As Simple as It Seems

Like this book, didn't love it, the story is ok. However I really like Verbena. Her character is so well written. It is great how she comes of age throughout he story, especially after she meet Pooch. Verbena is adopted and I find that this subject is not written about much in young reader books, therefore, I found that storyline quite interesting. A very simple read.

Verbena Ellen Colter isn't who she thought she was. Her kind, slightly goofy (and embarrassing) parents have kept an explosive family secret from her up until now, and suddenly her mood swings and angry rages are taking on a new, darker tone (at least in her mind). The real reason she is different from other children is that Verbena was born with fetal alcohol syndrome, which affects the way she looks, how she grows, and how she learns and behaves. On top of that revelation, she's lost her best friend Annie to popular Heather, and Verbie feels like she's going to be alone forever without her. While wandering over the summer, she meets Robert (nicknamed "Pooch" by his mother's latest boyfriend) when he and his mom rent the old Allen show more house for the summer. Robert mistakes her for the ghost of Tracy Allen, who drowned years ago, and Verbena decides to try out being someone else -- even if it's a dead someone else. But as Verbena learns, even dead people have problems, and sometimes you have to be a real live person with real live courage. Excellent writing and storytelling, and characters you will love! 6th grade and up. show less

This is indeed a very simple book delightfully told. Verbena lives in a tiny community with her father and mother. When she learns that she is adopted, life gets more complicated for her.

Finding a friend from out of town enables her to share her secret and helps her to discover how much she appreciates her non biological mother and father.

The book is trite, nothing in depth, a bit corny, but a delightful quick read on a fall afternoon.

Eleven-year-old Verbena Polter gets through a difficult summer of turbulent emotions and the revelation of a disturbing family secret with an odd new friend who believes she is the ghost of a girl who drowned many years before.

This was a good story about growing up and forming friendships that can help one find oneself when the least expect it. I read it in one setting and felt connected to the characters, I wanted to know more. Worth the read.

I thought this book was well written and engaging.

My 9 year old read a different Sarah Weeks book at school and came home asking me to find more. Amazon's age guidelines on this book are 8-12 or Grades 3-7. My 9 year old i(3rd grade) s pretty mature and I really would hesitate to give her this yet. She would have no problem with understanding it - but the themes are really pretty heavy for a kid this age. For example, there is a pretty detailed conversation about Fetal Alcohol syndrome. It was well done, I just really feel like I would hold this book until my daughter was at least 10 or 11.

Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

Verbena "Verbie" has always been different. She is tiny, and she looks different than the other kids she comes across in school and elsewhere. It isn't until she learns that she's adopted that things begin to make sense.

Verbie's adoptive parents love her dearly, but when she is told about her biological parents, Verbie begins to act out. It's not easy to learn that her mother drank heavily during her pregnancy, causing Verbie to suffer from fetal alcohol syndrome. She was underweight and remained smaller than most of her classmates, and her upper lip is strangely smooth. Verbie also discovers that her father broke a man's neck in a fit of rage and is now in jail. It's no show more wonder that she's angry and lashing out at everyone around her.

When a New York City woman and her young son rent the empty house next door to Verbie, she thinks maybe this summer will be different. Unfortunately, the first interaction with the new neighbors involves the city woman throwing rocks at and threatening Verbie's three-legged dog. Verbie ducks for cover and decides to steer clear of these vicious people.

Rumor has it that the long-empty house is haunted by a previous resident, a little girl who drowned in the nearby lake. Verbie's first contact with the city boy comes when he stumbles across her checking out an old rowboat stuck in the mucky shoreline. Verbie is dressed in her white nightgown, dirty and torn from her hike through the woods to the lake. The young boy mistakes her for the ghost of the little girl, and Verbie doesn't deny his assumption. The boy introduces himself as Pooch, and together they decide to try to fix up the old boat. What follows is a heartwarming story about friendship and self-discovery.

Author Sarah Weeks has followed up her extraordinary novel SO B. IT with one equally as good. AS SIMPLE AS IT SEEMS is perfect for middle grade readers. Weeks portrays Verbie struggling with the new knowledge of her past and the roller coaster emotions of feeling different in a way that will have readers eagerly turning pages. show less