Customer Reviews

The Miracle Girls: A Novel (Miracle Girls Novels)

5 star:		(4)
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3 star:		(2)
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The Miracle Girls is written entirely in Ana's voice. As the mother of a 14 year-old I can vouch for the fact that the narrative voice is very authentic. It is sarcastic, intelligent, and distinctly teenaged. Reading The Miracle Girls feels like eavesdropping on a teenage girl's conversation with her best friend.

Ana is a unique teen. Her parents immigrated from Mexico shortly after her birth. Her father is a lawyer, and apparently a very successful one because Ana wants for nothing in the material sense. She lives in a mansion and her mother spends her days redecorating the new house with the assistance of an interior designer. They employ a live-in cook-slash-housekeeper, and shop at Bloomingdales and Nordstrom. For a 14 year-old, Ana is only mildly rebellious, especially considering that her parents are extremely strict. Ana has her sights set on a medical degree from Princeton and needs to graduate high school first in her class in order to secure admission to the Ivy League.

Current culture references abound in this book. Ana talks about iPods, email, instant messaging, Google searches, Nutter Butters and Vera Wang. Again, this adds to the authenticity of the story while giving it a distinctly contemporary feel.

One of the more interesting aspects of this book is how the pressures of high school are depicted. Of course, there is peer pressure. Ana wants to fit in with the popular crowd, but she is different, mainly due to her Christian faith. Lucky for her, she finds two very good friends relatively quickly in her new school, and meets several other friends (and, eventually, a boyfriend) in her church youth group.

The authors also dealt with academic pressures, which we've heard a lot about in the media in the past year or two. Ana felt that she needed to be first in her class in order to get admitted to Princeton. The pressure was strong and constant. Her extra-curricular activities were carefully orchestrated in light of the college application process. As a freshman in high school, Ana and her parents were already thinking in terms of 'key differentiators' and how having a 'passion' would look good on her application.

The Miracle Girls is so much more than a story about a group of high school friends. Although it is full of likeable characters, it is really about Ana ... how she found a few good friends in a new school, and how in the end that turned out to be enough, and maybe even better than being part of the 'in' crowd. It is about how she balanced having a life in high school with having huge dreams for the future. It is about how she embraced her cultural roots even though at least one of her parents seemed a little embarrassed by them. And it was about respecting parents and rules and boundaries, and at the same time becoming a person who can both ask for and handle increased freedom.

Born in Mexico, Ana Dominguez was a baby when her parents left and moved to San Jose, a `real' city as she called it. They lived there for years and Ana was happy with her friends in her old school. Now, since her dad decided to move the family to Half Moon Bay, California she's feeling like an outcast at this new school. And if that's not bad enough, things aren't any better at home because her parents are very strict. She's not allowed to ride in cars with boys. She's not allowed to have a cell phone. She's not allowed to go to school dances. How's a teenage girl supposed to make friends with so many rules? Or make friends after she snitches on the most popular girl in school?

Ana chose to speak up in class when she should have remained silent and her choice got her into trouble. During detention she and the other students were given an assignment and she found out that she had something in common with some of the girls in her class. One of the girl's, Zoe, didn't think it was a coincidence that they shared similar experiences; she felt that she, Ana, Christine and Riley had been thrown together for a reason. Soon after, Ana, Zoe and Christine called themselves 'The Miracle Girls' - they are here for purpose; they just needed to figure out what that purpose was. Zoe also had to figure out how she was going to get Riley to join. Not that Ana was sure she wanted the most popular girl in school to be included.

Ana: She's a freshman in high school, wears Christian T-shirts and some students call her `God Girl'. She's an intelligent girl and hopes to become class valedictorian. Because of something she went through when she was a baby, she believes that God called her to save others so she wants to go to Princeton and eventually become a doctor. Even though I felt she was too critical of others at times in her thinking, I liked Ana. She was insightful, honest and witty. I especially liked how she thought of just the right Scripture when she was worried about something, because she knew it would bring her peace.

