00015605

Zoe is an imaginative girl who has the great fortune to live right beside her father's plant nursery, Doc Reindeer's Exotic Plant Wonderland. The eleven-year-old is the middle child in her family, and considers herself to be too shy and dull. That's why she created Imaginary Zoe, a daring and stylish version of herself. Zoe likes to imagine this different self when she is feeling insecure next to her too-perfect older sister and her too-smart younger brother, or when she wishes she had been bolder in her actions. Imaginary Zoe snubs her sister, outsmarts her brother, and puts bullies in their place, but Just Zoe only imagines those things happening. When some large real-world concerns creep into her life - her best friend has to move to a new city to live with his dad because his mom has cancer, her dad's bill problems pose the looming threat of having to sell the nursery, mean girls at school are bullying her, and she can't figure out if the new boy wants to be her friend or is just teasing - she tries to work through the issues, both as Imaginary Zoe and Just Zoe. As she does, Zoe learns that her normal self can be bold and have adventures, in her real life as well as in her imagination.

Zoe is an appealing character, and her coming-of-age story is a sweet tale about friendships old and new, family relationships, and the power of the imagination. I could definitely relate to Zoe, being an imaginative introvert myself, and found myself rooting for her through all of her challenges and victories. The book does a great job developing her personality and those of many of the side characters, and it makes the reader care about what happens to the Reindeer family. It's just a slice of a growing up story, actually, as it doesn't follow her from childhood to adulthood. Instead, it focuses on a small period in her life that represents a time of big changes for her and her family, and sets the stage for her adolescence and growth ahead. This spotlight effect is a great choice, especially for younger readers, and creates a compelling realistic fiction story that I think children and adults can enjoy. ( )

Zoe Reindeer lives with her younger brother, older sister, and parents in a home in California behind her father's exotic plant store, Doc Reindeer's Exotic Plant Wonderland. She loves the Wonderland, and her one and only friend Quincy, and daydreaming.
"Zoe in Wonderland" isn't a bad book... it's just not a good one either. Things happen, a story line moves along. But in the end Zoe doesn't seem to have changed much or learned any big lessons about life or growing up. She's the same Zoe she was at the beginning. None of the characters were particularly well developed except for Zoe.
A further drawback is that the story is punctuated, almost randomly, by little paragraphs in italics telling what Zoe is imagining. These don't advance the story in any way - they are more of a distraction that a contribution to the book. While some of them ring true as things a 12-year-old girl might daydream about, some really don't. At one point she is imagining that she is the famous inventor of a cell phone app that makes people's problems go away. In another she imagines that she has the power to create extra moons in the sky. What?
I liked Zoe, I just wish the book had more of a point to the story. A message. ( )

Great story about a shy and slightly awkward girl named Zoe Reindeer with a great imagination but she feels lost as the middle child in her family and has a lot of trouble making friends. Throughout the course of the story, Zoe finds herself and her voice and her story will want to make you laugh, cry, and cheer for Ms. Zoe Reindeer. ( )

Just Zoe. That's what everyone - even Zoe herself - calls her. She's not beautiful and charming and quick to make friends like her older sister Jade or a genius like her little brother Harper. She only has one friend, Quincy (he's NOT a boyfriend) and one interest, her father's rare and exotic plant nursery that surrounds their house, Wonderland.

But nothing ever stays the same. Quincy is facing some major challenges at home, Zoe's parents are worrying about money, and even Wonderland may not be around forever. Will Zoe keep zoning out into her own imagination, or can she make a real difference in her family and her world?

I purchased this for the library based on the popularity of The Blossoming Universe of Violet Diamond but have only now gotten around to reading it. I can see it appealing to tween girls who are dreamy, worried about not having friends at school, and will like the wish-fulfillment ending. I didn't find Zoe as annoying as some people did - although I do think her "zoning out" moments are maybe something that her parents should have checked... The ending was fast and unrealistic; a devastating fire destroys their entire home and livelihood but there's not really any mention of the practical logistics around a tragedy like this, although Zoe does stress a little about her part in the event.

Verdict: Overall this was well-written and engaging and will appeal to girls who like this type of bildungsroman. The touches of diversity and science were a nice addition. If Woods' other titles are popular, this will be a good addition to your library. Also, I love the cover.

ISBN: 9780399170973; Published August 2016 by Nancy Paulsen Books; Purchased for the library; Review copy provided by publisher