In some ways, Maye’s Request seems like a very small story. It takes place in a short period of time, maybe a week or so. It revolved around the main character’s mother, father, and aunt, with her romance taking a definite backseat. At the same time, the characters and interactions between these four are so detailed and complex, there’s a lot of depth to it.
Maye’s Request is basically a story about a love triangle. A very dramatic love triangle. The main character (Brianna, usually called Bean) is trapped between them. Her mother and father are divorced, and since the divorce, her mother and her father’s twin sister got together. Now, Bean’s mother is on her deathbed and wants to fix this unusual family before it’s too late.
The love triangle premise is what drew me in, but luckily it is not nearly as soap opera-like as it sounds. Jen and Jake, the twins, are given a full back story, from their childhood onward. Their respective relationships with Maye are also explained with enough depth and back story to make it seem quite natural.
The writing and back stories in Maye’s Request were both strong enough to support the intriguing premise. I really recommend this!