Pink Hair and Other Terrible Ideas

by Andrea Pyros

[Sam@WLABB]

I guess I should say "Baaa", because I feel like a black sheep on this one. I enjoyed this book and often wanted to give Josephine a hug, because she tugged at my heartstrings.

Josephine was a quiet, young woman, who's life got a little tilted, when she found out that her mother had breast cancer. She was a twin, and her brother, Chance, was always standing out, while Josephine tried to blend in. In a show of support for their mother and others dealing with breast cancer, Chance dyed his hair pink. This, of course, drew a lot of attention, and then the secret was out that Josephine's mother was ill, and the pitying looks began.

I really valued Josephine's growth during this story. At first, she was angry when the news of her mother's illness got out, but then she saw how her friends did not pity her, but rather, wanted to show her support. They wanted to be there for her, in much the same way that she realized she wanted to be there for her mom and her brother.

Josephine was also a worrier. She liked predictability, stability, and knowing what to expect. Her mother's illness, impending surgery, and the normal day-to-day worries of a 7th grader got to be a bit of a burden for Jo. I am pretty sure 12-year-old me may have made some some emotionally driven missteps in this situation as well. The important part was that Josephine realized she made mistakes, she atoned for her mistakes, and she learned from them. She never stopped valuing her friends and family at any point, and she did finally realize that being honest with them was of the utmost importance.

I also liked the way Josephine's struggle with her guilt played into the story. She often felt like she shouldn't be enjoying things or doing fun stuff, while her mother was ill. I found it relatable. It is often difficult to enjoy things, when you know a loved one is suffering, and it was that inner turmoil, which really endeared Jo to me.

Overall: I thought Pyros did a great job incorporating issues of divorce, cancer, anxiety, friends, and family while keeping the story on the lighter side and still having some impact.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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