"A Girl like Me" by Ni-Ni Simone

Book cover, courtesy of Tower Books

                "A Girl Like Me" by Ni-Ni Simone bills itself as a modern-day Cinderella story, starring Elite, a 17 year-old assistant manager at a clothing store whose life is changed when she enters a radio contest and wins a pair of tickets to a concert featuring her musical idol, Haneef. The contest was a singing contest and Haneef is convinced that he wants Elite to be a professional singer. However, Elite is also the primary caretaker of her brothers and sister, her mother is constantly off doing drugs, and her father is a deadbeat who abandoned the family. She and Haneef also become friends, gradually deepening their relationship, which draws the eye of the media upon her, forcing her to keep her embarrassing family life from being revealed. However, her attempts at deception are slowly revealed and Elite finds that the contest has given her more than just burdens, it has also given her a true friend in Haneef.

                "A Girl Like Me" takes the traditional Cinderella story and puts an urban spin on it just as promised in a way that is both humorous and emotional as Elite deals with the effects of her sudden fame on her family and friends and the pressures she feels to seem popular - such as stealing from the store she works at. The realistic way of life Elite has can resonate with the readers; even I felt I could relate to Elite at the beginning of the book when she readies her younger siblings for school. One thing to remember before reading this book is there is a lot of profanity, talking about drugs and drug use, instances of underage drinking, and violence.

This book is unrelated to the Rihanna single from 2006 "A Girl Like Me."

Simone, Ni-Ni. A Girl Like Me. New York: Kensington Pub., 2008. Print.