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American Girl: Isabel & Nicki #1
Meet Isabel and Nicki
Isabel and Nicki Hoffman may be twins, but they're each one of a kind. Isabel loves dancing with her friends, while Nicki prefers skateboarding alone. In December 1999, the girls create a list of challenges to complete before midnight on New Year's Eve. But just before the new millennium arrives, disaster strikes. Will the most momentous night of their lives be a twin win or a sister setback?
168 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
November 15, 2023
I’ll support anything that makes millennials feel old
November 24, 2023
More later, but initial thoughts:
1.) This thing where it's historical fiction but the protagonists are younger than me is wacky. I refuse to tag it "historical" right now, I just do.
2.) Somehow, it feels like this one and Courtney's books just go harder at being 1986 or 1999 than Julie's books do in being in the '70s. Julie's books felt vaguely familiar (even though I personally experienced no part of the 1970s and have never lived in San Francisco), while Courtney and the twins feel very "hey, remember what year we're in? Okay, we'll drop a few more brands and pop culture references just to be sure."
It was a fun read, though.
Later…
The American Girl marathon continues with this recent release.
The twins both feel relatable, even when they’re fighting, which is a neat trick. I suspect this has a lot to do with the writing team: This is a book about twins growing up around 2000 written by twin writers who grew up around 2000. There are a couple of moments early on where Isabel doesn’t come off well, but she grows past it.
There is nothing groundbreaking in the plot here, but it’s nicely executed. Perhaps the most ’90s thing about it (and that’s saying something) is that this could turn into a TV movie without breaking a sweat. After a fight early in the book, both girls have an opportunity to make some new friends and develop some new skills. As they make up, they find ways to celebrate their unique strengths and interests, and bring all of it together to create shared spaces for themselves and their community.
Like Courtney’s books (set in 1986, published 2020), this one feels like it was written with lots of “only ’90s kids remember” type listicles in mind — they don’t pass up opportunities to name check for fads or hits of the time. I think what’s going on is that someone — the authors, the editors, the brand — wants to make sure this feels different enough from today. At only about 20 years’ remove, this is the closest in time we’ve ever been to an AG historical character.
1.) This thing where it's historical fiction but the protagonists are younger than me is wacky. I refuse to tag it "historical" right now, I just do.
2.) Somehow, it feels like this one and Courtney's books just go harder at being 1986 or 1999 than Julie's books do in being in the '70s. Julie's books felt vaguely familiar (even though I personally experienced no part of the 1970s and have never lived in San Francisco), while Courtney and the twins feel very "hey, remember what year we're in? Okay, we'll drop a few more brands and pop culture references just to be sure."
It was a fun read, though.
Later…
The American Girl marathon continues with this recent release.
The twins both feel relatable, even when they’re fighting, which is a neat trick. I suspect this has a lot to do with the writing team: This is a book about twins growing up around 2000 written by twin writers who grew up around 2000. There are a couple of moments early on where Isabel doesn’t come off well, but she grows past it.
There is nothing groundbreaking in the plot here, but it’s nicely executed. Perhaps the most ’90s thing about it (and that’s saying something) is that this could turn into a TV movie without breaking a sweat. After a fight early in the book, both girls have an opportunity to make some new friends and develop some new skills. As they make up, they find ways to celebrate their unique strengths and interests, and bring all of it together to create shared spaces for themselves and their community.
Like Courtney’s books (set in 1986, published 2020), this one feels like it was written with lots of “only ’90s kids remember” type listicles in mind — they don’t pass up opportunities to name check for fads or hits of the time. I think what’s going on is that someone — the authors, the editors, the brand — wants to make sure this feels different enough from today. At only about 20 years’ remove, this is the closest in time we’ve ever been to an AG historical character.
June 9, 2025
Okay…this may be a bit embarrassing to admit at 27…but this American Girl book is probably my favorite read this year.
As a 90s/2000s kid (the story takes place during the December Y2K phenomenon), I knew I had to read this – and I am so glad I did! I really did not see myself loving this book as much as I did, but I am glad this book can appeal to people across various different age groups – something I think is a hallmark of a great writer, well writers in this case. Yes, there is a nostalgia factor for me, but that does not take away from the fact that this is such a well-written book.
