'Hair' doesn't grow on readers

By Carolyn Brewer
George Washington High School

Morgan Rawlinson is a major pain in the butt at the beginning of "Why I let My Hair Grow Out" by Maryrose Wood. She is rude to her family, and her dark mood affects everyone around her.

It is hard to feel sorry for Morgan after her boyfriend, Raphael, dumps her, because she is apathetic and heartless towards everyone she meets. Perhaps because she is so insecure about her own identity, her frustration leaks out and hurts those around her.

Morgan is also spoiled and her method of getting what she wants is through temper tantrums. But, as she says, "Why waste a temper tantrum on someone I'd never see again?"

Deciding that Morgan is in desperate need of a vacation, her parents send her from her Connecticut hometown to Ireland for a biking tour. Upon arriving, she is met by the "basically okay-looking" Colin, the driver for the Emerald Cycle Bike Tour Company, and when she arrives at the inn where the biking group is to spend the night, she mentally criticizes everyone in the group.

By midmorning the next day, Morgan decides that she wants to hook up with Colin. However, after making herself look like an unpleasant fool, she purposely takes the wrong bike trail, jolting her into the fairy folk's realm.

From here, the story switches between Morgan's story in our realm to Morganne's story in the fairy realm. Though Morgan is actually Morganne transported to this mythical land, readers can tell the two personas apart by their hair: Morgan has a dyed black buzz cut with orange stripes and Morganne has long strawberry blonde hair (Morgan's natural hair color).

As Morganne, Morgan must help Fergus, an ancient warrior, and his brother (Cúchulainn) and sister (Eric) solve three riddles that will ultimately undo all the enchantments placed on their land. As herself, Morgan is either trying to hook up with Colin or trying to find a way back to the fairy realm.

At the end of the story Morgan learns her lesson, but the actions seem forced. She has been mean for three-fourths of the book, and now Ms. Wood expects readers to believe that she's all sunshine and happiness.

Despite the fact that the parts of the book dealing with the magical fairy folk parts were truly imaginative and enjoyable, Morgan and "Hair" generally left me with an unfavorable disposition.