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The Big Apple Effect
After a lifetime of New Age “adventures” with her weirdo hippie mom, fifteen-year-old Maddie is realizing a lifelong dream and visiting New York City. Armed with her 130-item to-do list, Maddie hits the streets of New York with her friend Anna and Anna’s brother, Thomas. Maddie drags her friends around on an epic quest for the ultimate art-show outfit, oblivious to the fact that they don’t share her passion for vintage clothing. Three days into the trip, a most unwelcome surprise—the arrival of Maddie’s mother—threatens to derail the entire adventure. As her mother’s obsession with dietary trends and fortune-tellers takes center stage, and everyone’s tempers get thin, Maddie has to face some ugly facts about how she’s been treating her friends.
136 pages, Library Binding
First published September 1, 2014
1 person is currently reading
24 people want to read
About the author
Christy Goerzen
5 books6 followersChristy Goerzen has been telling stories since the age of two. She holds a Master of Arts in Children's Literature, and has worked as a bookseller, children's television writer, communications manager, speechwriter and university instructor. She lives in Vancouver with her husband, son and one funny little cat.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 21, 2017
Too young for me. Would likely be a good read for someone closer to 10 or 11?
April 26, 2023
Read it while sitting in the YA section waiting for my kid to be done. It was what I expected.
November 18, 2014
At first, I was a bit put off by this book. Then I started looking into the publisher, Orca Currents, and from other reviews, realized they seem to put out only or mostly hi/lo books. Phew. Had I not known that, I probably would have only given this book one star.
Even though it's a hi/lo book (and I can't even really say how "hi" the interest level would be), I found it pretty dumbed down. The characters are not developed well at all, even our narrator, fifteen-year-old Maddie. She's a hipster chick living in Canada with her hippie mom -- and not "cool" hippie, but crystal-wearing, fortune telling, tie-dye, middle-aged mom. Maddie loves everything retro, artsy, vintage, and loves NYC. Of course she's won a coveted spot in a NYC art show, happening the week of her fifteenth birthday. She and her bestie, Anna, (whom she met in book 1) are headed to the Big Apple for a week-long trip. They're staying with Anna's adorable older brother, Thomas, who is nineteen, a college student and very "hot" (he's also nineteen and living in Greenwich Village -- believable? NO. But will teens likely know the difference? Maybe?).
Maddie is a planner and she's planned exactly 134 things to do in NYC. She wants to shop in all the vintage stores to find the perfect art show outfit, whereas Anna wants to hit up Saks Fifth Avenue. As you could guess, the girls end up butting heads (because that's what girls do, right?). Maddie must come to terms that she's controlling and obsessive, and she ends up acknowledging that, but her 180 change at the end too unbelievable.
The real issues I have with this novel are with Maddie's mom, Lynn. She reluctantly lets Maddie go with Anna to NYC, but then secretly shows up to Thomas's apartment and ruins the group's trip. Lynn has to be the most self-absorbed parent I've ever heard of (in literature and real life). She hijacks all of Maddie's plans and forces the trio to dine at gluten-free restaurants and is oblivious to their sideways glances and Maddie's sarcastic remarks. Her self deprecating behavior is so over the top, it's to the point of frustration and exhaustion. Maddie finally makes her feelings known and her mom ends up ditching the group for an early flight home. Nothing is resolved or even talked about. Maddie realizes she's been too controlling and throws her to-do list out the window and the three teens decide to go to McDonald's. What?! There are no lessons truly learned, or characterization developed.
Not recommended for libraries. If in the collection, only give to very reluctant readers who enjoy teen female drama and don't want to get involved in a story.
Even though it's a hi/lo book (and I can't even really say how "hi" the interest level would be), I found it pretty dumbed down. The characters are not developed well at all, even our narrator, fifteen-year-old Maddie. She's a hipster chick living in Canada with her hippie mom -- and not "cool" hippie, but crystal-wearing, fortune telling, tie-dye, middle-aged mom. Maddie loves everything retro, artsy, vintage, and loves NYC. Of course she's won a coveted spot in a NYC art show, happening the week of her fifteenth birthday. She and her bestie, Anna, (whom she met in book 1) are headed to the Big Apple for a week-long trip. They're staying with Anna's adorable older brother, Thomas, who is nineteen, a college student and very "hot" (he's also nineteen and living in Greenwich Village -- believable? NO. But will teens likely know the difference? Maybe?).