As an adult collector of dolls, I do have the Nicki doll (one of my favorites), and I had read her journal, which came with the doll (I got her as a birthday gift in August of 2023), a few months after she was released. Since I enjoyed her journal so much, I wanted to continue to read about her story. I was worried that this book would be like a recap or retelling of her journal, and thankfully it is not. I will be honest that part of the reason I enjoyed this book so much is because I heavily relate to Nicki (shy, introverted, tomboyish, bookish and I love to make lists). However, many of the lessons and obstacles are relatable.
Now from a literary analysis perspective, for a children’s novel, this book has all the elements necessary to have a well written, engaging book - strong character development, descriptive, yet concise writing, a strong sense of place and uses time period appropriate rhetoric.
I would say that both twins are the main characters in the story. While it can be tricky to have two very different main characters, it can still be done. The authors excelled at this. Both characters are put in adverse situations, that teach them valuable, but tough and important life lessons. For example, Isabel learns the importance of walking away from toxic friendships, Nicki learns the importance of putting yourself out there and speaking up (including in front of large crowds). Both twins learn the importance of being who you are meant to be, and it is okay to be different. Additionally, the twins have a list of goals to meet before the end of the year, which I won’t spoil for you, but the way it unfolds is well constructed. By the end of the book, both characters have undergone considerable growth. I was impressed at the how authors handled this with a younger audience as the target demographic.
The writing here is very solid and very descriptive. The story takes place in downtown Seattle in the 90s. Yes, there are pictures in the book, but writing alone gives a strong sense of place. I really enjoyed reading about Seattle and all it has to offer. After reading this book, I may just have to book a trip there! Additionally, the book is not super wordy, and I feel there was no excessive language/word usage here. Speaking of word usage, I loved the 90s specific rhetoric they used (including the phrase “as if”). There are tons of 90s toys/words and references and experiences used throughout the story (anyone remember going to Block Buster on a Saturday night?), making it even more enjoyable. Seeing/reading all of these really brought back positive, happy memories. This book was almost like time traveling back to the 90s.
While I will not give any spoilers, the ending was wonderful and provides an excellent setup for the next book (I’m not sure if there will be a second book, but there definitely should be because I’m not done with the twins!).
I recommend this to everyone, adults, children, 90s/2000s kids, anyone interested in history (I cannot believe the 90s are historical though), American Girl fans basically anyone who wants to know/relive the 90s. 5 stars all the way!
As a 90s/2000s kid (the story takes place during the December Y2K phenomenon), I knew I had to read this – and I am so glad I did! I really did not see myself loving this book as much as I did, but I am glad this book can appeal to people across various different age groups – something I think is a hallmark of a great writer, well writers in this case. Yes, there is a nostalgia factor for me, but that does not take away from the fact that this is such a well-written book.
As an adult collector of dolls, I do have the Nicki doll (one of my favorites), and I had read her journal, which came with the doll (I got her as a birthday gift in August of 2023), a few months after she was released. Since I enjoyed her journal so much, I wanted to continue to read about her story. I was worried that this book would be like a recap or retelling of her journal, and thankfully it is not. I will be honest that part of the reason I enjoyed this book so much is because I heavily relate to Nicki (shy, introverted, tomboyish, bookish and I love to make lists). However, many of the lessons and obstacles are relatable.
Now from a literary analysis perspective, for a children’s novel, this book has all the elements necessary to have a well written, engaging book - strong character development, descriptive, yet concise writing, a strong sense of place and uses time period appropriate rhetoric.
I would say that both twins are the main characters in the story. While it can be tricky to have two very different main characters, it can still be done. The authors excelled at this. Both characters are put in adverse situations, that teach them valuable, but tough and important life lessons. For example, Isabel learns the importance of walking away from toxic friendships, Nicki learns the importance of putting yourself out there and speaking up (including in front of large crowds). Both twins learn the importance of being who you are meant to be, and it is okay to be different. Additionally, the twins have a list of goals to meet before the end of the year, which I won’t spoil for you, but the way it unfolds is well constructed. By the end of the book, both characters have undergone considerable growth. I was impressed at the how authors handled this with a younger audience as the target demographic.
