Seventh grade is not going so smoothly for Addie. She still has her core group of guy buddies, the "Gang of Five," but things with the other girls at school are challenging. Addie pushes back against the names she is called at school, and always stands up for what she believes in, even if it damages any chances at popularity or female friendship she might have.

Wise beyond her years Addie is back, this time in her own companion novel to The Misfits. Written in verse, Addie struggles with being herself, while also wanting to fit in. References are made to No Name Calling Day, an anti-bullying effort which originated in The Misfits and in this story Addie participates in the Day of Silence, a national youth movement protesting the silence faced by those who are LGBT. Social activism is extremely important to Addie, and she often bears the weight of the world on her shoulders in her efforts to right all the wrongs she sees. Homosexual slurs are used and Addie's close friend Joe is openly gay. Addie's grandmother, a spunky and outspoken woman, is an extremely important person to Addie, and they have a close and supportive relationship. Addie's interracial relationship with DuShawn comes under fire from other African American girls at school, and the two struggle to stay together. A beloved pet dies and Addie is rightfully devastated, which may be difficult for readers that are sensitive about animals. This book packs a powerful and important message for tween girls to be true to themselves, and Addie says it best when she says, "I am bigger than I ever knew, I am stronger than before, I am every girl I have ever been, and all that are in store. I am who I say I am, I'm not some fantasy, I am the me I am inside, I am who I choose to be."

{be the first to share your thoughts about this book}

{Click on a keyword to find other books containing the same subject matter}