Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau

Mary Jane, is a novel that I have been keeping an eye on for quite a while now. It has always been a part of my reading list and only until now have I had possession of a copy. I just wish it didn’t take me so long to read it. Because without a doubt, I think it is probably the best book I’ve read this year.

Set in the 1970’s it follows a fourteen-year-old girl who becomes a summer Nanny to the Cone Family. Even though the Cone Family seem to be a respectable bunch on the outside, they are quite the opposite with their messy family dynamics. However messy they are, Mary Jane becomes an important and well-loved member of their family. Drastically different from the home that she was bought up as a single child with parents who care about appearances in their community.

Over the summer, Mary Jane’s world begins to open up as she begins to realise what her future would entail and what she wants from it.

There isn’t much that I can fault in this book. The characters are not perfect, certainly flawed but I think that is what makes this story great. Mary Jane has come from a world where she isn’t allowed to put a step wrong. She has to be perfect otherwise it is seen as a failure. The Cone Family, practically imperfect, breathes life into Mary Jane as we see that she isn’t perfect either. No oneis perfect. It is simply a great coming of age story which is character driven.

Without a doubt, this book is given the full rating of five stars.

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