The writing here is very solid and very descriptive. The story takes place in downtown Seattle in the 90s. Yes, there are pictures in the book, but writing alone gives a strong sense of place. I really enjoyed reading about Seattle and all it has to offer. After reading this book, I may just have to book a trip there! Additionally, the book is not super wordy, and I feel there was no excessive language/word usage here. Speaking of word usage, I loved the 90s specific rhetoric they used (including the phrase “as if”). There are tons of 90s toys/words and references and experiences used throughout the story (anyone remember going to Block Buster on a Saturday night?), making it even more enjoyable. Seeing/reading all of these really brought back positive, happy memories. This book was almost like time traveling back to the 90s.
While I will not give any spoilers, the ending was wonderful and provides an excellent setup for the next book (I’m not sure if there will be a second book, but there definitely should be because I’m not done with the twins!).
I recommend this to everyone, adults, children, 90s/2000s kids, anyone interested in history (I cannot believe the 90s are historical though), American Girl fans basically anyone who wants to know/relive the 90s. 5 stars all the way!
July 28, 2025
I was 11 during Y2K, so this book was nostalgia at its finest (also explains our generation's anxiety - we were just bbs waiting for the world to end bc of some old programming, while still making time capsules with Ricky Martin cut-outs and Pokémon cards so future civilizations would know we were here.).
but anyway: Ask Jeeves, inflatable furniture, gel pens (best part of being an adult is the freedom to buy and use an excessive amount of gelly rolls), the stress of redecorating your bedroom to reflect your new tween self, etc etc. It had all the vibes and memories.
As an East Coast girl, I also appreciated seeing the West Coast late 90s vibes, which I think will resonate with other readers.
Okay, so, I need a copy of this.
And I need to read their individual journals ASAP.
And I need this to become a series.
but anyway: Ask Jeeves, inflatable furniture, gel pens (best part of being an adult is the freedom to buy and use an excessive amount of gelly rolls), the stress of redecorating your bedroom to reflect your new tween self, etc etc. It had all the vibes and memories.
As an East Coast girl, I also appreciated seeing the West Coast late 90s vibes, which I think will resonate with other readers.
Okay, so, I need a copy of this.
And I need to read their individual journals ASAP.
And I need this to become a series.
May 2, 2024
Cute! Maybe tried to do a little too much in just one book, but that's asking for more books in this series, not for things to be cut out. Also, while it's not mentioned much outside of the Hanukkah celebration early in the book, this book singlehandedly doubles the number of Jewish characters AG has created.
And yes, having historical characters from 1999 has been made into a Whole Thing, but honestly I think it helps fill the same kind of gap that I've noticed in my own historical knowledge. This is meant for (roughly) 8-year-olds, meaning at the time of the book's release, it took place 16 years before its target audience was born. When I think to my childhood understanding of different past time periods, my knowledge of what was going on 16 or so years before I was born was almost a total blank because it was recent enough that no one was really treating it as history. "History" as I was taught it at the time mostly ended around 30 years before I was born.
CW: injury, off-page hospital visit
And yes, having historical characters from 1999 has been made into a Whole Thing, but honestly I think it helps fill the same kind of gap that I've noticed in my own historical knowledge. This is meant for (roughly) 8-year-olds, meaning at the time of the book's release, it took place 16 years before its target audience was born. When I think to my childhood understanding of different past time periods, my knowledge of what was going on 16 or so years before I was born was almost a total blank because it was recent enough that no one was really treating it as history. "History" as I was taught it at the time mostly ended around 30 years before I was born.
CW: injury, off-page hospital visit
January 1, 2026
This book was so annoying. Every third sentence was product placement for a toy or food from the 90s, interspersed with complaints about twin microaggressions or the twins committing microaggressions against each other. I can’t believe reading this book is the last thing I’m doing in 2025.
But hey, I’m done with my American Girl project, two hours before my self imposed deadline. If anyone wants to chat AG, I now have informed opinions about every historical character.
But hey, I’m done with my American Girl project, two hours before my self imposed deadline. If anyone wants to chat AG, I now have informed opinions about every historical character.
November 20, 2023
Like the twins say "Y2-OK", the book was literally OK. There was not anything that made it bad--it just was not special. Now and then, there was something cute or sweet, but Meet Isabel and Nicki was not heart-warming (unlike every other historical fiction American Girl's story) and the book was littered with cliches, whether the American Girl cliche subplot of best friends no longer talking, or (however positive they may be) cheesy messages about trying something new, loving your look, or being kind. Furthermore, the book was far too idealistic in how problems were solved, and the great, but sadly unrealistic, world of nice parents, random people on the street encouraging you and becoming your friend, and answers to problems falling into your lap.