Maddie is a planner and she's planned exactly 134 things to do in NYC. She wants to shop in all the vintage stores to find the perfect art show outfit, whereas Anna wants to hit up Saks Fifth Avenue. As you could guess, the girls end up butting heads (because that's what girls do, right?). Maddie must come to terms that she's controlling and obsessive, and she ends up acknowledging that, but her 180 change at the end too unbelievable.
The real issues I have with this novel are with Maddie's mom, Lynn. She reluctantly lets Maddie go with Anna to NYC, but then secretly shows up to Thomas's apartment and ruins the group's trip. Lynn has to be the most self-absorbed parent I've ever heard of (in literature and real life). She hijacks all of Maddie's plans and forces the trio to dine at gluten-free restaurants and is oblivious to their sideways glances and Maddie's sarcastic remarks. Her self deprecating behavior is so over the top, it's to the point of frustration and exhaustion. Maddie finally makes her feelings known and her mom ends up ditching the group for an early flight home. Nothing is resolved or even talked about. Maddie realizes she's been too controlling and throws her to-do list out the window and the three teens decide to go to McDonald's. What?! There are no lessons truly learned, or characterization developed.
Not recommended for libraries. If in the collection, only give to very reluctant readers who enjoy teen female drama and don't want to get involved in a story.
February 12, 2015
The Big Apple Effect tells the story of 15-year-old Maddie's first taste of independence. Maddie goes to New York City right before her birthday to take part in an art show, and stays with her friend Anna and Anna's very cute and perfectly nice college-age brother, Thomas. However, a few days into the trip, Maddie's very quirky and overbearing mom shows up to surprise Maddie, which causes her to throw a fit. Maddie also spends a good amount of time getting upset about not checking off all of the items on her overwhelmingly long list of things to do in NYC, and causes everyone else around her to feel stressed too.
Maddie's very overblown and dramatic responses and her immaturity make her an unlikable character, while her mom's completely strange, over-the-top antics are also really irritating. Maddie's friend Anna provides a level-headed response to Maddie's ideas, but the reader doesn't really get to learn enough about her, and Thomas is likeable but bland. None of the situations Maddie encounters seem all that difficult or troubling, so it could be easy for the reader to lose interest in the plot.
All's well that ends well, though, and before the book's conclusion, Maddie has fought and made up with both Anna and her mom, met a cute guy (who also happens to be he hero Louise Bergville's son!) at the art show, had some cool experiences, and learned not be so focused on her own checklist that she ignores what others want to do. Though there are little mishaps and annoyances throughout, everything turns out OK in the end. Even though this is a hi-lo title, it still feels a little too simple and bland to keep a reader interested.
Maddie's very overblown and dramatic responses and her immaturity make her an unlikable character, while her mom's completely strange, over-the-top antics are also really irritating. Maddie's friend Anna provides a level-headed response to Maddie's ideas, but the reader doesn't really get to learn enough about her, and Thomas is likeable but bland. None of the situations Maddie encounters seem all that difficult or troubling, so it could be easy for the reader to lose interest in the plot.
All's well that ends well, though, and before the book's conclusion, Maddie has fought and made up with both Anna and her mom, met a cute guy (who also happens to be he hero Louise Bergville's son!) at the art show, had some cool experiences, and learned not be so focused on her own checklist that she ignores what others want to do. Though there are little mishaps and annoyances throughout, everything turns out OK in the end. Even though this is a hi-lo title, it still feels a little too simple and bland to keep a reader interested.
November 1, 2015
To me, this book had I nice idea but I did not like how the author expanded that idea. She developed the “best friend” character into somebody that didn’t really seem like they would be a best friend. I was not a fan of the way that Goerzen created most of the characters but I think that if a different author wrote it, it would be much better. Therefore, I am giving this book three out of five stars.
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September 23, 2016
Simplified self-absorbed teenager story with the obligatory moral in the end :/
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews