Welcome to Wahoo by Dennis & Elise Carr Grades 9-12 250 pages Bloomsbury USA May 2006 Hardcover     "I'd almost rather die than live like a poor person" is not the type of declaration that typically will endear you to someone, yet the reader must feel sympathy for Victoria Van Wyck, the 17-year-old who makes that very statement. When we first meet Victoria, she is recovering from yet another wild and crazy night of drinking and gambling. Her parents arrive in a panicky state, wild-eyed and frantic. They blurt out a tale involving embezzling, the Mob, hired murderers, and their crash into a life of poverty. Victoria and her parents must separately go into a witness protection-type program, changing their names, looks, and lifestyles. Victoria and her father's assistant, Adam, run away to the tiny town of Wahoo, Nebraska, where Victoria Van Wyck, ultra-rich, spoiled socialite, becomes Amanda Jones, middle-class public schoolgirl. Victoria learns the hard way about whom can be trusted. Her budding friendship with a neighbor girl is turned into ugly rumors after the two refuse the advances of the stars of the football team. Victoria gradually learns that, while other people can not always been depended on, she is stronger than she knew, and she has the ability to stick up for what is right rather than simply running with the crowd. Welcome to Wahoo makes for an enjoyable lightweight read. Victoria is the type of character toward whom the reader perhaps feels in the beginning a bit of animosity. But as she grows toward the lovely young woman she has the potential to be, the reader cannot help but cheer her on. Unfortunately, near the end of the book, it begins to disinegrate. The ending is a touch inplausible and nearly seems an afterthought. While Welcome to Wahoo has many light, witty moments, it seems a bit impossible for an ordinary person to morph into a different type of person overnight. Victoria moves from being a snobby, demanding, spoiled socialite to being a likable champion of underdogs a bit too quickly. I will, however, recommend this book, as it does have enough humor, entertainment, romance and tension infused to make for an enjoyable read.     web reviews   Shaley Melchior/2006 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)