The most frustrating part was that the book was more like Meet Nicki--Oh, and She Has a Twin Named Isabel. The star, Nicki, is basically fine and has it all together at the beginning of the book while Isabel desperately needs a character arc; i.e., Nicki is far more mature than Isabel... and far more in the spotlight. The readers got to see into her mind and get to know what was happening with her more often than Isabel, and sometimes when the book switched to Isabel, it was not through starting a new chapter but head-hopping.
None of these flaws were absolutely horrible. They just weren't good. Nor does this mean American Girl is failing--surely they'll have some new historical characters having to do with the Cherokee Trail of Tears, 1920s Prohibition, or an abolitionist in the South during the Civil War (which are all heavy subjects, but heavy subjects that American Girl can explain lightly and cleanly) soon. This just was a letdown.
The most frustrating part was that the book was more like Meet Nicki--Oh, and She Has a Twin Named Isabel. The star, Nicki, is basically fine and has it all together at the beginning of the book while Isabel desperately needs a character arc; i.e., Nicki is far more mature than Isabel... and far more in the spotlight. The readers got to see into her mind and get to know what was happening with her more often than Isabel, and sometimes when the book switched to Isabel, it was not through starting a new chapter but head-hopping.
None of these flaws were absolutely horrible. They just weren't good. Nor does this mean American Girl is failing--surely they'll have some new historical characters having to do with the Cherokee Trail of Tears, 1920s Prohibition, or an abolitionist in the South during the Civil War (which are all heavy subjects, but heavy subjects that American Girl can explain lightly and cleanly) soon. This just was a letdown.
April 18, 2025
I don’t know how I feel about being “historical” but this was so cute. Mom is a computer programmer fighting Y2K? Blow up chairs? Collage art? NSYNC?
This book was adorable and even more special that I got it at the American Girl store in NYC!
This book was adorable and even more special that I got it at the American Girl store in NYC!
October 7, 2023
Growing up in an interfaith household in the Pacific Northwest during the late 1990s, there were many ways I could identify with this book. However, the illustrations caught me off guard. The characters did not dress appropriately for December in Seattle!
January 29, 2024
I’m a little old for American Girl books these days, but as a lifelong AG lover (and now collector) I took a chance on this book because I wanted to see how accurate it was (I’m 2 years younger than these characters IRL). Almost spot-on. It felt a bit more early 2000s than late 90s, but that could just be blinders from being a literal child during that era. Devoured this book in a single afternoon and passed it along to my high school bestie’s daughter so she can read it and bond with her mom about the historical period. <3
March 6, 2025
3.5 stars. This made me feel old. They, yet again, snuck in an American Girl reference that seemed random. Didn’t seem as full of historical happenings as some of the other books delved into and almost seemed as if written for a younger audience than the others.
January 5, 2025
The book was really good if you are into the milenium and 1999 then you should definetely read it.
December 11, 2023
Isabel and Nicki Hoffman are twins growing up in 1999. They may be fraternal and sometimes have different interests but one thing they have in common is they're both looking forward to the big Millennium celebration in their hometown of Seattle. Isabel is excited to dance on stage with her friends. She has the perfect routine to the music of the Spice Girls planned in her head. When a new girl is invited to join in, things don't go according to Isabel's plans. Meanwhile, Nicki is worried about the Y2K bug causing the world to end and making a bucket list of things to do before then. Isabel makes a list too and since her friends aren't speaking to her, she has plenty of time to work on the list. As she counts down to the year 2000, Isabel discovers some uncomfortable truths about herself. Then, just as the twins are about to party like it's 1999, the mayor has shocking news. Can the Millennium be saved?
This wasn't the best of AG books. 1999 is not history according to this adult. (My teenage niece says otherwise. Dial up internet? Ancient history when her mom's younger sisters were girls and Mom and Dad were in high school). It felt like the slang and pop culture references were used a little too gratuitously, trying too hard to make it "old." I don't remember people using "talk to the hand" like that or "Not!" the way Isabel's friends do. I don't even remember "girl power" specifically from the 90s. That started way back when Abigail Adams and Mercy Otis Warren were hoping for the right to vote after the Revolutionary War. The American Girl brand has always been about girl power so I don't really know where they're getting girl power started in the 90s from. The "About Isabel and Nicki's World" section doesn't explain as much as their Journal books do. There were funny, smart girls and women on TV before the 90s.
