Me & Mom vs. the World

by Jo Whittemore

A mother-daughter duo take part in a bizarre family challenge in hopes of winning a fortune.

Tori Porter is best friends with her mom, and most of the time it's awesome. Not many girls have a mom who'd take them to a graveyard for hide-and-seek or fill the bathtub with ice cream for the world's biggest sundae. But as much as Tori loves having fun, she sometimes wishes her mom would act a little more her age. Like now.

Thanks to her mom's poor financial planning, they are in danger of losing their business and their home. But an unusual opportunity arises in the form of a bizarre contest run by an eccentric relative: Whoever can survive two weeks in the Archibald Family's colonial manor will inherit the property. The catch? Contestants have to live as in colonial times: no modern conveniences, no outside help, and daily tests of their abilities to survive challenges of the time period.

Tori thinks it's the perfect answer to their debt problems, but she and her mom aren't the only ones interested. The other family members seem to be much more prepared for the two weeks on the manor - and it doesn't help that Mom doesn't seem to be taking the contest seriously. Do they stand a chance?

Genres: Middle Grade, Fiction, Humor, Childrens, Adventure, Family, Realistic Fiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published February 10, 2015

Reviews

[Stephanie Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Opening line)-“No one ever buzzed the intercom at Mom’s dress shop except Funk, the FedEx hunk, and that was only on Thursdays.”
REFLECTIONS:
This was a really fun book to read! I must say I’m much better at reading about living as in colonial times than I would be at actually surviving the challenge. ( I think a tiny part of me still itches to try it sometime, though!🙂)
I would recommend this to middle-grade readers, teachers, and anyone who ever envisioned themselves living in the 1700’s!
Memorable quotes:
(Pg.8)-“The winner will be the person who has accrued the highest points and managed not to die of hunger or be eaten by other contestants.” (Great-Aunt Muriel)

[Gisbelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to Aladdin

------------------------------------------------------------------
Point of View: Single (Tori)
Writing: First Person | Past Tense
Setting: Boston
Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary
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This was such a delightful book! I had so much fun reading it as it was well-written, with a lot of unexpected plot twists.

The story starts with Tori and her mother receive a video will from a rich distance relative. Since they are in need of money to help them through a a serious financial problem, they agree to participate in a series of challenges, all of which require them to live as in colonial times.

Along with a colorful and beautiful cover which I adored, this book was funny in a way that didn't make everything seem too ridiculous and stupid. However, the comedic part of the book wasn't what make this book a fun read, in my opinion, the storyline was a winner. I didn't expect this book to turn out to be this good. It moved on from being a light and fun read to touch more important topics such as family, betrayal, supports and so much more.

Overall, I thought the characters were quite nice. I loved Tori, even at times she seemed like a know-it-all kid, which usually would drive me up the wall, but she turned to be an interesting character after all. Jill, Tori's mother, was a compete lunatic, to put it nicely. Most of the time, she didn't act like a mother or maybe she acted like a "cool" mom, I'm not quite sure. Nevertheless, she was in fact an intriguing character.

I kind of liked the subtle romance in this book. For a middle grade, I think that the book not focusing too much on the romance was a great approach. It was sweet and nice, and most of the time, it felt more like a comfortable friendship than love. Whatever it was, I really liked it.

In short, this was a clever and fun read, about family sticking together and helping each other through difficult times. The plot twists were shockers!

I recommend this book to those who are looking for a nice and fun middle grade book.

[Stephanie Faris · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tween and her mom are challenged to spend two weeks living in colonial times. This book is a fun learning experience, especially for young girls, who don't realize how lucky they are to wear clean clothes every day and get milk from the refrigerator rather than the barn. But the overall message is even more important: family comes first, especially the bond between mother and child.

[A · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this was an exciting book that has a lot of fun in the romance.

[Lorrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was quite clever. A single mom has received word that her wealthy great aunt has passed on and has decided to hold a contest to see who will inherit her estate. Via a previously-recorded video, she invites all of her living relatives to her estate to live as they would've lived in colonial times for a 2 week period. Whoever makes it through the 2 weeks successfully is the winner. Tori and her mom have an incredibly close relationship and their interactions throughout the story are so endearing. This is a quick and easy middle-grade read - very unique, original and enjoyable.

I received an e-copy of this book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This seems to be a new trend in publishing - books for younger readers about older kids. Normally a book about a 7th grader is for about that age range, but look at the cover art here - definitely for younger kids. Good story, good moral, good outcome.

