Told in a series of poems, this is the story of Addie, a smart, outspoken, often obnoxious, "plain" girl who is suffering through seventh grade. The only girl in her group of boys, she doesn't hesitate to take on worldwide social issues, such as bullying, arranged marriages, or gay rights, but when it comes to local issues such as friendships, her on-again/off-again boyfriend, and dealing with mean girls, she's at a loss.
The poems are sometimes funny, sometimes sad, and sometimes just plain thoughtful, but at their heart they all tell the truth about being a misfit middle-school girl trying to make her way in the world. A good one for the library shelves, as many girls should be able to identify with Addie's ups and downs. While some of the messages are a little heavy-handed, it's hard to argue with the ideas that people should learn to be true to themselves and bullying is not okay. Although it is listed as a companion to two of Howe's previous books, The Misfits and Totally Joe, it stands alone quite well.
MS -- ESSENTIAL. Reviewed by: Caryn
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