I liked the "historical" details of going online in 1999. Some families had a second phone line and some even had ethernet and one of my IM friends at another university even had some mysterious thing called wi-fi where she could IM me on the go! Wow! Other than that, there's not a huge amount of historical detail. It wasn't long enough ago for anything but technology to be dated.
I think Julie's stories had a whole lot of slang and pop culture references too and not enough historical detail. Her world feels familiar and I was a few years away from being alive in 1975. Courtney's world is too MTV oriented but she does have the Challenger disaster (which I DO remember) and the AIDS crisis (also remember well) to balance it out. The twins have... Y2K? It felt more like a GOTY story than historical. I was busy stalking *N SYNC at the time and avoiding being beaten up by 12 year olds bigger than me so I liked the *N SYNC references. (spelled like this with an asterisk and a space not like it's printed in the book "NSYNC"). THIS one doesn't have a single BSB reference woohoo LOL!
I relate much more to Nicki than Isabel. Nicki is an introvert content to do her own thing. She values her twin relationship with her sister more than she's content to reveal but often needs alone time. She feels a little threatened by Isabel's friendships with other girls and need to make a new friend. At least at first. I can not relate to Nicki's s8r grl lifestyle though. I do appreciate she's true to herself throughout and never feels the need to change - only to GROW. Nicki's fear of the Y2K bug seems rather silly to me. I don't remember kids being afraid and I was hanging out with 12 year olds at *N SYNC concerts and on AOL/Yahoo and my younger cousins at home. I just remember worrying my old laptop was going to crash and half hoping it would even though I had only had it a year. Alas, it switched to the 2000s just fine and survived until 2003. Nicki's growth is very subtle and sweet.
If Isabel was my twin, she would be long dead by now. I would have murdered her. Isabel is the complete opposite of me. I detest pink, glitter/sparkles and chatterboxes. She's an extrovert who needs to be around people to be happy. Isabel seeks the approval of others for validation of who she is. She has to learn how to be true to herself before she can grow. She isn't a very good twin. She thinks they have twintuition but it's mainly Isabel doing what she wants and Nicki going along with it. She seems shocked when Nicki stands up for herself. Isabel's friend drama is very on brand and very much in keeping with the GOTY books. There's a mean girl in just about every one or friend drama. Sure Samantha has mean girls in her story but she doesn't have friend drama! This seems to be a phenomenon from the 1950s forward. None of the earlier characters have that level drama and truly I prefer the older time periods for many reasons, including that one. Isabel is only 9 and she matures a bit in this story but I think Nicki will still want to murder her!
Isabel's friends are not true friends. The message of the Spice Girls one hit does not come through to them. They get caught up in wanting to be tight with the older mean girl and performing on stage. They'd rather be perfect than good friends. Why do they expect to get the dance right the first time? Why don't they practice to make perfect? Plus even inviting Cammy in the first place without consulting Isabel was rude. V and Kat are lovely people and Kat is a better friend. V is a cool grandma and I think she will chaperone the girls to concerts and dance right along with them. Kat is cool and seems older than Isabel. She's mature and knows who she is and how not to let silly stuff get her down. Nicki's new friends with weird names are much better examples of true friendship. Ari encourages Nicki and pushes Nicki to shine. The skaters even welcome Jessica, a wheelchair user, into their group. She can do neat tricks too and they all enjoy each other's company.
The parents are largely hands-off. Dad is busy running a coffee shop. Nicki encourages HIM to follow his dreams and let himself shine just as she is learning to do. He's kind and helpful when Nicki needs someone to talk to. Mom, a computer programmer, is busy working round the clock to fix the Y2K bug and somehow has time to bake amazing pastries for the coffee shop. I'm assuming she never sleeps? The girls are not latchkey kids however, they have to go to the coffee shop after school and on weekends when their parents are not home. The twins think they can be responsible enough to stay home alone. I'd never let Isabel stay home alone! Nicki is too anxious so I wouldn't leave her either.
The digital illustrations depict Isabel and Nicki in the outfits sold for the dolls. I don't remember anyone dressing like that. I DO remember the grunge look from a little earlier in the 90s. I LOLd at the outfits they choose for the Millennium party. I certainly remember THOSE! The illustrations don't do anything for me. I miss the hand painted illustrations and the vignettes that showed unfamiliar things from the past.
