100 Pages A Day...Stephanie's Book Reviews

Brian McSpadden leads a pretty boring life.  His parents are a little older and very strict.  His mom spends most of her time taking care of Brian's younger brothers who seem to have constant issues and can never seem to feed Brian enough.  This all changes around Brian's 12th birthday.  First, Brian's chaotic friend Danny manges to get Brian in trouble even when he didn't do anything.  Now, Brian and Danny are stuck doing chores for Danny's.  Then, Brian receives a strange birthday present and a call from his adoption agency saying that his birth mother wants to get in touch with him for his birthday.  In addition to finding a whole new family, Brian gets roped into the drama with Danny's extended family and his cousin Alvin.  Will Brian be able to figure it all out?

 

Free Pizza is a charming, wholesome and amusing story about a very typical 12 year old boy.  I immediately felt as if Brian could be any 12 year old boy that I had known, always hungry, trying to do his best, but somehow keeps getting in trouble. One of the things that I liked best in the book was that Brian was adopted, but that is not what the story centers around.  Even though Brian should be focused on the momentous event of meeting his birth mother and discovering a whole other family, it takes a back seat to his own family and the craziness of Danny's family.  There were elements of suspense and adventure tied in with Danny's neighbor, Grantree and an expensive stamp collection as well as Danny's sick aunt and having to find Alvin a place to stay.  Between Brian's family, his birth mother's family and Danny's family, the fact that there is no normal is really highlighted.  Each of these families are unique and a little crazy in their own way, but all of them share love and acceptance.