Customer Reviews

Not-So-Simple Life (Diary of a Teenage Girl: Maya, Book 1)

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Maya Stark might have a celebrity dad and live in Beverly Hills, but that doesn't mean her life is easy. Her parents are divorced, her dad is touring, and her mom is on and off the drug and alcohol wagon so often Maya never knows who to expect. The problems with her mom force Maya to be the adult in the family. She cooks and cleans and hides what money she can from her mom. It's not enough. Despite Maya's earth-friendly values, she gets a job at an upscale clothing boutique in Beverly Hills. Her plan: save up enough money to get legally emancipated from her parents so she can take charge of her life.

But just when Maya thinks it's all going to work out, life falls apart. She has no choice but to spend the rest of the summer with her cousin. Will Maya ever find home sweet home?

A Not So Simple Life was a great read. Maya drew me into her world. I loved seeing her fight for her freedom and stand up to her parents. Despite her attempts, she's proof that we cannot control what happens in our life. That only God is in control. It was a relief to see Maya figure that out. I hope more of us do. Melody Carlson is off to another great series with Maya. Highly recommended.

Often today, we hear adults bashing teens without celebrating the ones who overcome adversity. Carlson portrays a teen whose back is up against the wall but comes out determined to overcome her negative situations. I liked Maya from the first page. Shoot, her courage inspired me.

I know she's a fictional character! But still.

This book will appeal to teens who hero worship celebrities and their lifestyles. The entertainment world is not always pretty and this story offers an realistic glimpse into it.

My daughter tells me that this is her favorite book of the Diary of a Teenage Girl series.

As I said above in the preview , I didn't really get into this series a few years back when I tried. However I really enjoyed reading Maya's story and noticed that in the last few pages - the previous Diary Girls : Chloe , Caitlin, Kim are all featured. In Maya's story we see her as a fifteen year old turning sixteen in a few months , her not so simple life includes being Nick Stark "The famous musician's daughter" whose currently on tour at the moment and her life with her mum Shannon -who is an alcoholic and drug addict. In A Not so simple life we watch as Maya gets her first job , her second job and then her third job all within two months and her third job she becomes a model . All is going well for Maya until her mother goes on another binge and wipes out Maya's savings. Maya then heads to live with her cousin Kim and Uncle Allen -who is talked about in Diary of a Teenage Girl : Kim. Maya who has been homeschooled since she was 12yrs old , enrolls in Kim's High school and meets Chloe , Caitlin who are the other two girls in the Diary of a Teenage Girl series and is introduced to God. Read as we watch Maya start to become closer in discovering who God is and whether he truly is right for her.
One thing I really liked about Maya's diaries , is that Maya is a Vegan for life and each day features an Organic Green Tip for the Day.