Even though I'm 14, the same age as Katie, I found her completely unrelateable. Her sense of humor and personality were far too young and immature at some parts and too old at others, rarely was it just right. There were also many stereotypical, cliched characters. Many plot lines and characters were underdeveloped, for instance...


*SPOILER ALERT*



Autumn. She seems more like the annoying friend that the main character ditches later in the book for the better friend. Instead, she IS the better friend. It seemed like all she ever did was make fun of Katie.

Jasper. The author definitely did NOT go into enough detail about Jasper. One conversation, and Katie likes him. She has all of two and a half conversations with him in the book. The author should have gone into considerably more detail about him.

Unlike the other reviewers, my favorite characters were actually Michaela and Emmaline. In fact, they were the only ones I really liked at all, and I didn't even particularly love them.

Also, almost all of the plotlines were underdeveloped: Katie doing yoga, Katie liking Jasper, Katie's relationships with her family, Mabel Thorpe's dance class, her relationships with her friends in the city, Emmaline... it just seemed like the author tried to put in too many plotlines and it didn't work out. Quality is more important than quantity.

Well in conclusion... read this book if there's nothing else, but don't pick it up because it looks interesting. Because, truthfully, it's not. I feel like I wasted my time.

It can be very hard to follow in your mother's footsteps - especially when you're wearing pointe shoes.

Irina used to be a dancer in Russia. She studied hard in both dance and academia. After her curvy body prevented her from becoming a professional ballerina, she became a professor instead. She came to the United States, taught at New York University, got married, had two little girls, and kept right on teaching. Irina enrolled her daughters in ballet when they were little and insisted they take it seriously. They do, and they love it, but they love other things too.

Katya (Katie) feels as though her older sister is prettier, livelier, and more talented than she is; Michaela (Mickey) is, in Katie's estimation, a better performer and a better daughter. Instead of being jealous, though, she idolizes her big sis, and they're pretty close.

When their parents move them from New York City to a small town upstate so Irina can work at a college as the head of the Russian Literature department, everything changes. Katie can't believe they are leaving their prestigious dance studio behind. She starts taking classes at the local studio, which is a lot more amateur and a lot less strict than her previous school. Michaela becomes popular at their new school and stops studying dance altogether, even though she's supposed to be practicing at home and preparing for her Julliard audition. Katie's not sure what to do - keep her sister's secrets? tell their parents? She knows she should be happy that Mickey's finding new interests, but she's upset that they're no longer doing the same things. For the first time ever, Katie really feels the three-year gap that separates her from her sister. She would do anything to close it up and get back in step with Mickey.

Simply put, The Year My Sister Got Lucky by Aimee Friedman is really good. Speaking as a younger sister and a dancer myself, I give this book two thumbs up - while my feet are in first position.

Fourteen-year-old Katie Wilder lives in the heart of New York City with her mom, a college professor; her dad, a writer; and her older sister, Michaela. Residing there offers everything she holds dear, including the bustling streets, the high-class fashions, the fast-paced lifestyle, the cozy apartment she's inhabited since birth, and the swanky ballet studio where she and her sister spend every spare moment.

Both Katie and Michaela love ballet, and have been studying the graceful dance since they were toddlers. Katie knows that she doesn't really have the ingrained talent or the ideal dancer's body to go all the way, but she practices hard and longs for the day she will advance into toe shoes. Michaela, on the other hand, does have the hardcore talent and everything else she needs to become a professional. She is planning to audition at Juilliard in the spring, and her future promises a distinguished dancing career. Neither has time for a social life outside the ballet studio. They have some close ballet friends, but other than that, Katie and Michaela are each other's best friends. They share a bedroom and all their secrets --- at least they did, up until now.

Katie knows something is up, as Michaela has been acting strangely. Late one night, she urges Michaela to share, and then the huge announcement spills out into the open --- the Wilder family is moving to the country! At first, Katie can't believe that her sister kept such a life-changing event a secret, but soon the bigger picture takes over. In mere weeks, they pack up and move to upstate New York, to a town with only 2,000 residents, fewer than the population at the high school where Katie was to start in the fall. And there are cows and mountains, and even wild deer browsing in their backyard. Katie is freaking out, but Michaela appears to take it all in stride. In fact, Michaela seems to enjoy their new circumstances. And the changes are just beginning.

The local ballet class is nowhere near the standards Michaela needs, so her parents install a mirror and barre in the attic so she can practice on her own. But she rarely goes up there. Michaela makes new friends on the first day of school and quickly jumps into a whirlwind of social activities. Meanwhile, Katie has trouble adjusting and doesn't want to meld into this country living idea. But the worst part is when Michaela begins to push Katie aside and doesn't share secrets anymore. And Michaela has accumulated a bunch of huge secrets. Katie feels lonely and lost without her best friend, and it seems that their new country life will never quite fit this city girl.

