Lifted by Wendy Toliver

Lifted by Wendy Toliver
Publication Date/Version: June 2010/Paperback
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Age Group: Young Adult
Received From: Around The World Tours (Thanks!)

Poppy Browne is none too thrilled to be the new girl in Pleasant Acres, Texas--especially after her mother enrolls her in a private Baptist school. But to her delight, Poppy is pulled into the cool clique on her first day at Calvary High, and her new friends, Mary Jane and Whitney, are as genuinely nice as they are gorgeous and rich.

The catch? Her new pals have a nasty shoplifting habit, and before long Poppy is also a theft enthusiast. But when the girls' addictions get out of hand and friendships are threatened, it's up to Poppy to set things right...

Poppy is forced to move. It might not be so bad except for the fact that she's enrolled in a private Baptist school. Thing is, she isn't religious. Her mother's more worried about Poppy's college application than anything. Poppy is instantly accepted into the popular crowd at Calvary High, and she leaves behind Bridgette, her first-day mentor at Calvary. As Poppy grows closer to Mary Jane and Whitney, she's let in on their dirty secret. They shoplift. Not because they need to, but because they love the adrenaline rush. Soon Poppy is joining in on their escapades and realizing just how much she loves the rush too.

This is my book by Wendy Toliver, and I really enjoyed it! She's definitely an author to watch out for on my list. She made a serious subject approachable, but even more complex. She takes two well-liked and nice, but ultimately hypocritical, popular girls and turns them into criminals. It poses some interesting questions: Are people looking the other way because of their status? Would they get away with this otherwise? Why is such hypocrisy allowed?

Poppy is easy to connect to, and I really enjoyed her. She's fun, spunky, and independent. She's a typical teenager who happens to run into a bad problem. Mary Jane and Whitney both seem to be nice, wholesome individuals, but looks can be deceiving. I really enjoyed the characters. I think their social status made the read even more compelling because you wouldn't expect them to be thieves.

The plot evolved quickly, jumping right into theft and the rush of it. The three girls didn't really need anything; they only did it for the rush. It's easy to see how they could get caught up in it. Oddly enough, I never viewed them as bad people, only good people making bad decisions. Their social standing really did have an effect on my perspective, sad to say. I could see it being easy to fit right into their crowd and go with the flow. They seemed like genuinely nice people.

The ending was a bit too happy, but I was glad someone faced the consequences. I look forward to reading more by Wendy Toliver!

Overall: Quick and fast paced. Thought provoking. Very enjoyable.

My Advice: I would say buy it or borrow it. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I look forward to owning a copy.

Cover: The cover's a bit plain, but there's a certain something that draws me in. I feel that the girl is a bit too rough to be Polly. I like the simple font, but other than that, there's nothing specific I enjoy.

*This was read as a part of the 100+ Reading Challenge