Ana's parents: They wanted the best for their daughter. I liked how much they cared about her education - not just high school, but looking ahead to college; they wanted to see to it that Ana had a good future. Although they were too strict in some cases, I liked that they didn't want her to have a boyfriend at her age. Fourteen is not grown and boyfriends can be a distraction. But then again, since, according to their culture, she would be seen as a woman at age fifteen, I was a bit confused about some of the decisions they made.

Riley: A cheerleader with a super genius math brain. This girl is intelligent enough to be accepted into an Ivy League school. I liked that because it seems most times cheerleaders are seen as airheads.

Christine: She wasn't concerned about appearances and she certainly wasn't out to impress anyone. She kept me wondering what hair color she was going to choose next.

Zoe: She's into music, plays the piccolo. She has a love for God and the color lavender, she's not quick to speak unkindly of others and she loves to eat snacks. Her parents seemed to be a little `out there' spiritually and in other ways, so I was glad that she joined in on Ana's church youth group.

Amongst The Miracle Girls, I found Christine to be the one I was most interested in; I felt for her because of her home life. However, the story as a whole - Dave Brecht stood out more than any other. He was a nice guy, caring and full of life. He's a Christian teen who knows The Word and, when the need arose, he would explain Scripture to other teens without one bit of shame. No, he doesn't tote a Bible wherever he goes or quote Scripture to his peers uninvited, but anyone in his presence would know He loves God, because he let his light shine. He had a thing for ties, which I thought was unique and cute. He cared about people and it seemed he had a special place in his heart for the elderly. And he doesn't hold a grudge. Dave is an extremely likable character. It's always nice to be introduced to a guy like him in young adult fiction.

The Miracle Girls was an okay read that I began to like more somewhere around the middle, and I learned a bit. For instance, when a Latino girl turns fifteen, there is a big celebration that acknowledges her transition from childhood to womanhood; it's called a quinceanera. The planning and shopping for the quinceanera dress and the discussions Ana had with her mother, it was all interesting.

There is nothing preachy about this Christian teen novel. The story is realistic and the characters are believable. Like I mentioned before, I liked Miracle Girl Ana, however, I plan to buy the next book because I want to learn more about Miracle Girl Christine.

This is the first book in the Miracle Girls series. The four Miracle Girls were thrown together when they all unfortunately landed in detention. There they had to write an essay titled, "The Day That Changed My Life," after which they find the bond of all having escaped an almost certain death. Two of them feel drawn to the spiritual significance of their second chance at life. While two are less inclined to faith but still drawn to the other girls through the connection.

This first book is written in the voice of Ana, who miraculously survived a serious heart deformity as an infant. Ana's parents are strict, which I related to. But they don't seem to expect Ana to understand the reasons behind their rules and in fact seem convinced that she will fail. This leads to a troubling relationship with her parents, and Ana finds herself outside of their rules on more than one occasion. Ana's faith gets her mocked at school, but is strong enough not to falter. There is at least one scene in her church where the personal connection she feels to her faith is very evident and poignant.

Although I didn't personally relate to Ana very well (my parents were strict as well, but I was very close with them), she was very real and I immediately sympathized with her voice and situation. I look forward to reading the other characters' stories and watching the friendship grow.

Ana Dominguez is the new girl in school. Just trying to blend in, she unfortunately finds herself in detention for trying to do the right thing. As luck would have it, she's stuck along with Riley the most popular girl in school. Their assignment is to group up with two other girls, Christine and Zoe, and write an essay on "The Day That Changed My Life." That's when Ana discovers that this group was meant to be together as they wouldn't be sitting there if a miracle hadn't happen in their life. Four very different girls who would normally never be friends find out that they have more in common than they expect. However friendship doesn't come quick and easy, there is high school drama that must ensue first....

