My favorite part of this book was the language of the the Yairn (Big Foot Tribe). I love the way Jennifer Weiner brings the reader into their world and how since they are somewhat acclimated to humans and human speech, they have their own way of turning a phrase which I could listen to all day. The actor Vincent Price has that same affect on me. Some voices and some dialects and languages are just so mellifluous that they are so sweet and soothing to listen to they are like ear candy. That is how Millie’s, the Littlest BigFoot of the title, speech is. She has such a joy to her and a deep sense of herself and her surroundings plus a curiosity that borders on a cat’s and can take her to the edge sometimes in her desire to be like the No-Furs (humans). Don’t you love that? No-furs. Perfect description of how other beings might see us, especially if they had more body hair than most humans like the Yairn do. In Jennifer Weiner’s story, the Yairn have arrived in the 21st century along with the non-Yairn, they have figured out how to use a laptop and order things online from Amazon. Not too shabby. And, there is one television in their encampment in Old Aunt Yetta’s abode and she and Millie have become obsessed with the t.v. show, “Friends.” Millie is also mesmerized by a singing talent competition show ala “American Idol,” or “The Voice” and she desperately wants to be able to compete on it one day and become a famous singing star. Millie’s love for the No-Furs way of life is barely tolerated by the rest of the Yairn in the tribe. They think it is dangerous to their way of life and to their camp. She is only tolerated because her parents are the leaders of the group. On the other side of the lake from the Yairn is an alternative lifestyle school run by a couple who open their arms to all students from every background, many of whom have been ostracized or bullied because of their lifestyles or their looks or their proclivities. Some of the kids come from two Dad homes, or two Mom homes, they like their own gender, one girl has severe allergies, one girl loves to play with swords, every student has in some way been deemed “different” for one reason or another and Alice Mayfair, the other star of the book is heavy and has naturally curly unruly red hair. Alice has been in so many different schools and is always made to feel she doesn’t fit in. Her parents are rich and don’t spend a lot of time with her but do try to send her to the best schools each time something goes amiss and she is asked to leave. Finally, an alternative school in the woods comes on the radar and at first she feels like this one is just more of the same when a thin, Barbie doll pretty girl comes to the school and gets all the boys hanging after her and she starts making fun of Alice for being so big. Alice tries, but, there is no getting any peace with this girl in the picture. She equates different with freak and gives all the students except for her minions a hard time for whatever it is about them that makes them unique. The girl even cajoles Alice into sneaking out and going skinny dipping with her one night. Alice so wanting to be accepted, does go, only to find the boys took her clothes and the other girl is in on it, is totally dressed and has a camera focused on Alice. They all taunt her to come out of the water. Finally she has to and they take her picture and put it up on Facebook. They even photoshop a picture of a BigFoot and put it next to her and make copies and they go all over the school grounds to every student. Alice is humiliated. The couple running the school find out and bring all parties together for a NO BULLYING lecture. It doesn’t change things however and Alice begins spending more time alone down by the lake away from the others and that is how she and Millie end up meeting. The story is funny and dear. It speaks of how friendships can develop in all sorts of ways and how real friends are friends of the heart and come in all shapes and sizes and how coming from diverse backgrounds just makes life that much more interesting. There is suspense and drama, battles of good versus evil, betrayal, wrongs and rights and a cliff-hanger ending that tells me this story would make a great film and has left room for the story to continue. I want it to.
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