionate (even though dealing with other people's emotions triggers her own anxiety). She's also a giver, appointing herself as a park janitor so that she can give back to her adopted home, instead of just taking from it. Although I would have liked more details about how she survives on a day-to-day basis, there are enough there to make her situation believable. Ish. Would a 12-year-old (even one who looks like a 16-year-old) really be able to fly under the radar for so long without attracting any attention? Who knows, but it makes for a compelling story! Speaking of, there's plenty of action in the novel, which makes it a quick, exciting read. I buzzed through it in one evening. Lest you think there's no substance in 102 Days of Lying About Lauren, let me assure you that there's plenty. Both Lauren and her best park pal, Tanner, are dealing with grief and trauma that lead to anxiety, panic attacks, and sadness. They help each other cope. In the end, as part of the book's realistic but satisfying ending, trustworthy adults also step in to aid the kids.

Despite some heavy subject matter, 102 Days of Lying About Lauren is exciting, humorous, and buoyant. Because of its unique setting, likable characters, engrossing plot, and upbeat vibe, this is a book that young readers will love. I'm hardly its target audience, but I enjoyed the book immensely.

(Readalikes: Hm, I can't think of anything. You?)

To the FTC, with love: I bought a copy of 102 Days of Lying About Lauren with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.

Despite the ongoing popularity of Fredrik Backman's novels, I actually had little desire to read them. Nothing about their titles, cover art, or plot summaries really appeal to me. I likely would never have given them a chance at all if someone in my book club hadn't suggested Anxious People for our first read of 2022. As I waded into the story, my fears were confirmed. Backman's unique style was not for me! It seemed weird, over-the-top, and just...silly. To make matters worse, the story appeared to be about something that never actually happened to a group of snarky, annoying people. I don't think I even made it through the first chapter before I closed the book and set it aside. Because it was for book club, though, I decided to give it another shot. Once I really tuned in to Backman's rhythm, the story started to flow and I began to enjoy it, especially as I came to understand what it was really about. 

Here's the surface story: 

In a "not particularly large town" in Sweden, a group of strangers attends an open house for a modest apartment that is newly on the market. The showing is interrupted when an inept bank robber who has just failed to carry off a planned heist bursts through the door and takes the would-be buyers hostage. As the nervous bank robber tries to decide what to do next, the strangers—who include a heavily pregnant young lady and an 87-year-old woman—grapple with the unexpected turn of events. All of them are concealing their own worries, hopes, and hurts, each of which will come to light as the situation barrels toward its surprising conclusion.

Here's what it's really about:

Anxious People is a cleverly-told tale with lots of wisdom to share about life, love, human nature, and the ways in which all of us touch the lives of others. Although these interactions can seem completely inconsequential, it's often these exact meetings that can impact our lives forever. That interconnectedness that we all need and crave (even if we don't know we do) can be the very thing that saves us in the end. 

This novel turned out to be not at all what I expected—and I mean that in the best way possible. I didn't expect to enjoy Anxious People, but I did. Although its humor feels forced at times, there were other places in which it made me laugh out loud with genuine mirth. The characters charmed me and, absurd as the situation at the center of the novel becomes, the unfolding action kept me engaged. While I saw at least one of the big plot twists coming, another one took me completely, delightedly, by surprise. I can't say I abxolutely loved Backman's newest, but in the end, I found it entertaining, heartfelt, and life-affirming. The ladies in my book club who had read the author before all agreed that A Man Called Ove is a better book. Another friend of mine says Anxious People is her least favorite of Backman's novels. Her advice? "Read another, ASAP!" I think I shall do just that.

(Readalikes: I don't know what to compare Anxious People to. You?)

To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find