7:36 AM
mixagrip
Nice and Mean by Jessica Leader
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication date: June 2010
ISBN: 9781416991601
Source: ARC provided by author
Marina is mean, while Sachi is nice. The two girls are just as different as possible. Which is why they are both unhappy to be assigned partners on a video project. Marina wants to do a fashion video, while also exacting revenge on one of her frenemies. Sachi would rather do something meaningful, with interviews. Will they be able to find some way to work together?
Things I Liked:
It was a fun and interesting look at the life of tween girl politics. Marina simply annoyed for almost the entire book, but when she realized just what she was like, I liked that she tried to change. I also liked that it wasn't a total turnaround. She didn't turn into a sweet and nice girl in all ways, but she did manage to tone down her attitude. Sachi was the one I identified with, as I believe I was much like her. Quiet and easily walked over. [Hopefully I was nice, too!] I liked how she saw that she was that way and found small things to do to change that. It was an accurate if somewhat scary look at middle school girls. Scary, in that I really didn't remember being that obsessed with fashion, looks, and being so nasty when in seventh grade. Guess I am out of date.
Things I Didn't Like:
It was really slow moving. There didn't appear to be much in the way of plot, but it was more like a character development exercise than much of a story. I'm sure tween girls will enjoy the drama.
Read-alikes:
Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen
Shug by Jenny Han
I So Don't Do Makeup by Barrie Summy
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none
mrg-factor: none
v-factor: none
Overall rating: ****
Am I the only one who seems to have blocked my junior high experience?
Posted as part of Tween Tuesday, hosted by GreenBeanTeenQueen.
If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage
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