Maryrose Wood, Why I Let My Hair Grow Out

Why I Let My Hair Grow Out

Maryrose Wood

Berkley, Mar 2007, $9.99

ISBN: 0425213803

When her demanding Svengali-like boyfriend Ralph dumps her just after school ends, Morgan Rawlinson is shocked as she had done everything he wanted of her and was not anticipating his dropping her like yesterday's garbage. Unable to cope she angrily takes it out on her family and friends. Finally her parents have had enough with their daughter's non-stop tantrum culminating with her chopping off much of her beautiful strawberry blond hair and dying the stubs in different degrees of orange. For their sanity and that of their youngest daughter, they ship Morgan the terrible to Ireland on a bike tour hoping the change will bring her back to norm teen angst.

In Ireland, Emerald Cycle Bike Tour Company guide Colin picks up the ugly American at Shannon Airport in Dublin. She lands nasty and starts the tour with an angry chip on her shoulder. Though told to stay with the tour especially her biking partner Lucy, Morgan leaves on her own. She takes a nasty fall and is knocked out. When she awakens Fergus insists she is Morganne of the faery folk and takes her to his nearby village where the people have been cursed by the wee folk. As Morgan moves back and forth in time, she begins to help those cursed in the past and befriends those on the bike tour especially Colin.

This young adult character study makes a strong case that to enjoy and live life, "to thine own self be true". The story line obviously contains two well written subplots; one an interesting contemporary that stars Morgan striking out at others and 'harming" herself once her handler tosses her out while the other is a fantasy that is fun to follow but seems figuratively out of place with the prime theme. Still teen readers will jam with the heroine her way back to being the real Morgan.

Harriet Klausner