Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I finished this book but wanted to wait a few days before writing a review.... As someone who is adopted, this book enraged me. It is clear that the author (who happens to have a degree in psychology) didn't do her research on the psychology of adoption. Aven knows she is adopted, but doesn't have any drive or motivation find her bio parents. When her father gets a new job, they move from Kansas to Arizona, where things get "interesting". There are two characters who provide very obvious clues along the way that they know who Aven is, and the book is wrapped up in a neat and tidy bow as Aven learns the cook is actually her bio grandmother. First, the odds that a bio grandmom would convince a family to pack up and move halfway across the country so she could "observe" them are little to none. Second, the fact that Aven would uncover her bio grandmom's truth, struggle with it for 4 pages, and then decide all is well in the world does absolutely no justice to the pain that adopted kids feel as they grapple with either knowing or not knowing who their bio relatives are. Perhaps the most offensive part to this book came on page 109 and 110. Aven's mom tells the story of Aven's adoption Conner and describes her search as "scrolling through" a web tab with kids who needed to be adopted and then "birthing Aven from the computer" when she found her. Are you kidding me? One, adoption is NOT an Amazon search for the latest and greatest item. Second, if Aven's mom is a psychologist, she would never describe the process in such horrific terms. Third, to people out there trying to adopt children--the process is absolutely nothing like it is described. Adopting a child takes months and months of work. Simplifying this adoption to a mere "click and buy" is mind blowing. I am unbelievably disappointed by a book like this that is for some reason receiving rave reviews. For anyone out there reading this book, find someone that is adopted and learn their story.....it'll give you far more insight to the adoption world than this book ever will.