Official Review: The Wrong Daughter by Kathryn Rishoff

sphillips44 · Post by **sphillips44** » 23 Sep 2015, 11:09

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Wrong Daughter" by Kathryn Rishoff.]

3 out of 4 stars

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The Wrong Daughter written by Kathryn Rishoff is a compelling story depicting the life of a single mother and her two daughters, who are both involved in the world of modeling and acting.

It is written in the first-person perspective of the three characters, making this book an entertaining read that helps readers gain a better understanding of the story as a whole. As they say, there are two (sometimes three) sides to every story.

The first character that readers are introduced to is Shelley, the single mom of two daughters from two different fathers. At first Shelley is a very relatable character that many can sympathize with. The father of her first born child left her at the age of 18, while the other child’s father died in a motorcycle accident. The story depicts the struggles that Shelley has had to go through to raise her two daughters and the relationships that she has built with them.

Britney is the next character that readers get to know, she is an All-American girl with blonde hair, blue eyes and curvy figure. She was on a television series at the age of 4 that brought in a decent amount of money, giving her a ‘favorite’ appeal to her mother. She is often referred to as her mother's 'mini me' and for that reason receives special treatment from Shelley.

Last but not least readers are introduced to Troy, the quiet and reserved daughter whose father left Shelley. Troy, despite only being 13 years-old, takes care of her younger sister Britney at night, preparing meals and babysitting while her mother works. When she is not taking care of Britney, she is volunteering at a dog shelter down the street. She is always going the extra mile for people and putting others first.

While these three sound like a typical dysfunctional family, throw into the mix the wrong daughter becoming famous. When Britney goes for a Cheerios commercial, Troy is downstairs waiting for her sister in another waiting room for a different commercial. She gets thrown into an audition, despite not having any prior experience and then receives a call back. She becomes the face of True Beauty cosmetics and the story takes readers throughout the course of Troy’s success and desire for her mother’s approval.

When I first began reading this book, I got really frustrated as a lot of the same messages were being repeated from each of the characters. However, as the story progressed the author’s writing style did as well. I also found myself getting irritated at the word 'like' being used every few words from the Britney character, though it seems to flow with the way the story is written, as Britney tells the story. Aside from the repetition, there were only a few space errors (S ad instead of sad) and wrong choice of word (their, there, they’re) that I found. For these reasons I am rating this book a 3 out of 4 stars.

If the author had spent a little more time reviewing her story and fixing these little mistakes, this book is easily a 4-star book. It has a compelling story that readers can relate to and is very appealing to young adults. While it provides insight to living the life of a teen celebrity, it also dives into a teenage girl coming of age and accepting herself for who she is and not who her mom thinks she should be. If you’re a reader who enjoys underlying themes and a jaw dropping twist at the end, this is the perfect story for you. Just when I thought I had the story figured out, a wrench was thrown making me turn the pages even faster.

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The Wrong Daughter
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Ramona · Post by **Ramona** » 21 Oct 2015, 13:31

Great review! Sounds like a great book, in spite of the errors. I always think it sad when a great, well woven story is partially brought down by lack of proper editing. Even when an author is good with grammar, it's so easy to miss errors, because we often read what we THINK we've written. I have often caught things in my own writing that I didn't realize were wrong until I read it out loud. That helps, but that also is not always enough. It's always safer to have someone else give it a go-through at well.

Rachaelamb1 · Post by **Rachaelamb1** » 22 Oct 2015, 01:10

Too bad time was not taken to polish up the book a bit. Sounds like a wonderful story though! I love the idea of the "wrong" daughter getting the fame...makes me curious to see what sort of repercussions come from that!