The Strawberry Sisters #2 Especially Amelia by Candy Harper (Children's, 9 years +, 10E/10E, short 'n' sweet review)

Love the funky cover!

June 2016, Simon & Schuster Children's, 272 pages, Paperback, Review copy

Summary from Simon & Schuster

Little Lucy has a scheme to get popular, but if you want to keep all your hair, you’d better not ask what it is. 

Chloe’s facing the fight of her life and this time she can’t win it with her fists.
 

Ella would just like everyone to stop shouting so she can do her homework.
 

Then there’s Amelia. The moody big sister. Except Amelia’s decided to ditch the sulks and the sarcastic remarks. But that’s not so easy when your best friend is keeping secrets, your mum won’t even let you babysit and you’re terrified to do a solo in the school concert.
 

Amidst all the chaos, is Amelia ready to grow up and grab the spotlight?

Nayu's thoughts 

I want the next book in this series already! I absolutely loved returning to the Strawberry household, and it was refreshing to see life from Amelia's view, as she is quite a drama queen. There's a lot going on in her life, and she is trying to be nicer after being so horrid to her dad in book #1, Perfectly Ella (link takes you to my review). 

I was moved to tears as Amelia's relationship wih her stepmother (can't quite remember if they got married), progressed to the stage she confided in Suvi AND felt able to offer some advice which transforms part of Suvi's life. Amelia does revert to her former self sometimes, but she realises when she goes too far. By working on being kinder she is able to walk in her sisters' shoes, and figure them out too.

Ella really suffers when a massive change is sort of forced upon them, but Amelia and the others rally round for her. I loved how all the different aspects of a divorced family are explored, how hilarious the sisters are (especially Lucy), and how realistic their lives are. I loved Chloe's stress busting technique, as well as how fired up Suvi gets on her behalf when injustice occurs. This is a book I'll reread lots as I never want to be out of the Strawberry sisters' lives!