American Fringe
by Valerie Frankel
AMERICAN FRINGE by Valerie Frankel
Category:  Contemporary
Age Recommendation:
 Grades 9+
Release Date:  1/2/08
Publisher:  NAL
Reviewed by:  
Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen
Rating:  4 Stars


After her two-week break from school, Adora Benet is ready to take Brownstate Collegiate Institute’s halls by storm.
With her boyfriend, Noel, back in her arms, her two best friends by her side and the wonderful feeling of spring in the air,
Adora is feeling pretty awesome. Of course, feelings change.

After the wonderful thought of Liza moving into her house, Eli is beginning to regret that decision. Not only has Liza been
getting on her nerves, but now El’s mother has gone from briefcase-only to kitchenware-welcome. Eli is starting to feel a
little left out since her mom spends a ton more effort caring for Liza then she ever did for Eli; of course, Eli would never
show it. And Adora just so happens to be the only one out of the three who isn’t affected by this.  Can she be the
peacemaker?

Sondra, Adora’s somewhat enemy, has last her posse, which consisted of Lori and Micha. Now Sondra is trying to make
a new friend out of Adora, but will Adora take this chance to get off the fringe?

Adora gets to run her own advice column, and it turns out to be very popular, maybe a little too popular. One of the
articles Adora writes, about women in the work force, turns into a huge controversy, and puts Adora into the spotlight of
the national media and on talk shows. And the person she gave advice to turns out to be Toby Livingston, whose mother
is all about the red, white, and blue. Now if only she could get him out of her head.

Adora Benet’s character flourishes as the FRINGE series continues. In AMERICAN FRINGE, we are able to see the
various sides and feelings of Adora that everyone will be able to identify with. Valerie Frankel keeps the Adora that we
have all come to know and love since the first book, and also keeps the momentum going. Watch out for FRINGE
BENEFITS, next in the series.