All These Things I've Done

Zevin, Gabrielle. All These Things I've Done.
6 September 2011, Farrar, Strause and Giroux

Anya is just trying to keep her family together, but it is difficult. Caffeine, chocolate, paper, texting, and just about anything fun has been outlawed. Her family is in the chocolate business, which is now run by Mafia types and resulted in the assassinations of both of her parents. Her grandmother is dying, her developmentally challenged brother is being courted to work for the syndicate by the most evil of her uncles, and her younger sister Natty needs a lot of attention. When Anya's ex-boyfriend is poisoned by some of the family's chocolate, she ends up in prison but is freed by the father of a new friend. While it is helpful having Win around, since his father is not only in a position of authority, but Win is cute and nice-- Win's father realizes that the two cannot date, or the press will have a field day with it. Anya doesn't want to have to deal with the family's business, but as more and more information about the poisoning surfaces, she comes to understand that the chocolate underground will be there whether or not she supports it, and perhaps she is more competent to run it than she is!

Strengths: Grab a copy and take the dust jacket off-- the book itself is brown and embossed with "Balanchine Extra Dark"! What a fun thing, but no one will notice! Love this author and liked the sound of this book, but it took me forever to pick up. I'm glad I finally got to it. It was excellent and I am greatly looking forward to book #2 which is due out on 18 September 2012. Not wild about the cover, but the TITLES ARE IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER!!!!!!! (Sorry, but gladdens my librarian's heart!)

Weaknesses: Too much sex. Not graphic, or described too much, but mentioned.  I have one copy in the library, but will send a second copy to the high school because I'm not comfortable handing it to everyone. I will also want to read book two before adding it to my collection.