I think the twins' journals that come with the dolls are better. The historical notes at the end are in first person as a school report, one with commentary from the teacher. They explain a lot more about the events of the 90s that led to the theme of girl power. This one doesn't have all that. I was missing that connection to the past. The text of the novel felt too long and the history too short. I felt the same way about Julie's stories but her world felt more familiar than even Courtney's even though I am a little younger than Courtney.
This wasn't the best of AG books. 1999 is not history according to this adult. (My teenage niece says otherwise. Dial up internet? Ancient history when her mom's younger sisters were girls and Mom and Dad were in high school). It felt like the slang and pop culture references were used a little too gratuitously, trying too hard to make it "old." I don't remember people using "talk to the hand" like that or "Not!" the way Isabel's friends do. I don't even remember "girl power" specifically from the 90s. That started way back when Abigail Adams and Mercy Otis Warren were hoping for the right to vote after the Revolutionary War. The American Girl brand has always been about girl power so I don't really know where they're getting girl power started in the 90s from. The "About Isabel and Nicki's World" section doesn't explain as much as their Journal books do. There were funny, smart girls and women on TV before the 90s.
I liked the "historical" details of going online in 1999. Some families had a second phone line and some even had ethernet and one of my IM friends at another university even had some mysterious thing called wi-fi where she could IM me on the go! Wow! Other than that, there's not a huge amount of historical detail. It wasn't long enough ago for anything but technology to be dated.
I think Julie's stories had a whole lot of slang and pop culture references too and not enough historical detail. Her world feels familiar and I was a few years away from being alive in 1975. Courtney's world is too MTV oriented but she does have the Challenger disaster (which I DO remember) and the AIDS crisis (also remember well) to balance it out. The twins have... Y2K? It felt more like a GOTY story than historical. I was busy stalking *N SYNC at the time and avoiding being beaten up by 12 year olds bigger than me so I liked the *N SYNC references. (spelled like this with an asterisk and a space not like it's printed in the book "NSYNC"). THIS one doesn't have a single BSB reference woohoo LOL!
I relate much more to Nicki than Isabel. Nicki is an introvert content to do her own thing. She values her twin relationship with her sister more than she's content to reveal but often needs alone time. She feels a little threatened by Isabel's friendships with other girls and need to make a new friend. At least at first. I can not relate to Nicki's s8r grl lifestyle though. I do appreciate she's true to herself throughout and never feels the need to change - only to GROW. Nicki's fear of the Y2K bug seems rather silly to me. I don't remember kids being afraid and I was hanging out with 12 year olds at *N SYNC concerts and on AOL/Yahoo and my younger cousins at home. I just remember worrying my old laptop was going to crash and half hoping it would even though I had only had it a year. Alas, it switched to the 2000s just fine and survived until 2003. Nicki's growth is very subtle and sweet.
If Isabel was my twin, she would be long dead by now. I would have murdered her. Isabel is the complete opposite of me. I detest pink, glitter/sparkles and chatterboxes. She's an extrovert who needs to be around people to be happy. Isabel seeks the approval of others for validation of who she is. She has to learn how to be true to herself before she can grow. She isn't a very good twin. She thinks they have twintuition but it's mainly Isabel doing what she wants and Nicki going along with it. She seems shocked when Nicki stands up for herself. Isabel's friend drama is very on brand and very much in keeping with the GOTY books. There's a mean girl in just about every one or friend drama. Sure Samantha has mean girls in her story but she doesn't have friend drama! This seems to be a phenomenon from the 1950s forward. None of the earlier characters have that level drama and truly I prefer the older time periods for many reasons, including that one. Isabel is only 9 and she matures a bit in this story but I think Nicki will still want to murder her!
Isabel's friends are not true friends. The message of the Spice Girls one hit does not come through to them. They get caught up in wanting to be tight with the older mean girl and performing on stage. They'd rather be perfect than good friends. Why do they expect to get the dance right the first time? Why don't they practice to make perfect? Plus even inviting Cammy in the first place without consulting Isabel was rude. V and Kat are lovely people and Kat is a better friend. V is a cool grandma and I think she will chaperone the girls to concerts and dance right along with them. Kat is cool and seems older than Isabel. She's mature and knows who she is and how not to let silly stuff get her down. Nicki's new friends with weird names are much better examples of true friendship. Ari encourages Nicki and pushes Nicki to shine. The skaters even welcome Jessica, a wheelchair user, into their group. She can do neat tricks too and they all enjoy each other's company.
