If You Could Only Choose Your Mother by Julie Harford
Review by Kevin Ferrall


Marvelous. If you've seen Spanglish, 10 things I hate about you, then prep yourself for a should- be-film story. If You Could Only Choose Your Mother by Julie Harford is not a groundbreaking piece, but it is impressionable.

To begin, the story is a teen romance telling of the protagonist’s growth in teen angst, peer pressure, and first love. I know we've all heard the plot before, but this is a definite must read. I, too, thought the title of the piece to be banal, but the phrase "Don't judge a book by its cover" applies here. The contents of the book are appealing.

The beginning is very rocky, but as you continue reading the story it is polished into a beautiful diamond. I urge readers not to be swayed because at the end of the book the reader will be stunned. The trip of the protagonist’s life depicted in the story leaves one in awe.

I am a male full of testosterone and I must say read this book. If you're male, female, old, or young this book will thrill you. Granted I am a male who is a sucker for romance movies, I think other males should take the time to read into this piece.
The matters reflected in the novel are serious matters teenagers experience often and the characters are so accurately portrayed you would think Julie had taken the life of a teenager and written it down on paper. Her characters are real, problematic, and humorous like life itself. Woven into dramatic moments of the piece are ingeniously entwined humorous points.

The only true complaint I have, besides the title and rough beginning, is that it wasn't long enough. I wanted to read more after finishing, but in that thought I am also happy it didn't go on. A story is a recording of a time in one's life and this story follows the rule. The ending has the reader yearn for more, but still satisfying. But some parts could've been played out more like the annoying boy bothering the heroine. I think he could have bothered her more on other days so the moment of him being nice could have more impact. Look past these negative comments though because I don't want to persuade readers to not the read the book.

If You Could Only Choose Your Mother is a refreshing teen read that the market has been lacking up to this point. This is a teen read must for any lovers of literature. I can not stress this enough to an audience, read this novel. I would recommend this to anyone. I will shout this to the heavens for people to understand. Julie Harford’s novel is perfect for middle/high school teachers trying to interest their students in books again. It is too adult for elementary students, but a true reader will love this regardless of age.