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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A delectable debut!, February 29, 2008
This review is from: Portia's Ultra Mysterious Double Life (Paperback)
Twelve-year-old Portia Avatar has never had a typical existence. She lives with her out-there, bohemian mother, Indigo, who forces her to participate in a daily dream check; a gray and white cat named Freddy Fred Frederick Avatar who thinks that he's a dog, and is mortally afraid of earthquakes; and must contend with a best friend, Amy "the Amester" Clamdigger, who basically thinks the world revolves around her, and all of the good she's attempting to shower upon the Palmville residents surrounding her. Aside from that, however, Portia's life is completely normal - if you count not having a father normal.
There is only one thing in life that Portia wants more than anything else, and that is to find her long-lost father, Patch, and reunite with him. Sure, many kids are lacking a father, but at least they know what happened to him. Portia, on the other hand, has never been able to squeeze even one iota of information about Patch out of Indigo. Instead, the subject is always changed. But after a big one - earthquake, that is - rocks the Palmville community, Portia stumbles upon a photo of a man she just knows has to be Patch. With this photograph, she plans on locating her father. But it's not so simple. Portia spends more time imagining the good that her father is doing as some sort of great detective - which is what she thinks he is - and less time on cold, hard facts - which she is truly lacking. Putting on her thinking cap - and a new newsboy she's recently acquired - Portia decides to take on the role of a Girl Psychoanalytic Detective, using her trusty PDA to record notes and observations about anyone and everything surrounding her. A task she hopes will bring her closer to finding Patch. But with Palmville slowly crumbling to pieces due to the massive earthquakes shaking them up, Portia is having trouble staying on track. She'll have to find a way to balance her detective work, and cleaning up Palmville, or else she may never discover the truth about the father she has always longed for.
When I was younger, I used to gobble up detective stories like there was no tomorrow, so I couldn't help myself falling head-over-heels for Anna Hays' PORTIA'S ULTRA MYSTERIOUS DOUBLE LIFE at first sight. Portia is a modern-day Harriet M. Welsch (of Louise Fitzhugh's HARRIET THE SPY). Swapping a pencil and notebook for a high-tech PDA, Portia records many of the things she sees, smells, and thinks on a daily basis. Her imagination is wild, as are her dreams; and her passion for headwear is humorous. Freddy Fred Frederick is a character I couldn't live without, and the affection shared between him and Portia is absolutely adorable. While Amy's continuous bragging, and "me, me, me" attitude can grate on your nerves, Indigo is a breath of fresh air, whose offbeat ways are fun and kooky at the same time. The book does touch open some tough subjects, such as searching for a missing father, and dealing with the tragedy of a life-changing earthquake; but Hays manages to keep the spirits of the characters up, pulling the reader deeper and deeper into the world of the quaint town of Palmville. A delectable debut!
Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Where in the World is Portia's Father?, September 28, 2008
This review is from: Portia's Ultra Mysterious Double Life (Paperback)
(This is not Thomas - but his wife, Yolanda) After reading Anna Hays' book, I came away with compassion and support for Portia. (I'm not a middle schooler or tween, but a mother, and curious to read a new book for this age group.) Growing up with no father myself, made me hopeful with each new clue she discovered, that would help her find her father. As a family therapist, I also know the importance of a father daughter relationship, and how much more difficult it is for a child when the father is alive and unavailable, rather than if he were deceased.
I loved her relationship with her mother.
I loved Portia's hats and spunkiness. I loved her blooming crush.
Overall, I loved the way Anna touched on the most important relationships we have in a moving, fun, creative way.
Loved the recipes, too!
Good luck, Anna. And I hope Portia finds her father by the last book of your series. You are doing a series, aren't you?
Yolanda Oleniacz, MFT
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Courtesy of Teens Read Too, December 30, 2008
This review is from: Portia's Ultra Mysterious Double Life (Paperback)
Nothing good ever comes out of an earthquake. Objects fall and some shatter, and your pet cat becomes frightened for days. Portia totally understands all of this since her home is in California.
However, this earthquake was different from all the others. Waking her a few hours before when she was really supposed to be up, the earthquake resulted in her finding a picture of the father she always wanted to know. Her mother has been no help with Portia's curiosity about her father, since she automatically changes the subject when his name is brought up. Portia knows that this picture that was behind another picture has to be her dad.
The only moments she has with her father, Patch, are in her dreams - literally. Portia receives postcards from him whenever she dreams in her sleep, and the only thing she knows about him is that he is undercover solving a mystery. The way he looks in the picture definitely proves that he is a detective, and Portia is certain that she inherited the detective gene. Portia always keeps data about friends, family, and even strangers, and is always looking at details.
She obviously can't ask her mother about the picture, since she just isn't any help at all. So all Portia has to do is discover who her father really is, and where he is - all while surviving school, annoying friends, the "healthy" food that her mom provides for her, and even boys!?
Move over Harriet the Spy... Portia's in town.
PORTIA'S ULTRA MYSTERIOUS DOUBLE LIFE is a quick, fun, and entertaining read. Nothing can get past Portia and it definitely shows. Throughout the novel she collects observations, descriptions, and anything she deems suspicious. Anna Hays takes her readers on a thrilling ride with quirky characters and a wonderful plot. With a cliffhanger to end the book, let's just hope that another installment is in the works.
Reviewed by: Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen
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