Miraculous Failure

Miracle on 49th Street by Mike Lupica
Reviewed by: Mimi

Make no mistake, Miracle on 49th Street by Mike Lupica, is not the touching novel the title makes it seem to be and is possibly the most unrealistic portrayal of a 12 year old girl I have ever seen. The story centers on Molly, a tomboy whose mother has just died and is now in search of her dad. A classic father-daughter story right? Wrong. Her father turns out to be the world's most famous NBA player. Molly stalks her way into his life until he has no other choice but to talk to her. But will Molly ever get the father she's always wanted or will she be disappointed once again in her brief life? Don't read the story to find out. The thing I disliked most about the book was how unrealistic the story was from the start. In order to gain his attention Molly does all sorts of strange things like crawling into his truck and following him after games. She expects him to just believe she is his daughter and doesn't understand why he would ever be suspicious. However, she refuses to take any DNA tests, because she wants him to love her for being his daughter by himself. This, mixed with teenage slang unused since the 50's makes for a book that will have you calling hogs in the first 30 pages. All in all, no one should have to read this book. Spare yourself the dissatisfaction.