The Fashion Disaster That Changed My Life

This slim book has a well balanced mix of humor and peer pressure issues that might really appeal to younger female teens. Seventh-grader Alli spent much of sixth grade out of school with illness and in school as an outcast and her goal at the beginning of seventh grade is to become less invisible. She realizes that she’s attracted to the popular crowd, but she also observes some of the odd behavior of that crowd – sucking up to the “queen bee” at one moment and criticizing her the next. Alli also observes the mix of kindness and hostility among friends, but she just can’t seem to understand why it’s so. When she’s paired up for a history project with Mika, one of the popular girls, and suddenly finds herself sliding into show more that crowd she begins to assess the real meaning of friendship. While this sounds like the same old story, Myracle’s take is fun, fast, easy to tolerate, and she adds a couple of astute observations and funny scenes into the learning mix. show less

I found this book enjoyable because the author was able to evoke the excitement and drama of the seventh grade. It's fun when the popular girls start to notice you, but how can you blend this with your current, less popular friends? This book mostly rang true- is it possible to outgrow old friends? Can old friends and new be friends all together? How important is being popular and in the "in" crowd? I was a bit disappointed in the ending- I didn't think it would actually work in real life. I found it somewhat manipulative. All in all I think a 5- 7 the grade, probably a girl, would enjoy this book.

7th Grade is supposed to be the grade where you get to remake yourself. Junior High, new kids, new chance to be part of the group. Those were all of Alli’s wishes as the school year started. She felt that she had become invisible during 6th grade because she had been out ill for a long period of time and felt like a new kid in town. However, the first day of school does not give her a running start on success. She shows up in class with a pair of her mom’s underwear clinging to the leg of her pants. Static cling at its worst.

The book is written in journal fashion with Alli’s journal tied to her at all times or at least it seems so because she is able to write in it during class, when she is with her friends, and even in bed late show more at night. It almost makes you wonder how come no one is really not more interested in what she is writing.

The journal style however, is very appealing to the young girls of today, and I believe that they will be attracted to Alli’s style of writing. This book has the language today and even some of the clearly meanness of today’s junior high aged kids. It will help show kids just how mean kids can be. It may even help some kids re-evaluate how they treated their fellow classmates. That is the power and worth in this quick read. show less

Very true to life seventh grade social scene... Ugh. Maybe if I were a middle schooler embroiled in the drama, I could have enjoyed it, but since I spend so much of my time mediating the drama and trying to keep it from turning toxic... not so much.

Once again, Lauren Myracle does not fail to entertain me. This book reminded me of how difficult it was at that age to fit in. It also reminded me of how difficult it is at this age to fit in, and how, at times, we are all obsessed with fitting in with a group. It is also a great book teaching us (young and old alike) about what friends REALLY are!

http://iamagirldork.livejournal.com/37452.html

I LOVED this book!It's about a girl who starts 7th grade with underwear stuck to her pants and the popular girls start hanging out with the girl and a lot of problem start with her old friends.you should read it.

Pretty Funny