PanUSA TodayStern tries to convey how wracked she was with nervousness, uncertainty and fear ... The problem is that unlike many other autobiographies, there are no universal lessons in Little Panic. It reads like an incessant whine ... Also detracting from the kvetchy autobiography is Stern\'s voice as a writer. In memories from her childhood, Stern writes with a erudite elegance that a kid simply wouldn\'t have—even one who grew up in a sophisticated household and attended private school ... While sporadic bursts of beauty in Stern\'s writing...prevent Little Panic from being unbearable, the uneven narrative tone and crass piggybacking on the Patz family\'s tragedy make this [a] collection of dispatches to skip.