[Wendy Pitts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great adventure book for tweens and teens. I love that Tori is a complete geek and knows this about herself. I also appreciated all the funny events that happened along the way.

[Kyra · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Quotes are taken from the ARC so they are subject to change*

When I saw this book available to download on Edelweiss, I jumped at the chance! I absolutely adore middle-grade novels of any kind, especially ones that have a unique plot line, family bonding and a fun competition of some kind! This book was the perfect contender and it lived up to and even surpassed my expectations. The characters felt real, the writing was addictive, the pacing was perfect and the snark, oh the snark! It was absolutely glorious.

Colonial Madness features Tori and her lovable - if irresponsible - mother who live in an apartment above the dress shop Tori's mom runs. However, they are in danger of losing their home and the business due to Tori's mom's lack of handling her finances - but then a wonderful opportunity comes up! In the late Muriel Archibald's will, she gives certain family members a bizarre, unique challenge where the winning member will gain possession of the Archibald Family's colonial manor. The challenge? To live as if they were in colonial times for two weeks. That means no technology, no bought food and absolutely no modern conveniences. For Tori and her mom, this is the perfect chance to get money to pay the bills and save their property. However, will they be able to win against their competitive family members and will Tori's mom take this seriously enough in order for them to gain possession of the manor? I highly suggest that you pick up this book and find out!

I adored this book. Seriously, it was so much fun to read! The characters were perfect, the story line was perfect, the pacing and writing was perfect, basically everything was perfect.

The characters were fantastic. I absolutely adored Tori! She was nerdy, she was snarky, she was adventurous, she would do anything to help her mom, she was courageous and fair and I just utterly adored her as I could relate to her a lot. She's honestly a character I would love to hang out with as I think we would get along famously, bonding over books and research and exchanging witty banter back and forth. Seriously, you guys will love her!

'This was a serious, adult manner, I decided to handle it in a serious adult voice. Which, for some reason, also happened to be British.'

'"Well aren't you just a fountain of information," said Mom, changing into her own costume.

"It's called reading," I said. "You should try it."' - Tori gets us.

I also really liked Tori's mom. She was irresponsible and quite careless but she was fun and you could see she really loved her daughter and truly wanted the best for her! I felt sorry for her as you could see how disappointed she was when Tori thought that she wouldn't be able to complete the challenge, but I admired how that spurred her on to do her best in order to make her daughter happy.

Their mother-daughter relationship was truly a spectacular thing to read about. I loved how (most of the time) they supported each other and how they were both willing to do everything for the other. I loved their witty conversations and the shenanigans they would get up to! I also loved the tender way in which Jo Whittemore handled a mom and daughter's alternative viewpoints and their differences. It was a truly wonderful bond and I would suggest to a lot of moms with tween daughters that this would be a splendid book to read together, so that mothers and daughters alike can understand the other one better. I loved their relationship and the dynamic duo made me guffaw several times.

'"Who's Muriel Archibald?" I asked while Mom read the letter."Your dad's great-aunt who...apparently passed away last week," said Mom, wrinkling her forehead. "I'm surprised it took so long.""Wow," I said. "So, obviously, you were close?"Mom made a face. "Don't get smart."'

'"Tori!" she rushed over. "Is everything okay?"
I shook my head. "I...need..."
"What, darling?" Mom clasped my face between her hands. "Air? Water? For us to really exercise at the gym?"' - After Tori comes rushing in from outside.

'I stomped toward my bedroom as loudly as possible. My phone chimed with a text message, and I stopped to check it. It was from Mom. You're going to make an excellent ballerina. So light on your feet!'

From the video Muriel sent to them about her will before she died, I could tell she had a hilarious sense of humor and that she was even more sarcastic than Tori. I would've liked to see interaction between her and Tori as I think that would've been quite enjoyable! When Muriel wasn't dead after all that was quite a surprise, but I LOVED that I got to know her better as from the beginning I knew that she was somebody I wanted to know more of - I'm so glad I got that opportunity. It would've been nice to see more interaction between Muriel and Tori as I think the banter would've been fantastic, but it didn't decrease my enjoyment of the story at all.

'"Hello, nincompoops," said Great-Aunt Muriel in a deep, commanding voice. "If you're viewing this, then you've managed to outlive me. What a pity."'

