Viola in Reel Life by Adriana Trigiani

Viola Chesterson has been “abandoned” at the Prefect Academy for Young Women in South Bend, Indiana - an all-girls boarding school and horribly far away from her home in Brooklyn, New York - by her parents who are abroad working on a documentary.

She is devastated, sad, lonely - she misses her home, her parents and her BFF's - but most importantly, she can't fathom living with three complete strangers in a new school far away from everyone and everything she's ever known. Luckily for her, she is paired with a great set of roommates, her knack for film-making and a fanciful grandmother, aptly called Grand - she just might be able to survive the year... actually it might just be the best year of her life.

I truly enjoyed this coming-of-age story. It's about leaving your comfort zone, making new friends, and realizing that not everything in this world revolves around you (no matter how hard that seems when you are 14). Viola, who can be spoiled (at times), was spunky, witty and had a great sense of humor. I also enjoyed the aspects of boarding school life - maybe it's because I never went to an all-girls school or studied away from home - but I always enjoy novels where the setting is at a school. The girls and their friendship was also something to savor - they were all very different and I really enjoyed how they came together, supported and helped one another.

This is Viola's story - how she navigates in a new school, new experiences, new friendships, a new boyfriend, and how she follows her dream of making a movie. Although this is Ms. Trigiani's first venture into YA - she mastered it without a hitch. This is a fantastic story for tweens and young adults but can definitely be appreciated by adults just the same. I personally loved it.