I have always enjoyed Anne and May's books. They write for the the Christian girls that do enjoy living in a secular world. They know that there are Christian girls who like designer shoes, dating guys and going out for a night in the city. Their books are like a fresh breath of air to those who are tired of reading cookie cutter characters. This book tells what it's really like in high school. There's the over-achieving of trying to get into a top college, cliques, feeling out of place, trying not to stand out too of the crowd, it's all there in this book. I actually did appreciate how even fellow Christian girls are still capable of being snobs no matter how strong their faith is. This happened to me in high school and I felt a kinship with the girls who experienced Riley's attitude towards them. Off topic, I loved the name Riley for a female character. There is some label name dropping in the book but it's just enough to make the reader feel that the authors know their audience. It's certainly not the overload you get from mainstream series. The girls in this book do NOT live over-extravagant lifestyles and do not have phony teen slang so they seem more real than their other counterparts. Teens will really related to these characters. This is another great alternative to the mainstream teen lit that is out there today. It's a cleaner story but still edgy enough that teen girls will enjoy it. Also while it is targeted at teens, it's a book that any chick lit fan will enjoy. I'll be looking forward to the next book in the series!

Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt have penned an incredibly moving novel in "The Miracle Girls." This book grabbed me from the first paragraph. Make that the second paragraph. I've been there - many years ago - moved cross-country by parents during crucial formative and social years. I wish I would have had books like this when I was a teen. This novel is full of strong teenage faith lived out against a backdrop of real issues. That is something I find to be a wonderful example to my teenagers.

The authors' voice is fresh - or should that be "voices"? I'm always amazed when writers team up to create a novel like this without it sounding choppy. This novel would be enjoyable for teens and young adults and those of us who are way beyond our "wonder years", but like to reminisce. I highly recommend this book.

I am always a little weary of christian based novels. Miracle Girls is a great mixture of teen chick lit, christian novel, humour and inspirational genres all mixed in together.

We get to meet our main character Ana - who is an absolute over-achiever in everything she does. Best grades in school, part of every group in school, etc. Except that she does a very idiotic thing on page 4 of this book - she actually reports another student for cheating - and does so in front of the whole class, including the cheating student. This will set the scene for the entire rest of the novel.

As I was reading this passage, I kept thinking "I don't believe she did that". I was not sure whether I admire her or thought she was the stupidest person alive! No matter, what ensues is a great read detailing how 4 girls get together at detention and have to work on a project that will make them really look at their lives and their faith.

The writing is quite witty and there is alot of humour here. The girls are, for the most part, charming and entertaining and more importantly, this novel does not come across as preachy or too unrealistic. I like that the author incorporates everyday teenage issues and angst into the storyline.

While I usually prefer my chick lit with a little more edge - I liked this book and recommend it to all teens looking for a good chick lit read.

Was it just bad luck for Ana Dominguez to call out the most popular girl in school, Riley, for cheating on a quiz in front of her crush, resulting in both of them getting detention? Or was it fate?

Ana just came to Half Moon Bay from San Jose, and starting a new school definitely isn't easy, especially since she doesn't know anyone there and still hasn't made any friends.

Her first time in detention (ever), Ana is a little relieved that her favorite teacher is the one overlooking the class. That is until she gives the students an assignment which involves getting into groups of four, writing an essay, and sharing it with the group. What makes the situation even worse is that Riley is in her group.

Each girl begins to read her story on the one moment that changed her life forever. Turns out all four had survived accidents that could have cost them their lives. Automatically, Ana and Zoey see something special between them and they know it wasn't just a coincidence that the four girls were grouped together. Starting a new friendship will be easy - getting the other two to join them is the hard part.

Four completely opposite girls will journey into a friendship that may just last forever. From faith to family to guys and school, each will battle them all, but they have each other to help them get through it.

A promising beginning to a new series, THE MIRACLE GIRLS will entice all readers who enjoy a well-written and thoughtful novel. The characters are well-developed, each girls' story is extremely heartbreaking, and their blossoming friendship is just heartwarming.

Dayton and Vanderbilt have outdone themselves this time, and the best part is, there will be more books being released.

Reviewed by: Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen

Ana Dominguez is miserable in her new life in Half Moon Bay. She didn't want to move in the first place, hasn't found any friends, and has managed to upset Riley, the most popular girl in school. A huge mistake lands her in detention where she discovers that she and Riley, along with two other girls, have a unique, life-changing event in common. This realization gets Ana two new friends, but despite all their attempts, Riley is not interested in becoming a Miracle Girl. Will Riley ever forgive Ana for her original blunder?

