Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall

When I was at TLA, I signed up to receive some ARCs of various YA books. I was so excited to get a box of books in the mail last week, one of which was Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall by Wendy Mass. Heaven is unusual because it is written in verse. Normally that would be a turn off for me, but this is written and a very simple, easy to follow way. Here is the opening paragraph to the novel:

For fifty cents and a Gobstopper
I lifted my shirt for the neighborhood boys.
My oldest brother Matt caught us
and chased the boys with a
Wiffle bat.
Word got around, and at nine years old
I became the girl
other girls' moms
didn't want them to play with.

I read this book in under an hour (with interruptions). I wouldn't be surprised if ALA chose this as one of their Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers. The main character, Tessa, sometimes does mean things and she is not always likable, but that is what makes her so real.

Oh, one other thing that I love is the book cover uses fonts from actual mall store name fonts (did that make any sense?).

Grade: B+