THE YEAR MY SISTER GOT LUCKY grabs readers and pulls them straight through the engaging plotline, visiting the importance of friendships, family, self and adaptations to life's unending directional shifts. The characters are colorful and lifelike, facing real challenges. Ballet lovers will especially find this book endearing, with many references to the dancing world. But non-dancers need not worry about missing out; this charming story will appeal to most everyone.

--- Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman, author of FINDING MY LIGHT and THE BLACK POND

Katya, a.k.a. Katie, and her sister Michaela Wilder are sisters and best friends that were born and raised in New York city. They study ballet and their best friends do the same. Katie is 14 and going to be a freshman in high school, Michaela is 17 and going to be a senior. Michaela is the great ballerina and the envy of her dancemates while Katie has to try very hard to be good at ballet.

Their mother is a college professor and their father is a writer. The parents decide to move the family to Fir Lake, New York for the mom to teach there. While Michaela takes the move in stride and embraces it, Katie fights it tooth and nail. She doesn't understand what Michaela sees in this small town and blames the move on the distance that grows in their relationship. As the story moves on, we find out why Michaela was so happy for the move from the big city to a small town and the effects of her secrecy on Katie.

There's too much that I liked about this book to put in a review. Katie's sarcasm is perfect and although only 14 her observations are those that both young and old can appreciate. This is a coming of age story that includes a younger sibling coming to realize she may just want to be something other than just like her sister. One of my favorite parts of the book is when Katie and Michaela visit their New York ballet instructor and friends over the holiday. They see the startling differences after only four months between themselves and their friends since the move. I thought this was a key part to have in the book as Katie comes to realize that Fir Lake may not be so bad after all. The only thing that didn't really connect the storyline for me was the Emmaline character but I guess she was necessary for Katie to realize a talent other than ballet.

Overall, this is a great read from Aimee Friedman that I highly recommend.

when i read this book ,somehow i felt that the story could go on a little further instead of ending it in an abrup halt. It was like it didn't have "substance". It left me a tad dissapointed because the town, Fir Lake, is a very interesting place and its inhabitants are interesting enough to maybe keep the story going.

Nuff said. :-)

Katya Wilder, better known as Katie, is tired of being the last one in her family to know everything. So when she finally finds out that she has to move from New York City to some little town neat Canada called Fir Lake, it's natural that she freaks out. After all, she has to leave behind the only place she's ever called home, the prestigious Anna Pavlova dancing school, and all her dancing friends.

Katie refuses to accept the new town that she lives in and all the people who live there. Her sister Michaela, by contrast, seems to fit right in. She's accepted at the popular table, and with all her new friends, it seems as if she doesn't have time for Katie anymore. But what hurts Katie most of all is that her sister used to be so close to her, and now Michaela doesn't tell her anything.

It's this hurt that influences Katie to grow apart from her sister. But some good things do result from this: Katie finds a friend in Autumn, a girl who likes both camping and dancing. Katie also finds out that the dancing school in Fir Lake is nothing in comparison with Anna Pavlova's, and that she likes yoga. The story follows Katie as she struggles to make her way through her first year in high school, along with her boy, friendship, and sisterly problems.

The Year My Sister Got Lucky was an incredibly well-written book about sisterhood. Even though I do not have the same sisterly bond with my sister as Katie has with Michaela, it was very easy to understand where Katie was coming from. All she really wanted when moving to the new town was for things to be normal and for her sister to be the same. But her sister didn't have the same idea, and because Michaela kept this secret from Katie, things started to get difficult between them. Katie's struggles are very realistic, and many times, I felt like I was inside her head and because we are so similar. Everything made sense in this book, and I like that because I didn't have to figure everything out for myself.

I highly recommend The Year My Sister Got Lucky to all girls. In my opinion, it is Aimee Friedman's best novel yet. I look forward to more novels of this depth and style from her.

[...]

I'm a big fan of Aimee Friedman, but I couldn't really relate to this book in any way. The main character is a lot younger and less mature than Holly and Alexa of South Beach and French Kiss. I felt there were a lot of unnecessary plot details in the book, such as the extensive focus on the sisters' dancing, dance school, the new house, parents, and the mysterious Emmaline, which didn't contribute much to the story's development.

