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tdumatrait's review against another edition
3.0
Cute book. It was an accurate portrayal of junior high life. It was clean and didn't have anything to graphic in the book.
andrea1975's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying and Toxic friendship
anjumstar's review against another edition
5.0
This is a series that I think I only read maybe two books in, but I remembered loving it. It was a great read for tweens, but I'm sure if I read it now, the language would be enough for me to curl up and die. Just a prediction, but I'm assuming an accurate one. If you're anywhere from the ages of 8-12, I would say go ahead and pick it up if realistic fiction is your thing.
kaypat23's review against another edition
4.0
This was surprisingly shorter than I expected! The book was only about a 100 pages and took an hour to read. It contains the typical troubles faced by a 12 year old entering middle school for the first time.
Jennie is a typical middle school protagonist. She goes through a lot of the same things 12 year olds experience: a desire to break free from parental supervision, express her maturity, be cool, be popular, get lots of friends etc. You know the drill. You were probably the same anxious and eager to please kid in middle school yourself. I know I was. So it was kind of heartening to see that the main character was going through a lot! It was also a delight to see her make friends with other characters who aren't so hung up on appearances. Marc enjoys making videos to show the true side of middle school. Chloe is loud-mouthed and wears whatever she likes but she is honestly the most sane character in the whole story. She doesn't care about the popular kids (or the Pops as they call them) and she doesn't chase their approval. Good for her! I also like Felicia and Rachel who were Jennie's friends from elementary school. But I found that the development of several characters were weak. Josh is the nerd kid, Felicia has braces...Rachel is just quiet I guess? But maybe their personalities will improve in book 2.
This book shows us that middle school is tough if you took it too seriously and you wanted to climb the popularity ladder! Jennie learned that the hard way and I cringed hard seeing her try and fail to get in with the cool kids. But no matter how many fancy clothes she buys or how much makeup she applies, she finds out the hard way that just because you used to be friends with someone, doesn't mean that they won't change and hurt you. So it's best to leave them behind.
I enjoyed Jennie's journey a lot. She remains true to herself, finds out who her true friends are and asserts her own independence by breaking away from Addie, her ex-friend turned popular mean girl. It is intriguing to see Jennie finding advice from a middle school survival website. That website didn't have much explanation on its origin but I guess it would be a cool idea for all kids to find such a miraculous gem on the web when we were clueless. The middle school quizzes on that middle school survival website will provide plenty of entertainment and wisdom for lots of young readers.
With a strong role model who learns from her mistakes and finds out the true meaning of friendship, I think this series stands the test of time. A fun and short read!
Jennie is a typical middle school protagonist. She goes through a lot of the same things 12 year olds experience: a desire to break free from parental supervision, express her maturity, be cool, be popular, get lots of friends etc. You know the drill. You were probably the same anxious and eager to please kid in middle school yourself. I know I was. So it was kind of heartening to see that the main character was going through a lot! It was also a delight to see her make friends with other characters who aren't so hung up on appearances. Marc enjoys making videos to show the true side of middle school. Chloe is loud-mouthed and wears whatever she likes but she is honestly the most sane character in the whole story. She doesn't care about the popular kids (or the Pops as they call them) and she doesn't chase their approval. Good for her! I also like Felicia and Rachel who were Jennie's friends from elementary school. But I found that the development of several characters were weak. Josh is the nerd kid, Felicia has braces...Rachel is just quiet I guess? But maybe their personalities will improve in book 2.
This book shows us that middle school is tough if you took it too seriously and you wanted to climb the popularity ladder! Jennie learned that the hard way and I cringed hard seeing her try and fail to get in with the cool kids. But no matter how many fancy clothes she buys or how much makeup she applies, she finds out the hard way that just because you used to be friends with someone, doesn't mean that they won't change and hurt you. So it's best to leave them behind.
I enjoyed Jennie's journey a lot. She remains true to herself, finds out who her true friends are and asserts her own independence by breaking away from Addie, her ex-friend turned popular mean girl. It is intriguing to see Jennie finding advice from a middle school survival website. That website didn't have much explanation on its origin but I guess it would be a cool idea for all kids to find such a miraculous gem on the web when we were clueless. The middle school quizzes on that middle school survival website will provide plenty of entertainment and wisdom for lots of young readers.
With a strong role model who learns from her mistakes and finds out the true meaning of friendship, I think this series stands the test of time. A fun and short read!
chess__bored's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
read these in middle school and had a good time revisiting that
theresidentbookworm's review
4.0
Nancy E. Krulik might have written the best series about middle school friendships ever. I know that's high praise for very short books that also include various quizzes as a bonus plot point, but I think it is true. I remember being in middle school. It was terrible and awkward, and all of your friendships somehow got incredibly more complicated. Everyone is trying to figure out who they are and trying on anything that gets, and sometimes that involves people being very mean to each other.
Krulik understands this. Jenny is every girl who has started middle school only to discover that her best friend wasn't interested in her anymore. I just felt for Jenny as she tried to figure out what to do and how to salvage her friendships. I had an Addy in middle school (and in high school), and I related to how Jenny felt so much. It's hard to let go of history, but I'm glad Jenny eventually found her place.
These books are perfect for middle schoolers. Krulik knows her audience well, and these books are both fun and thoughtful in an unexpected way. Plus, who doesn't like taking quizzes? I really enjoyed them. Recommended!
Krulik understands this. Jenny is every girl who has started middle school only to discover that her best friend wasn't interested in her anymore. I just felt for Jenny as she tried to figure out what to do and how to salvage her friendships. I had an Addy in middle school (and in high school), and I related to how Jenny felt so much. It's hard to let go of history, but I'm glad Jenny eventually found her place.
These books are perfect for middle schoolers. Krulik knows her audience well, and these books are both fun and thoughtful in an unexpected way. Plus, who doesn't like taking quizzes? I really enjoyed them. Recommended!
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