Sometimes

I think that I am far too old to connect with someone far younger than I.  The main character of Red Polka Dot in a World Full of Plaid just seems SO young to me that I didn't enjoy this book as much as I might have.  I can't say if this is a fair reading of the book, though.  I expected Maxine to have more understanding, a greater sense of the people around her and herself, but then I think, what do I know about being 18 anymore?  And could it be that other, more mature 18 year old book characters are simply TOO old.  I have criticized books before for having teen characters who have all of the right answers and can spout poetry, so why did Maxine's innocence bother me so much?
I like RPDIAWFOP's look at faith, though.  That was well done.  So I could recommend this, but I would like to see what real 18 year olds think about it.
I loved Varian Johnson's The Parker Inheritance, it was one of the best books I read last year and and will keep reading him.  I am just curios as to what others thought about the thoughts and feelings and actions of Maxine and how "real" they were.