“Popularity is a state of mind. Feel nerdy. Think uncool thoughts. It also helps to use the word vaginal a lot.”
Sugar Magnolia Dempsey, the daughter of free spirit “hippie” parents is moving once again, this time from her home in Portland to Austin, Texas. Broken hearted, she leaves behind friends and a boyfriend, “Maggie” vows that this time she will go out of her way to become the most unpopular student at Lakewood High School. Arriving in Austin, she launches Operation Avoid Friends (OAF) deciding that she is not going to fit in and will do anything to prevent people from liking her. From dressing in outrageous clothing, to joining a club whose members include some of the school’s biggest misfits. Maggie will do anything to avoid getting hurt when her parents once again decide to leave. Unfortunately, things don’t always go as planned.
How Not to Be Popular, by Jennifer Ziegler, is an honest portrayal of high school cliques. For those of us who can still remember high school you will find yourself laughing out loud and wincing simultaneously as you remember your own place in the high school food chain. Young adult readers will hopefully rethink what it means to be popular as they make their way through the complex social relationships of high school.
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Posted by Lise