Out of Order [Paperback]

We'll have fun, Mom pleaded. You've always wanted a brother-- A younger brother, said Parker. I wanted a younger brother. But Eric is great. He'll- You don't get it, Mom. I've always been the youngest. Now I'm going to be even younger!

Before her mom remarried, Lily was the eldest; now she has dropped to second from the bottom. Her 13-year-old stepsister, V, is brilliant, popular, and seriously beautiful, but lately she's been toxic waste. That, however, is only Lily's viewpoint. Hicks tells her uproarious story in fast, alternating narratives from the four stepsiblings, who suddenly find themselves together in a blended family. Along with all the jealousy and hurt, they still have fun, as when they hold a rock-paper-scissors competition for a neighborhood fund-raiser. There's also a little puzzle. Who has destroyed the tomatoes that V has been growing to raise money to send soccer balls to kids in Iraq? Without heavy message, the switching viewpoints make readers privy to the family secrets and the lies, as the combination of farce and tenderness in daily life brings home both the struggle and the fun.Booklist

Everything about this novel was out of order, says Betty Hicks. She adds, The family itself, their problems, their fun. I even found myself writing it out of order. It was wild. The only thing never in doubt was the title. Betty Hicks is the author ofI Smell Like Ham,Animal House and Iz, andBusted!She lives in Greensboro, North Carolina.

. . . both humorous and compelling. The Horn Book Magazine

With much humor, Hicks captures the squabbles but also the closeness of the challenges of family life through the eyes of these participants. Voices of Youth Advocates

Humorous and insightful moments in Hicks's novel leaven subtle and affecting messages about communication, identity, honesty and forgiveness. Publishers Weekly

A captivating and til“+