Fingerprints of You Paperback – August 6, 2013

I met the author at a publishing event and decided to read her book. I had no idea what it was about, but I thought it would be interesting to read her writing. It's always fun to read work by someone you either know or at least have met. It gives the work an immediacy and spice that you don't get from books by authors who are merely figments and fragments of a media persona. You wonder what inspired the author to write such a book. Did she live through experiences akin to what the characters in the book lived? Does she know people like the characters in the book? Or is it wholly fabricated? What inspired her to write this particular book?After reading the book, I have no definitive answers to those questions, but I know one thing: Kristen Paige Madonia can write.Fingerprints of You is a finely honed literary masterpiece. It is smart, insightful and touching. The hand-made prose is beautiful, smooth, and fluid, the work of an experienced, practiced craftswoman. Ms. Madonia makes it look easy, but if you have done any writing, you know how good she really is at what she does, and that a mountain of hard work went into the creation of this book. I also know that there is too much quality, from beginning to end, for this to be an example of beginner's luck (this is her first novel that I'm aware of). She's put in a lot of time on her writing in general, probably well in excess of the requisite 10,000 hours to mastery that everyone talks about these days.The story is the emotionally touching journey of a teenaged girl named Lemon who becomes pregnant at the beginning of the novel. Lemon is on course to duplicate the life of her impetuous mother Stella: taking a permanent detour around a normal young-adulthood to have a baby out of wedlock with no involvement by the father and no means of financial support other than her own mother. In the process, Lemon decides to go to San Francisco to track down her estranged father and find some answers to questions about the intricacies of love that have plagued her since childhood, and perhaps fill the void that pushed her into her pregnancy in the first place.I was amazed throughout this book by the subtle observations Ms. Madonia made about human relationships. The dynamic between Lemon and her mom Stella, Stella's relationships with the men in her life after leaving Lemon's father, Lemon's relationship with her mother's boyfriends, and Lemon's fragile relationship with her own transient friends. I felt connected to Lemon's pain and confusion as if she were a real, palpable person struggling to carve out a place of her own in a life fraught with difficulty and hardship.The attention to detail in the book was impeccable. It illuminated a very real world without smothering the plot in needless observations. Half of the novel takes place in San Francisco, which I know fairly well, especially the locations Lemon visits in the course of the story. Ms. Madonia has done her research. She nailed the ambience of the places and people. I imagined while reading that she must have visited every setting she wrote about and taken copious notes in a wrinkled notebook kept on hand at all times. This is in pleasant contrast to more mass-market books wherein I get the sense that the only thing the author has done for research is to look up a few street names on Google Maps.I don't want to give any spoilers to this book, because despite it's literary nature, there is a definite plot arc in the book. Lemon goes on an amazing journey and changes significantly in the process. I will say that this change is a very believable, relatable human change, and I was impressed by how Ms Madonia presented it all. It was touching and fulfilling, and when I finished the book, I didn't want it to end. I doubt there will be sequels, this is literature after all, but the author has crafted some truly lovable, memorable characters who will continue to live in my imagination for a long time.

This is one of the best books I've ever read. Even with school and hours of homework each night I finished in in about a week. Every time I picked it up, it became impossible to put down. The past few years I haven't really been much of a reader but after reading this book all I want to do is read. I guess I managed to convince myself that reading is boring and a waste of time. Now after reading this I just finished reading Thirteen Reasons Why (which if you look at the reviews you should find another five star review from me) and I'm ready to continue reading. Reading this made me feel more sane in a weird way. Like I'm not the only person who likes the name Lemon. If only I found this book before. The author came to my school and talked about her two books. Overall, reading this was an experience I will never regret and I still have notes in my copy that only I will understand.

Fingerprints of You grabs you from the first page and takes you on a heartfelt journey full of adventure. A complex but well developed story, you can't help but bond with the characters, as you experience their struggles, joy and ultimate love for each other through the ties that bind. An unconventional look at growing up, breaking free and the realization that the things we spend our lives running from are often what we will end up missing the most.Full of humor, relatable experiences, heartbreak and good times; onçe you start reading you will not be able to put it down!Looking forward to more from Mrs. Madonia, as this is a truly remarkable first book.

I have to admit, the cover of this book is what attracted me initially. Sounds silly I guess, but hey, it's pretty! After reading the book's description, I ordered it. Although the story appears to be just another child of a single parent deciding to search for her father, it's also about forming bonds, and accepting roles that may be thrust upon us. The book is well written and witty-funny at times and touching at others. It's not a book that requires a lot of thought but I found it very enjoyable.

All Lemon wanted was to find her Dad. Her Mom, Stella, wants to keep her daughter grounded. Lemon doesn't want to end up like her mom, young, unmarried and pregnant. She has a reckless encounter with someone, and ends up just like her mom. Before the baby is born, she is bound and determined to find her father....whether he wants to meet her or not.

This book was so good that I couldn't put it down. I have a baby, so I barely have time to read but I made time for this book! It was amazing. I was so into all the characters that I couldn't wait to see what happened next. I definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a great read! Can't wait for Kristen-Paige Madonia's next book!

Lemon captures you from the first chapter. I couldn't put this book down, I just had to know what was next for Lemon and Stella too! I hope to read more from Kristen-Paige Madonia soon!

This was an excellent read. I passed it on to several friends and they loved it as well. We are looking forward to other books by this author.