Libby Fawcett knows better than to keep a regular journal that could fall into the wrong hands, but when she finds a website that offers password-protected online journals, it seems fail-safe. She uses the journal to swoon over her longtime crush, talk about her two best friends, and vent about her arch-nemesis (the meanest girl in school), whose father, naturally, her mother has been dating.
The jacket flap says that the story is about Libby’s journal getting discovered and published all over school, but there’s a lot more going on than just that storyline. She agrees to tutor the crush in chemistry (even though she’s almost failing it herself) and they develop a real relationship. One of the best friends is pursuing the other, flowers-from-secret-admirer-style. The story with her mother is a big one – Libby flips out when she learns that her mother is dating (the mean girl) Angel Rivera's father, and things get even more complicated when Angel wants to join forces to break them up.
In some ways, it has the feel of a teen movie, but a quality one. Libby has a great voice and personality, all the supporting characters are pretty well developed, and there’s enough going on to keep it interesting. Everything is resolved in the end, and there’s nothing too deep, but it really captures the late middle school/early high school experience where the small stuff means big drama.
The jacket flap says that the story is about Libby’s journal getting discovered and published all over school, but there’s a lot more going on than just that storyline. She agrees to tutor the crush in chemistry (even though she’s almost failing it herself) and they develop a real relationship. One of the best friends is pursuing the other, flowers-from-secret-admirer-style. The story with her mother is a big one – Libby flips out when she learns that her mother is dating (the mean girl) Angel Rivera's father, and things get even more complicated when Angel wants to join forces to break them up.
In some ways, it has the feel of a teen movie, but a quality one. Libby has a great voice and personality, all the supporting characters are pretty well developed, and there’s enough going on to keep it interesting. Everything is resolved in the end, and there’s nothing too deep, but it really captures the late middle school/early high school experience where the small stuff means big drama.
I keep seeing it recommended for fans of the TTYL books, but it really made me think of the Princess Diaries books and would probably be great for girls not ready for the sex stuff later on in that series. Something to Blog About is super clean and well-suited to younger teens.
*In the interest of full disclosure, I kind of-sort of know Shana. We’ve been online journal friends for years and have swapped Baby-Sitters Club books. I’ve been silent on my journal for so long, though, that I’m not sure she’d know who I am anymore, but I still feel like I should say so.
*In the interest of full disclosure, I kind of-sort of know Shana. We’ve been online journal friends for years and have swapped Baby-Sitters Club books. I’ve been silent on my journal for so long, though, that I’m not sure she’d know who I am anymore, but I still feel like I should say so.
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1 comment:
I received a copy of this in the mail last month. I just recently put it out on my "take a free book" shelf in my teen center and it was picked up that same day. Pretty darn amazing, really. How funny about the journal buddies!
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