*Spoiler alert*

I like the premise of the book - that it focuses on the bond between two sisters and how that bond changes when they are uprooted from their hometown and one of them embraces their new life and embraces change, altering their relationship. However, I felt that it would be better if several things were reversed. I think it would have made more sense for the girls to move from a small town to the big city, transitioning from being amateur dancers to showcasing Michaela's growing talent instead of her eventual abandonment of dance. I think it would have made more sense for the sisters to be more like best friends in the beginning of the book -- it mostly talks about Katie admiring Michaela from afar and looking up to her rather than emphasizing the things they do together as sisters. It would make more sense for them to be twins or maybe a year apart - it isn't very believable for sisters with a four-year age difference to be that close, and it didn't seem that they were close enough for Katie to expect their bond to continue to be superclose as she entered high school. Their relationship wasn't established enough from the beginning. It just seemed like Katie idolized her sister.

I think the book would also have been better if Michaela had a more extreme lifestyle change. For example, if they moved from Fir Lake to the city, maybe Michaela would start hanging out with a fast crowd and going out drinking and everything. There were a couple of lines in the book that I felt were out of place, like when Michaela tells Katie that she only sees what she wants to see, or that "nothing feels real until she tells her." If that were really true, why would Michaela shut Katie out of her personal life for almost three months and tell everything to Heather?

I could relate to the anger and hurt that Katie experienced by feeling disconnected from her sister, but the fact that this was taking place after a move far from home, spending so much less time focused on dance AND entering high school was too much pressure to put on one character when the main focus is supposed to be on her relationship with her sister. Lastly, the title seemed inappropriate. Michaela didn't really get lucky to me. She was born with talent and made an effort to experience a new life in Fir Lake, but is getting lucky supposed to be a sexual reference?

simple story, but captivating. i could totally relate to this story too, and it was so good. i love it!

Katie Wilder has recently experienced many changes in her young life. Her family has moved from exciting and bustling New York City to the tranquil town of Fir Lake. She must start high school without her friends and the dance school in the new town is extremely inferior to the prestigious one she is accustomed to attending. Fortunately, she has a close relationship with her older sister Michaela and they help each other to adapt to their new surroundings. However, when Michaela begins to make friends and becomes part of the popular crowd, Katie feels abandoned and resentful. As time progresses, Katie realizes she must let go of the past and pursue new interests and experiences in order to grow as a person.

Teenaged girls will love this story, especially ones who are blessed to have a sister. The author addresses everyday situations, such as dating and sibling rivalry, with humor and insight. Telling the story from Katie's point of view makes it more realistic and helps the reader experience her emotions more deeply. Friedman does an excellent job of showing Katie's transition from a city girl to a small town girl. It is entertaining to watch her learn that Fir Lake, although it is much less exciting than New York City, does have positive attributes and she can benefit from interacting with new people.

The characters in this story were intriguing. By creating characters such as the prim and proper dance instructor in New York City and the mysterious neighbor in Fir Lake, Friedman captured my attention and made me want to learn more about them. Katie and Michaela were portrayed realistically, so teenagers will be able to easily identify with their stories.

Year My Sister Got Lucky is definitely worth reading. It will provide humor and entertainment to females of all ages. This story brought back memories of the childhood I shared with my two older sisters. It was fun for me to relive those moments.

Armchair Interviews says: Wonderful story of accepting change and growing from it.

"The Year..." was an enjoyable read with believable characters and although you wish the book wouldn't end the ending itself is very satisfying. It was easy to relate to Katie, her friends, and family. While the problems in the story (sisters, moving, old and new friends, new school, boys, growing up and finding your own identity, etc.) transcend generations there were also enough references to current pop culture to keep it from feeling dated. I am also pleased to read a book that is not part of a series (although regarding teen series you can't do better than Phyllis Reynold Naylor's Alice books!).

"The Year..." was an enjoyable read with believable characters and although you wish the book wouldn't end the ending itself is very satisfying. It was easy to relate to Katie, her friends, and family. While the problems in the story (sisters, moving, old and new friends, new school, boys, growing up and finding your own identity, etc.) transcend generations there were also enough references to current pop culture to keep it from feeling dated. I am also pleased to read a book that is not part of a series (although regarding teen series you can't do better than Phyllis Reynold Naylor's Alice books!).

Katie and her perfect sister, Michaela, have a brand new life in the country.

In their previous life, they've lived in New York City and danced ballet under the watchful eye of a legendary ballerina. But things have changed, and now Katie is lost on her own while her sister transforms into the queen bee of the social scene. Soon Michaela's dating the hottest guy in school and her best friends don't include Katie.

The two of them always shared secrets, but now Michaela barely talks to her about real life. Katie feels stung by her sister's betrayal.

Can sisters really be best friends?

Aimee Friedman dissects the sister relationship in her new book THE YEAR MY SISTER GOT LUCKY. The relationship between Katie and Michaela will captivate readers and the divergence from her usual characters will not be disappointing.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Rummel