Typical writing

I read this book for a possible recommendation to my students, but as a Black educator, there’s no way I would recommend this to ANY of my students! The description of a “...blue-eyed, blonde haired...” whyte girl as “perfect” is insulting. Whyte authors always proffer the idea of “perfect” “ beauty” with descriptions such as this, but the reality of what most of them actually looks like is soooo far from the narrative they write in their books. The fact that this book was written for young girls (and I’m sure the author would deem her book inclusive) is even more insulting.

Coco Banks and her best friend Samantha want desperately to be part of the cool group in school. However, just when everything starts working out for Coco, her father makes a surprise announcement that will change her life - and not for the better, in her opinion. Never ask is things can get any worse; they always do. But when Coco meets the neighbors, that's the beginning of a new chapter in her life. Coco finally finds something she loves and someone to love. And she finally finds her way back to her family.

Coco is an annoying whiny brat concerned with the purely superficial. You can see the author is setting her up for a big change in personality after her move to the country. So the ending is kind of predictable, but the journey is great fun. Coco has a fabulous natural, self- deprecating voice, and I love her snarky asides. Hilarious episodes have us laughing at her expense. I think the author had great fun putting Coco through all her ordeals; I can picture her laughing out loud as she wrote some scenes. On the other hand, there are some extremely painful moments as well. This book reminds us of what it's like to be a teenager. How every little thing is so important, how everything hurts so much, and how we feel like it's the end of the world when things don't go our way.

I love the author's writing style and the fact that the chapters end with little teasers so you have to keep reading. I look forward to reading more by this author.

I received this book in return for an honest review.

Great book

This book is perfect for any age. It teaches some good lessons for a person to know. At parts it can be a little extreme, but it keep me hooked and interested the whole time. I know you will love it as much as I do.

Cute little coming-of-age story

I loved this book and it was just what I needed, because I was starting to feel a little uninspired to read due to the heaviness of the subject matter of some of the books I've read recently.
This was a lovely light hearted well written fast paced read. It's the first book in what I am sure will be a great series and it told the story of twin sisters and their family moving from Sydney suburbs to the country on a large property to build their own home. This book was told from the point of view of Coco one of the twins and although your seeing things from her point of view you were also able to connect with her and the other characters on different levels and for different reasons. The family dynamics in this book were great and engaging because it was obvious that the parents really did love their kids and respected them as individuals even & especially the girls (twins).
I enjoyed this book so much that as soon as I finished it I immediately started reading (read the first chapter) the second book in the series which I feel.sure I am going to enjoy just as much as I did this one.
Due to my enjoyment of this book I can say that I am definitely a fan of this author.

Cute story

I really enjoyed this book especially the life lessons that Coco learned about true friends and the meaning of a true friend really is. Don't pass this book up this was a great read!

I picked this up through a free promotion and it had been sitting on my Kobo for a while. I impulsively decided to read it while I was camping, and I'm so glad I did. Sitting by the campfire on an outback station, surrounded by wide open paddocks, horses and a buffalo, gave a perfect backdrop for reading about a family that moved from the city to a farm in country New South Wales, Australia. Being the dry season in the Northern Territory meant lots of dust, and not a puddle in sight though.

Love and Muddy Puddles is a middle grade/ya fiction novel dealing with issues such as fitting in, being popular, bullying, making new friends and horses. Although I never had aspirations to be one of the popular girls, and I never cared about fashion when I was Coco's age (which was a loooong time ago), I was still able to empathise with her. I loved watching her grow and mature throughout the book.

Read like a Disney movie. Especially reminded me of Hannah Montana: the Movie but with some Mean Girls thrown haphazardly in there.

A short teen story written by an Australian author, this story focuses on Coco Franks. She is just turning 13 as the story starts. Coco is determined to fit in with the popular girls (definitely of the mean girl variety) at her school. When they are auditioning for a new member, Coco is thrilled to be chosen. As she gets used to mandatory spa days and color palettes, her father announces that the family is moving to a farm in the outback. Coco is devastated at the effect this will have on her new popularity.
That was the setup to this story, which unfortunately lasted much longer in the book. Once the family moved, it was much more interesting. We got to see Coco develop a little more personality. I loved reading about the house building and the horse farm. Overall a decent story with a very strong message about being true to yourself and not being a victim of the quest for others' approval. I wouldn't mind reading the 2nd book and reading more about Coco's twin sister.