Reviewed by Allison Fraclose for TeensReadToo.com
On the day that Amanda Ellerby and Leo Fitzpatrick were born, a mysterious woman with a birthmark shaped like a duck told their parents that the two newborns would grow up to be the best of friends, and that they should always celebrate their birthdays together.
Through a fluke, one year later, both sets of parents booked the same location for their child's first birthday, and Amanda and Leo took to each other so much that celebrating their birthday together in the small town of Willow Falls became a great town tradition.
Ten years later, Amanda Ellerby is absolutely dreading her eleventh birthday party, the first that she will spend without her ex-friend, Leo. She hasn't spoken to him in exactly one year, ever since she heard him say those nasty things about her at their last joint birthday party.
What's worse is that she's heard all these rumors about the incredible party Leo's parents are throwing for him--with a hypnotist, a band, and a real football player--while she's stuck with this costume party idea that her own mom came up with.
The day finally arrives, and Amanda's eleventh birthday ends up even worse than she could have imagined. She has a pop quiz in History, she bombs the gymnastics tryouts, and only a few people show up at her party (some kids even leave to go to Leo's party instead). When she finally takes off her itchy Dorothy costume with the blistering shoes and crawls into bed, she feels nothing but relief that this horrible day is over.
Except that it isn't. The next day is her birthday again. And the day after that. And the day after that. Is Amanda the only one stuck in this terrible time loop?
I absolutely fell in love with this sweet tale of friendship, magic, and old rivalries. A quickly moving story with some unforgettable characters, 11 BIRTHDAYS takes that Groundhog Day premise and turns it into something much more meaningful.
On the day that Amanda Ellerby and Leo Fitzpatrick were born, a mysterious woman with a birthmark shaped like a duck told their parents that the two newborns would grow up to be the best of friends, and that they should always celebrate their birthdays together.
Through a fluke, one year later, both sets of parents booked the same location for their child's first birthday, and Amanda and Leo took to each other so much that celebrating their birthday together in the small town of Willow Falls became a great town tradition.
Ten years later, Amanda Ellerby is absolutely dreading her eleventh birthday party, the first that she will spend without her ex-friend, Leo. She hasn't spoken to him in exactly one year, ever since she heard him say those nasty things about her at their last joint birthday party.
What's worse is that she's heard all these rumors about the incredible party Leo's parents are throwing for him--with a hypnotist, a band, and a real football player--while she's stuck with this costume party idea that her own mom came up with.
The day finally arrives, and Amanda's eleventh birthday ends up even worse than she could have imagined. She has a pop quiz in History, she bombs the gymnastics tryouts, and only a few people show up at her party (some kids even leave to go to Leo's party instead). When she finally takes off her itchy Dorothy costume with the blistering shoes and crawls into bed, she feels nothing but relief that this horrible day is over.
Except that it isn't. The next day is her birthday again. And the day after that. And the day after that. Is Amanda the only one stuck in this terrible time loop?
I absolutely fell in love with this sweet tale of friendship, magic, and old rivalries. A quickly moving story with some unforgettable characters, 11 BIRTHDAYS takes that Groundhog Day premise and turns it into something much more meaningful.
