Queen of Secrets Book

Queen of Secrets

"Queen of Secrets" (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2010), by Illinois author Jenny Meyerhoff, tells the story of fifteen year-old Essie Green, an orphan raised by her pointedly non-observant Jewish grandparents in a Michigan suburb. Essie has determined that her sophomore year in high school will be different. She's managed to make the varsity cheerleading squad'her only hope of catching the eye of Austin King, the captain of the football team. And, miraculously, she does. She's doing her best to fit in with the jock/cheerleader crowd, when her cousin Micah joins the football team. Essie hasn't seen Micah and his parents since she was a little girl, shortly following her parents' death in a car crash. Now they've moved back to town, hoping to reconcile their differences with Essie's grandparents.
The only problem, as far as Essie is concerned, is that Micah and his parents are very observant Jews. Essie's friends brand Micah a freak for his insistence on wearing a kippah, calling him Beanie Boy. Worse, he insists on walking home after Friday night football games rather than driving or accepting a ride. Much as Essie is interested in getting to know her long-lost cousin, she finds him a little weird. Afraid of what her friends will say, she tried to conceal her relationship to Micah.
When the teasing escalates to outright hazing, Essie is forced to make a choice between her friends and family. While the plot is sometimes predictable, Meyerhoff puts an interesting spin on the standard "shy girl dates popular jock" coming of age story with her sensitive portrayal of devout a teenager who is persecuted for his faith. I found myself wishing that Essie would grow a backbone and stand up to her shallow, mean friends for much of the book, but Meyerhoff provides an interesting twist to the story that makes for a very satisfying ending.
"Queen of Secrets" is loosely based on the Book of Esther, the origin for the Jewish celebration of Purim. It takes place this year on March 19-20. Those who are familiar with the story of Esther, a beautiful young Jewish woman who becomes Queen of Persia and saves her people from destruction, will enjoy the parallels between the two narratives. King Ahasuerus, for example, is Austin King, and of course we know who Essie is. That said, it's not necessary to be familiar with the Biblical Esther to enjoy this book about self-discovery, faith, and loyalty.

This review originally appeared in The News-Gazette, March 13, 2011. For more YA reviews, please visit my website at www.saralatta.com