children's middlegrade Christian fiction (Steffy is in 5th grade). This is the much tamer, PG version of having an absent mom (in a care home because of a brain injury, resulting in a semi-Alzheimer's state) and an estranged dad struggling with depression/suicidal thoughts and alcoholism. Granted, these are tricky topics to cover in a middlegrade novel (compared to the grittier depictions geared towards mature teens), but it felt contrived and unrealistic. The "stay away from drugs, alcohol and teen motherhood" message was heavy-handed and that the people in the dad's AA group were treated more as whispered-about cautionary tales than as dimensional people struggling with serious problems. I think it would've been better to focus more on one person (like the dad) and help readers understand more of the depths of his problems rather than obliquely hinting at this or that--not sure if this is a deliberate attempt to gloss over the less savory parts of Steffy's life ("Don't think about the problems in your life too much, just persevere and eventually you will get adopted by your loving aunt and things will be OK!"), but I think it would be more useful to kids if it provided more of a basis for understanding and empathy.

Steffy, her friend Lisa, and her sister Nina were pretty likeable in the ways that they supported each other but I would've hoped for a bit more diversity (Steffy's family is half Italian/half American southern; her aunt's fiancee is asian; her school is named for Civil Rights protesters), and as others have said, the plot was fairly stagnant and the death of the family friend really wasn't necessary. If you like kids' books with cooking/recipes, there are certainly better ones out there.
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A wonderful book for middle school age children. Understanding the issues that come with living with her aunt to an unstable father will help bring readers close to this unique character. ( )

I started reading One Hundred Spaghetti Strings by Jen Nails and at first, I was a bit miffed because the start of the book really didn't engage me. Still, I decided to read on and boy, am I so glad I did! The story really picked up in the second chapter (or maybe I just began to understand what was going on in the story). Once that happened, I was glued to the pages of this book to the very end. Half-way through this book, I took a breather, shook my head and told myself, "how could I ever have thought I didn't like this story!?"

I was deeply touched by Steffy, Nina and their family. While One Hundred Spaghetti Strings is not a smiley, everything is roses kind of book, it is about a family in chaos searching for healing both as individuals and as a family. My hat goes off to Ms. Nails for creating such a moving story that is definitely Well Worth the Reading!

I received this book for free. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are my own. Thank you to Harper Collins Publishing, Ms. Nails and Edelweiss for the opportunity to read and review this book. ( )