"But Charity [Muriel's horse] cannot appreciate the grounds of my estate nor its proper manor in the proper manner." Great-Aunt Muriel frowned and spoke to someone off camera. "That sentence was appallingly cute."'

Then there was Caleb, the son of Eli, the man hosting the challenges. I really liked Caleb! You could see that he was a kind, loyal boy and I loved how him and Tori could bond over being quite geeky as well as their difficult home situations. Their time spent making leather bracelets and earrings in the forge while getting to know each other was lovely to read about! The romance was innocent and sweet, perfect for a middle-grade. I like how the author captured the feelings of first love and I thought it was extremely realistic, especially when Tori started crushing from Caleb nearly as soon as she met him as that's generally what a lot of young teenage girls experience. It was an adorable romance!

They reference The Hunger Games:
'"Can I give you some advice?" he asked. "My dad has nothing against you personally, but I can tell he's really excited for this witch trial. The odds aren't in your favor." I frowned.
"How very Hunger Games."

Which is pretty awesome.

The other cast of characters were diverse too! There were Angel and Dylan, Tori's two cousins. As well as their parents: Angel's hippy parents, Uncle Deke and Aunt Zoe, and Dylan's cowboy dad named Uncle Max. I found them all interesting and they all felt very real to me. I really liked Angel but I was quite disappointed in her at one stage in the book, but I could kind of understand why she did it and I still liked her all the same, although I had lost some respect for her. Each characters had their own personality and I could always distinguish between them.

The story line of this plot was fantastic! I loved the different challenges and I loved how they had to go without modern conveniences, although I think it would've been more realistic if more emphasis was put on the struggles they faced without modern conveniences, but that wasn't even an issue and didn't make me enjoy the book any less!

Overall, Colonial Madness was a delightfully charming, unique read! I absolutely fell in love with the diverse cast of characters and once I'd closed the book, I felt as if I'd lost a friend! The humor was utterly perfect and I caught myself chuckling out loud on several occasions. The writing was fabulous, as well as the plot and I wasn't bored for a single moment - in fact, I read most of this book in one sitting! I would highly recommend this as it's a fantastically fun book to lose yourself in. I shall definitely be reading more from this author in the future!

I give it: 4.5/5 Cupcakes!

[Misa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a good short funny summer reading experience (I love the cover) . Tori and her mom has a funny relationship as daughter and mother. The experience of living in the colonial time for money changes people and makes them do crazy things, well, in general, money makes people do crazy things. The characters were funny mainly Tori with her cousin Angel and her verbal fights with Dylan her other cousin. I didn't like her mother's irresponsible behavior sometimes, then she has those mood changes when her daughter point out her faults and irresponsability. I think that Tori's age thirteen wasn't correct and even for her cousins', they seem so much more responsible for such a young age.

[KWinks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was the breath of fresh air I didn't even know I needed right now. It was hilarious. I was instantly charmed by Tori Porter and her test of colonial living on Archibald Family Farms. This was so fun to read!

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

This whole book was larger than life. It had quirky characters and a wholesome message. It made me laugh out loud a few times, which is always a good thing.

Content: clean. No sex or language.

[Bookthreat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read our review at https://bookthreat.com/2017/05/15/roo...

[Dua · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice fun book, it's for 9-13 years old but I enjoyed it as an adult
Loved the story and the plot twists

[Hana · Rating 5 out of 5]

We're time-travelling -- err, wait! No, we're not!

I hate to admit this, because it makes me sound like an awful person, but I do judge books by their cover. I mean, I'll judge them by the cover and then pass them by, but sometimes I do stop long enough to read the blurb and an excerpt if that's available and it might change my mind. But what can I say? I'm a sucker for cover quality.

Not that this takes away from this book. No, the cover of Jo Whittemore's Colonial Madness is stunning! Seriously, I love most of the covers coming from publisher Aladdin Mix. They're so colourfully attractive!

Colonial Madness follows Victoria "Tori" Porter as she joins a family competition with her mother. You see, Tori and her mom have only each other and they're floundering money-wise as her mom isn't very good balancing the finances with her seamstress business. When the opportunity to inherit family wealth comes to play, Tori jumps at the chance to convince her reluctant mother to join.

Of course they have to play and win the game to get the money and property prize, and that means Tori and her mom have to follow the rules: for 2 weeks, all contestants have to live a colonial life. For Tori and her cousins, Angel and Dylan, that means no cells, no social media, no fast food, no toilet paper, no makeup and pretty much everything associated with the 21st century. And naturally hilarity ensues...

