Anita Barnes Lowen (Children's Literature)
Get past the inane first page of this book--“eight buff, gorgeous guys from six different countries hoisted Sameera Righton onto their shoulders and paraded her along the river...they tossed her into the water and jubilantly hurled themselves in after her, cavorting to the music of the jazz band”--and you will find a thoroughly enjoyable teenage tale with a bit of education about world issues thrown in. Sameera Righton, adopted daughter of James and Elizabeth Righton, finds her life turned upside down and inside out. Her dad is the Republican party’s presidential candidate, and his public relations staff are working to turn Sameera into a big asset to his campaign. First of all they focus on her ethnicity. Sameera is Pakistani, but a make-over and shopping spree on Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles turn her into a glam American teenager. “The hair, the makeup, the leather outfit, the boots,...WHO WAS THIS HOT GIRL IN THE MIRROR?” Then the public relations staff focuses on Sameera’s name, which is definitely not American. Reluctantly, Sameera becomes “Sammy” on the campaign trail, but feisty Sameera is not about to disappear under the makeup and the cool clothes, and she is not going to let the SammySez blog created by her dad’s so-called media expert be her only voice. There is a bit of stereotyping in this book: Republican candidate Righton (could he be “right on?”) is a family values kind of guy, while his Democratic rival is a never-married single mother, but teens from both sides of the aisle will most likely enjoy this entertaining read. 2007, Dutton Children’s Books, $16.99. Ages 12 to 14.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, May 1, 2007 (Vol. 75, No. 9))
When 16-year-old Sameera joins her father's presidential campaign, she finds the national spotlight blinding, especially when it's focused on her Pakistani roots. Adopted at age three by American diplomats, Sameera is comfortable with her heritage, but when the press negatively spins her story, her confidence fades and she begins questioning her identity. Determined to help her father, Sameera lets his PR team transform her into the all-American girl that they believe the voters want. However, despite being thrilled with her physical transformation, Sameera is not psyched about changing her name to Sammy, for its American appeal, or the ditzy blog that the PR team ghostwrites in her name. As Sameera's life continues to transform out of her control and her public character is increasingly Americanized, she is faced with the decision of letting America know only the fictional Sammy or the real Sameera. An interesting premise that provides a detailed and fun glimpse into campaigning's hectic reality and shines a positive light on America's multicultural reality. 2007, Dutton, 192p, $16.99. Category: Fiction. Ages 13 up. © 2007 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Fall 2007)
The adopted Pakistani daughter of the Republican presidential candidate, Sameera "Sparrow" Righton is told she must look and act more "American." Sparrow ignores the rules and expresses herself through her blog. The book is light, chatty, and full of pop culture references. It also presents tough issues of prejudice, free speech, and self-image, but ties everything up too neatly. Category: Intermediate Fiction. 2007, Dutton, 268pp, 16.99. Ages 9 to 12. Rating: 4: Recommended, with minor flaws.

Cindy Faughnan (VOYA, August 2007 (Vol. 30, No 3))
When adopted sixteen-year-old Sameera Righton joins her father's presidential campaign, the public relations staff wants her to morph into an All-American girl-difficult in their eyes because she is Pakistani by birth. Against campaign staff wishes, Sameera spends the summer at her grandmother's farm until the media reports that her parents sent her to the farm as free labor. Back with the campaign in Washington, D.C., she dons a burka and sneaks out, rescuing a Pakistani woman in a grocery store and meeting the boy of her dreams. As the campaign nears its end, she tires of the fake persona that the staff has forced on her and insists on going public with her real blog. The campaign information and PR tactics overshadow the characters and plot, but if readers are looking for the kind of insider information found in Secrets of My Hollywood Life (Little, Brown, 2006/VOYA April 2006), they will find this look at living through a presidential campaign informative. Sameera is "wise beyond her years." She handles interviews with the press better than her mother, becomes instantly competent with make-up and clothes, and is loved by everyone. When her parents fight, she gets between them and orders them to do something else. When her grandfather is overprotective of her grandmother because of her health, Sameera changes his mind. There is nothing Sameera cannot do. The multicultural aspect and Sameera's thoughtful blog posts will make the reader think about what makes a person an American, and the makeover tips let readers glimpse the amount of work that goes into making public figures glamorous. VOYA CODES: 3Q 4P M J (Readable without serious defects; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2007, Dutton, 192p., $16.99. Ages 11 to 15.

Ava Donaldson, Teen Reviewer (VOYA, August 2007 (Vol. 30, No 3))
This book is full of self-centered and image-conscious characters. Overall the plot is based more on the main character, Sameera's father, being elected and not the feelings and actions of Sameera. Although there are supposed morals, most of them are not backed up or actually practiced in any of the character's lives. Many of the actions portrayed are motivated by image rather than by emotion and belief. VOYA CODES: 3Q 4P M J (Readable without serious defects; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2007, Dutton, 192p., $16.99. Ages 11 to 15.