The Leftover Kid

Wendy Meyer's biggest concerns are liking Gary Weiss (her partner for a family living class), and her desire to adopt a dog. Wendy is the last child still residing in the family's Brooklyn home. While her mother stews about Wendy spending time alone, Wendy relishes her freedom. Then one of her brothers, his wife and their baby move in. Wendy's mom is delighted, but Wendy can feel her independence shrinking. It shrinks still further when her grandma comes to stay, and a grandpa arrives next. Wendy's other brother and sister return home from college, and the house is overrun with people telling Wendy what to do. With her home life in disarray, Wendy almost overlooks Gary, who is acting strange (he is facing a real family crisis). Wendy starts to appreciate her own relatives, and discovers that independence doesn't mean being alone, but working with others to create her own special space. Readers will like the breezy tone of this book, and some of the slapstick humor. But when the author lets near-farce takes over the plot, and doesn't show the moment when Wendy takes charge of her life, she makes it hard to really care about the characters in this book. (12-up)