Tori is sooo funny, and sometimes it was quite intentional. Her relationship with her mom warmed my heart -- still warms my heart. At one point she thinks that the reason she never missed the father who died before she really knew him is because her mother happened to be really good at playing both purported roles of parenting. ^^ Awww.

There's also a romance! Who doesn't love love?

Tori meets and instantly falls -- and literally as she crashes into him the first time -- for Caleb, one of the staff members and judges of the colonial competition. Caleb seemed adorable. He really liked Tori and there was none of the wish-washy stuff I can't stand sometimes. On the one hand I read to find out who won the competition, but I also interested to see how Caleb and Tori would work out their new-found young love. They're both in their early teens presumably and they lived miles and states apart, AND both of their families are struggling money-wise, so I didn't see them hopping a plane to try to continue the physical aspect I guess social media would come in handy.

Caleb also dislikes hummus!

Ah! A book bf after my own heart...

All in all, enjoyable book. It had all the things I wanted, humor, romance and a HFN, so if you're interested in the same elements at the moment, check out Colonial Madness!

[Elaine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the idea of this plotline-modern families having to compete in a colonial-times setting, but I had my doubts about the substance of the book throughout most of it, with the kids' attitudes toward their parents, the sarcasm, the mean-spirited competitiveness, the young teen romance...none are great role models that I want my kids to read about, even if they might be realistic in today's world. I try to expose my kids to better role models in books than they would see in real life...kids who honor and respect their parents and other people, but the name-calling, the sarcastic quips, then lying and sneaking around in this book was not boding well for my opinion of the book. It did redeem itself by the end though, as the kids each are confronted with their wrong-doings, bad attitudes and their broken relationships with their parents. The relationships end up in a better place, the consequences for the kids' actions were adequate for addressing the wrongdoing, and there's enough repentance and change to redeem the bad behavior that characterized most of the beginning of the book. Even the teen love interest storyline was OK in the end as Caleb and Victoria truly show compatibility and care for one another, not just a silly infatuation (however, she just turned 13...seems a bit early to be kissing! I know it does happen, but it's not something I'd want my older elementary or pre-teen child reading about and I would hope she doesn't get the idea this is typical 13-year-old behavior.)

Aside from the character's behavior, the plotline of the colonial contest was a nice way to show what challenges people faced before modern technology was available.

[Jennifer Heise · Rating 2 out of 5]

Would give it a three stars for light frothy quick read; would give it a 2 or 1 for stupidity. Average 2, I guess. The characters were inconsistent, the plot seriously needed a continuity editor, and shallow didn't even begin to describe it. But it was a fun romp that required no intellectual work and probably wouldn't even for the preteens it's direct at. The history is fine, the plot is... well, it would embarrass the Disney and Hallmark franchises for a half hour TV show. It's Brady Bunch quality/early hallmark for kids special level.

What is with the grumpy Eli changing his character all over the place? None of the challenges make sense either. And while we can guess the ending and the Great Aunt, she's a nutcase too. The non-player-character extra family members who arrive, get eliminated, and then disappear are also just 'why are they here at all?' The responsibility thing between the main character and her mother could be interesting but was done much better -- and more consistently-- in A Billion for Boris. What on earth is going on with Angel and her parents that would cause her to do what she did, and what is up with Uncle Max? I guess to kids maybe this sort of completely illogical behavior might be how they see the world, and maybe they are tired of having everyone's crazies (like Caleb's flip-flopping) explained in a logical way, but I'm not.

[LCL Children'S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tori Porter and her mom lead a fun, rather haphazard life: Tori's mom has never lost her youthful spirit, to the point that sometimes Tori feels like she has to be the adult in their relationship. When a financial crisis looms, a surprising way out emerges in the form of a contest set up in the terms of Great-Aunt Muriel's will. Tori and her mom, along with various aunts, uncles, and cousins, will spend two weeks on Great-Aunt Muriel's farm, living a colonial lifestyle: no modern conveniences allowed. They will face various challenges, and the family to survive to the end with the best score in the challenges will inherit. The competition is steep, and Tori and her mom are not exactly used to roughing it -- but of all the contestants, they need the money the most. Of course, there are some unexpected distractions for Tori along the way, such as the surprisingly cute son of the estate's groundskeeper. . . .

