The Fashion Disaster That Changed My Life

August 15, 2005
Ever since a severe ear infection caused Alli to miss two months of sixth grade, she's felt like a "social nobody." Seventh grade looks like it may be a struggle, too: on the first day, static caused her mother's underwear to cling to the inside of Alli's pant leg. No wonder she's surprised—and excited—when she starts getting attention from popular Rachel. The book unfolds through Alli's journal entries, with instant message sessions and e-mails scattered throughout, and readers may have a hard time believing that a seventh-grader would write so copiously. However, Myracle (ttyl
) has an obvious grasp of the age group, and readers are sure to understand Alli's desire to be popular and her frustration at her friends for feeling ditched. They'll also recognize the range of cruel behavior that can occur, even between friends. (In one scene, Alli's supposedly best friend, Kathy, tells a new student about how Alli got fat when she was sick; in another, Rachel convinces the class outcast to shave his eyebrows, telling him that it will be "hilarious.") Though the trajectory here is mostly predictable, Alli's final insights about Kathy make for a unique twist. Ages 9-up.

July 1, 2005
Gr 4-7 -Alli begins seventh grade with her mom's underwear clinging to her pants. The most undesirable guy in the class, Jeremy, not only notices, but also refuses to forget. Alli goes on to journal the ups and downs of her year as she struggles with relationships and feelings. She constantly is either keeping a diary or instant messaging; the whole story is told through her writings. Central to her thoughts is becoming part of the most popular girl's small circle of friends, thus turning away from her longtime best friend. The story is fairly predictable, but Myracle's insights into a seventh-grade girl's insecurities and feelings make this a fun read with some real truths." -Debbie Whitbeck, West Ottawa Public Schools, Holland, MI"

Copyright 2005 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2005
Gr. 5-8. Twelve-year-old Allison had hoped that seventh grade would be the year that she "finally stopped being invisible." But her first day of school brings more attention than she wished for: she unknowingly arrives with her mother's underwear clinging to her pant leg. Her "fashion disaster" has unexpected consequences when Rachel, queen of the popular clique, defends Allison against her classmates. Allison has conflicting feelings about her closest friend, Kathy, whose frequent jabs hurt her feelings, and she is more confused when Kathy accuses her of being a "wanna-be" in Rachel's clique. Myracle captures the stomach-twisting anxiety of middle-school friendship with spot-on details. Allison tells her own story in a diary filled with sharply authentic emotions that many kids will recognize: "I wish I were anyone but me." Supported by family members whom she finds both comforting and annoying, Allison finally learns to rely on her own instincts. Readers negotiating changing friendships of their own will find themselves in this honest, comical tour of middle school.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2005, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2006
When seventh-grader Alli shows up at school with her mother's underwear clinging to her pants, she assumes the year will be a total loss. Things turn around when she's unexpectedly befriended by the popular girls--who are conniving and heartless and stereotypically mean. Through Alli's diary entries and IM exchanges, Myracle captures junior high relationships, but the plot suffers from predictability.

(Copyright 2006 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)