Beauty Shop for Rent:...fully equipped, inquire inside by Laura Bowers

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Abbey Garner is used to killing time by reading questions from the snarky tabloids in Granny Po's struggling beauty shop.  It's not like there are a lot of customers to help, anyway.  Mostly just the feisty Gray Widows, who are there to primp, polish, perm... and of course, gossip.  

Abbey is there to work- to get a head start on the million dollars she intends to earn by the time she's thirty-five.  She doesn't have much time for boyfriends, parties or hanging out with friends.  But with the arrival of a trendy young woman who rents the beauty parlor and turns it into a modern-day spa, at least Abbey has a chance to make some real money.  Then all of this fades into the background when Abbey's mother, who abandoned her on Granny Po's doorstep four years ago, suddenly shows up with a wild scheme of her own.  ( Book Blurb)
Its so refreshing to read Beauty Shop for Rent.  I came by this book again at a second hand bookstore clearance sale.  And after reading it, I definitely hit the jackpot.  Abbey Garner is turning 15 but acts unlike any other teen her age.  She would rather save up for her million by age 35 than attend parties or hangout or even get a boyfriend.  Abandoned by her mom and left with her great-grandmother at age 11, she's always felt that she needs to stop the cycle of marrying young that women in her family seems to fall into.  The theme is nothing new but the story telling is definitely a breath of fresh air.  Definitely not as graphic as some young adult books nowadays.  Some might even call it a bit old fashioned but the engaging characters (hello I need those Grey Widows on my side!), Abbey's self discovery, her pain and her confusion tugs into the readers emotions so well that its hard to put the book down.  There is laughter, friendship, beauty shop gossips, and great food in this book and a wonderfully sweet romance as well.  Sometimes the family you make is the only one that's important.  Give this book a try and you won't regret it.

Title : Beauty Shop for Rent:..fully equipped, inquire inside
Author: Laura Bowers
Genre: Young Adult, contemporary coming of age
Published: 2007
Publisher: Harcourt Inc (Hardbound Edition)
Rating:♨♨♨♨♨ (A heartwarming coming of age novel that is filled with wonderful characters, humorous dialogue in a setting that makes you realize families can be made and not just be born into.  Recommended for readers who are into simple story telling with a lot of heart)

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