They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but in this case, you totally should. This book delivers exactly what the cover promises: tween fare, light on the historical accuracy, heavy on the innocent flirting. It's not always particularly realistic, but it's cute and fun, great for girls who are ready for just a little romance but not quite up to the stuff in the young adult section yet. -MT

[Maggie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The main strength of this book is its humor, and that alone makes it an appealing read. In fact, at times I felt like the author was putting so many funny lines in her characters' mouths that it was almost a bit much. (Maybe the author needs to write for television... I think she'd be good at it.) But the plot and the characterizations have some serious issues. I was particularly disappointed that this book, with so much possibility in the premise, actually provided little to no idea of what colonial life is all about--I'd never recommend for use as part of a middle school curriculum on Colonial life. On the other hand, maybe that's really just about what I was hoping for, and I'm doing here what I always try not t0 d0--criticizing a book for what it isn't. Still, I was confused, and based on the cover and the advertising, I did feel a bit misled in this regard. Also, the entire plot and the way the game went down made absolutely no sense to me. The "rules," if there were any, were never explained, and I had no idea what the contestants were actually supposed to be doing to win. That led for a lot less tension than their might have been. Characterization was also off; characters kept behaving in ways that to me seemed out of character and lacking motivation.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an adult, I really enjoyed Colonial Madness. It was fast-paced, refreshingly light, and had a fun sense of adventure. There is a nice sense of humor throughout the book, and it provides a delightful escape for bedtime reading. I particularly enjoyed the romance, since it added more depth to the story.

While on the colonial farm, the characters face challenges reminiscent of a reality TV show. It's fun to watch Tori and her mother struggle in a setting where they are completely out of their element, and ultimately to see how the experience helps Tori grow.

I highly recommend this fun read to young ladies and those who are young at heart.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was kind of cute. In an attempt to earn an inheritance, Tori and her mother compete with their relatives to see who can survive in a Colonial style setting. The relationship btn. mother and daughter is a bit reversed with a huge emphasis on fun and irresponsible mom and sensible Tori taking care of things. Tori is a nice girl with good ethics and it is easy to root for them even though I didn't like the parent dynamic. A couple twists thrown in there too.

[Aliesha P · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an incredible book. I would definitely recommend it. It is about this daughter and mother who have been having trouble with money, and they figure out that their grandma passes away. She is holding a contest for her home and her money throughout the family. Throughout there is some rule breaking and disqualification. I would definitely recommend reading this book, it is very interesting while also a fast read.

[Shelli Cornelison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable, charming, funny . . . this middle grade novel is such a fun read. The mother-daughter relationship is heartwarming, even when they're fighting, and the colonial challenges left me appreciating my appliances in a whole new way. The book offers a glimpse into a bygone era with such humor. I was rooting for Tori from beginning to end.

[Jeannie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tori Porter and her mother join relatives to compete to inherit the estate of great Aunt Muriel. They all must live as in colonial times for two weeks. The competition is tough not only because there is some sabotage, but also because not everyone has the skill for survival. Tori and her mother are at odds but the real story is the development of their relationship and trust.

[Ana(stasia) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book ended up being a little younger than the books I usually read, but the story was pretty good. Though Tori's mother is a little irresponsible, she is also a good mother. Staying at a colonial place and living like that made the book pretty interesting. To me, that sounds pretty fun, but I don't know what I would do without modern books!

[Adriana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed a story about a mother and daughter relationship. Although the romance was really awkward and unnecessary to me I liked the heart of the story. Funny that her cousin was vegetarian when I just turned vegan.

[Ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very funny, and I love the cover. I'm glad they didn't play the romance up too much, because I would stop reading the book right then if they kissed more than a funny dirt covered peck on the lips. Tori's mom is an awesome character.

[Lisa Bricker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun, but a higher fluff-to-substance ratio than I usually prefer. I do like the contest and the family drama (some of that is a little overdone, but still) and the challenges. The mother-daughter relationship is the best and strongest part of the book.

[OnceUponALibrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely influenced by the Gilmore Girls- maybe a little too much-that type of mother/daughter relationship not very realistic. 13 year old character who has some romance that includes kissing. A little mature for elementary readers but plot seems a little cute & young for YA.

[Dana Bolen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is lighthearted, with entertaining banter between the characters. Despite not being in my preferred genres, this book surprised me by being quite enjoyable. The story doesn't drag at all. It is constantly moving and doesn't dilly-dally on setting descriptions, which I appreciate.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely tween read.