I winced all through chapter one. I couldn't believe Ana! I can't imagine anyone doing something as bold as she did, let alone not having any proof. Talk about a great way to never make friends...

As I read on, however, Ana's personality captured my heart. I loved her struggles to obey her near-tyrant parents and her confusion over which boy she likes. The scenes where she volunteered with the Alzheimer's patients were my favorite. I just hope Mrs. Slater doesn't develop that picture of Ana and Dave, or Ana's papa will kill her for sure! Highly recommended.

The Review


Being a HUGE fan of Shelley Adina's It's All About Us Series, Miriam at Hachette recommended that I try out The Miracle Girls. I was excited to read it and, now in the aftermath, am so glad that I did! Like Adina's series, The Miracle Girls is a book are about Christian girls navigating their way through high school.

The Miracle Girlsis the story of Ana, a 14-going-on-15 year old high school freshman. She has recently moved from San Jose to Half Moon Bay and needs to start all over again in making friends. By the way, if you've never visited Half Moon Bay or Santa Cruz, you're missing out! It's absolutely gorgeous! You look to the east and there are redwoods and pines forming amazing forests and parks and then you turn to the west and you are facing the ocean. Northern California is just so "earthy" and the trends and culture there is really cool. It's fabulous!

Ana is being prepared for her quince by her EXTREMELY strict parents. Although she's not excited about it, her nanny/housekeeper Maria encourages her to be find enthusiasm for it and explains how special it is. The wonderful thing about Ana is that she is very smart. Ana truly cares about being a good Christian, studying hard to get great grades, and generally doing the right thing. She even recognizes that having mean thoughts about others is considered sinful. Like most other teenage girls, she has a crush on that gorgeous, popular boy.

"The Miracle Girls" are formed via a writing assignment in detention one afternoon. Four girls, who are very unlikely friends, discover that they all have been in a "life or death" experience in which God spared their lives. This common thread eventually draws 3 of the 4 of them together. The 4th girl is the popular cheerleader who most likely would never join their small group. But, eventually God brings them all together just in time for the quince. Together the unlikely foursome build an incredible friendship.

What I really like about this book is that our heroine, Ana, is actively involved with community service, church and school. And, she does it in such a way that it's COOL to be that way. She doesn't get discouraged when she is teased and called "God Girl." She truly does care about what her parents think and she takes responsibility for her actions. All of these things, I feel, are a great influence on today's teens. These are the types of characteristics that we want our daughters to own. This book is something that I would definitely recommend to my daughters and other girls of a similar age or older. POSITIVE YA Fiction is so "in" in my book!

On Sher's "Out of Ten Scale:"

I was curious about how two authors on separate coasts write a book together. I found on their website a recent "blog radio" webcast in which Miriam of Hachette (if you don't know her... she's just AWESOME) interviews Anne, May and also Shelley Adina. I wish I had known when this was taking place because I would have loved to have called in! The link to the webcast is below if you are interested in listening to it. I played it while I wrote up some reviews and read posts in my Google Reader. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

If you can't tell by now, I really loved this book. I am looking forward to reading and reviewing Breaking Up Is Hard to Do, the next installment in The Miracle Girls Series. For the genre Fiction:YA/Christian, I am going to rate this book a 9 OUT OF 10.

Miracle Girls by Anne Dayton is a fun addition to the new Christian teen chick-lit genre. Ana Dominguez' face is next to the definition of over-achiever in the dictionary. She plays the piano, is on all sorts of do-good groups at school, and is not just content to have straight A's in school, she also must be number one in her class. This isn't just Ana's desire; her parents are super-overprotective and pushy in the most loving of ways. When Ana moves to a new school, she quickly makes an enemy of the most popular girl Riley that sends both of them to detention. While there, they must do an essay about an event that changed their lives forever. Ana and Riley, along with Zoe and Christine all discover that they have something major in common, and Zoe decides that they are now bound for life. The story moves through the usual teenage antics of romance, broken friendships, and dances before heading into dramatic territory. Dayton speaks knowledgably with the language of a teenage girl and the story handles the teens' faith well without ever making it uncool, which is the highest praise I could give!