Everything You Want

Emma, a college freshman, has grown up comparing herself to a more beautiful and accomplished older sister. With her life plagued by embarrassing situations and constantly feeling odd, Emma thinks she will never fit into the world around her. Little does she know; most of her family and friends feel exactly the same way about their own lives. Emma's tale starts as she attempts to save an annoying goose whose life is scheduled to end because she has finished her psychology experiment. Heartsick at the thought of Freud's cremation, she packs him up in a borrowed cage and takes him home for the weekend. Her parents are not pleased, but they accept it as a typical example of Emma's normal, yet peculiar, behavior. It turns out that the goose changes their lives when Emma's father uses "golden" as inspiration in the purchase of a lottery ticket and ends up winning an astonishing $50 million dollars. That's when Emma's story truly begins. Does having money improve life or simply make a mess of it? EVERYTHING YOU WANT details Emma's experiences as she struggles to find her place in the world. Having money doesn't mean that everything falls easily into place. Instead it tends to muddy the waters and make choices less clear and focused. At times I found Emma an annoying complainer, but as she gradually comes to terms with her situation and begins to recognize that her personal problems are no different or special than anyone else's, I found her more likeable and relatable as a character. Barbara Shoup takes readers into a world we all dream about, only to reveal that things may not be - everything we want. Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"