All Pop -

For some young girls, there's something addictive about fluffy and formulaic books. They're comfortingly familiar, they have happy endings, and the main character's clothing is usually discussed at great length.

The cookie-cutter plots found in the "Sweet Valley High" or the "Baby-Sitters Club" series never discouraged the slumber-party crowd from exchanging them late into the night.

So it would make sense then, that many young girls would be attracted to "A Mother's Gift," a novel by Britney Spears and her mom, Lynne. It's upbeat, predictable, and a breeze to read. The book is also written by a major pop idol, and a chance to gain insight into Britney's life through fiction could be too juicy for some to ignore. So should fans read or resist?

Well, "Gift" is short on plot, humour, character development and literary value. It's heavy on cheese, heavy-handed writing, and preachiness.

The novel is about young Holly Faye Lovell, who's from a tiny town in Mississippi. (Hmmm, Britney was from a tiny town in Louisiana.) The reader is told that Holly "sure can sing". Coincidentally, only two hours away from Holly's hometown is one of the world's most prestigious performing-arts schools.

The school broadcasts a live TV program every Friday that showcases some of its most talented students. Holly and her mom Wanda watch the show together every week. Holly even breaks dates with her dreamy boyfriend Tyler so she can spend time with her mom on Fridays. (Does this mean Britney breaks dates with Justin Timberlake to hang with her mom?) And Wanda also has a huge birthmark on her face. (That's important later on in the book.)

Although Holly and Wanda don't have a lot of money, they're happy and content. Holly eventually auditions for the prestigious music school and gets in. The young singer finds herself becoming increasingly embarrassed by her mother's face as she adapts to life at school.

Will Wanda and Holly overcome their differences? Will Holly get to perform on her school's TV program? What is the terrible secret Wanda has been hiding from her daughter?

"A Mother's Gift" answers each of those questions in the book's last few pages with a preposterous plot twist and some major gag-inducing writing:

"Love is the language of the heart all over the world, but especially in small Southern towns. Biscay, Mississippi, is no exception."

"'The house of the Lord doesn't filter out the flock,' Wanda agreed. 'But being spiritual doesn't mean you need to go to church every Sunday'."

"Gift" does have some of the elements found in the popular book series mentioned at the top:

1. Talk of pretty clothes - check

2. Mention of cute boyfriend - check

3. Some sort of mystery (no matter how contrived) - check

4. Happy, predictable ending - check

And if the story does reflect the values of both Lynne and Britney Spears, fans can assume that life in the Spears household was absolutely devoid of any sort of typical teen misbehaviour.

"Holly and Wanda were closer than any other mothers and daughters Holly knew. There wasn't anything she couldn't tell her mom - she could even ask her about sex. Not that she'd done anything that she had to worry about spilling."

"When people were grown-up, they could decide whether or not to drink, Holly believed. But when you were fifteen, and trying to succeed in one of the toughest schools for the performing arts in the country, getting loaded every weekend didn't seem to be the best game plan."

The book also provides a possible glimpse into Britney's perception of her own singing abilities. The descriptions of Holly Faye's voice could be taken to be either what Britney wishes she could sing like, or how she thinks she actually sounds.

"A natural soprano, she could shift into alto easily. When she sang with boys in her church choir, she even improvised bass lines. Miss Fogarty, Biscay Elementary's music teacher, had once told Wanda that Holly had a four-octave range."

But what "Gift" might really demonstrate is Lynne Spears' apparent opinion that she's the best mother in the world.

"'Everybody has a mother,' Holly told the audience. 'And I suppose everybody hopes and wants theirs to be the best, but mine really is. Really. I love you, mom.'"

"Gift" is full of saint-like references to mothers that become creepy when you realize that the book was written by a mother-daughter team.

Lynne's biography on the book jacket only hammers home the idea that she is the BEST MOTHER IN THE WORLD:

"Besides being the mother of the planet's biggest superstar, Lynne taught school in Kentwood, Louisiana, for several years before taking time off to be her daughter's biggest fan". Yikes.

So, back to the original question: read or resist?

This book isn't going to hurt anyone, but it's not going to raise anyone's IQ, either. "Gift" will appeal to young, female readers who enjoy a light, quick read and love Britney. It also might be a good way to entice reluctant readers to pick up a book. It's mildly entertaining, has large type-face and, of course, it's written by Britney.

However, anyone over the age of 12 should resist the temptation to pick up "Gift," no matter how much you long for the comfort of cheesy formula, because: 1) You probably won't enjoy it because it's, well, not a very good book, and 2) You should be checking out the "Harry Potter" books, which are a million times better than "Gift".

If you're over 12 and a true Britney fan and simply MUST read something she's written, check out her autobiography (also co-written with mom Lynne), titled "Heart To Heart".

"A Mother's Gift" - Review