The parents are largely hands-off. Dad is busy running a coffee shop. Nicki encourages HIM to follow his dreams and let himself shine just as she is learning to do. He's kind and helpful when Nicki needs someone to talk to. Mom, a computer programmer, is busy working round the clock to fix the Y2K bug and somehow has time to bake amazing pastries for the coffee shop. I'm assuming she never sleeps? The girls are not latchkey kids however, they have to go to the coffee shop after school and on weekends when their parents are not home. The twins think they can be responsible enough to stay home alone. I'd never let Isabel stay home alone! Nicki is too anxious so I wouldn't leave her either.
The digital illustrations depict Isabel and Nicki in the outfits sold for the dolls. I don't remember anyone dressing like that. I DO remember the grunge look from a little earlier in the 90s. I LOLd at the outfits they choose for the Millennium party. I certainly remember THOSE! The illustrations don't do anything for me. I miss the hand painted illustrations and the vignettes that showed unfamiliar things from the past.
I think the twins' journals that come with the dolls are better. The historical notes at the end are in first person as a school report, one with commentary from the teacher. They explain a lot more about the events of the 90s that led to the theme of girl power. This one doesn't have all that. I was missing that connection to the past. The text of the novel felt too long and the history too short. I felt the same way about Julie's stories but her world felt more familiar than even Courtney's even though I am a little younger than Courtney.
August 16, 2026
This book really disappointed me. It felt much more like a Girl of the Year book than a historical American Girl book, and it felt very generic, with lessons like not caring about what mean kids think of your style and not being afraid to try new things or make new friends. Like, completely fine lessons, but not interesting or engaging, especially compared to Kit trying to help her family avoid eviction during the Great Depression, Caroline trying to protect her family's shipyard during the War of 1812, Melody participating in marches and protests and boycotts during the 1960s, Courtney choosing to stand by a boy with HIV in 1986, Addy adjusting to a new life and trying to reunite her family after escaping slavery, etc.
The stakes just feel so low. Nicki is worried about Y2K, and then...nothing happens. She doesn't have to make any difficult moral choices; the most she has to do is work on her confidence to make new friends and try out her skateboarding tricks in front of other kids. Like these aren't nothing; obviously learning to make new friends is important for kids. But compared to the other American Girl books, this one felt like a nothing burger. It didn't even feel as exciting or quirky as a Ramona book, the way Maryellen's books did. It just felt like another generic story telling young girls to be true to themselves and ditch "friends" who aren't nice to them.
Isabel and Nicki were "fine" as characters. They were vivid enough, but just not very interesting, and the people in the rest of their lives were not fleshed out very well. I have no sense of who their parents are as people, or the differences between Isabel's friend Olivia and her friend Kat, etc. I think this book suffered from having too many characters, which made me feel distant from Isabel, Nicki, and everyone else. The main plot point seemed to be that Isabel was really stuck on what SHE wanted to do for the dance, both in terms of getting Nicki to be Sporty Spice even when Nicki told her over and over that she wasn't interested and in trying to direct exactly how the dance should be for her friends. And this carried over to her redecorating their shared bedroom and claiming, "I used my twintuition to know what you would want," when actually she has no idea what Nicki wants and is just doing what SHE wants.
This plot point had a payoff with Isabel eventually recognizing this and trying to understand what Nicki's style actually is (via the American Girl quiz) and then redecorating their bedroom in a way Nicki would actually like...but also I literally do not care about this problem. This is not what I read American Girl books for. Caroline and Maryellen both have similar plot points about trying to "help" others by doing a thing the other person doesn't actually want and both of them needing to get better at perspective taking, and both of those books handle the issue better than this one does, while also giving the characters higher stakes. This book was just boring. And Isabel's friends excluding her again just did not feel like an interesting topic. There are so many other books about this exact issue. This book felt so generic and like it was a wasted opportunity, especially compared to how good Courtney's and Claudie's books were.
2.5 stars, rounded down for how much I had to drag myself to finish it (which for such a short book is a big problem).
The stakes just feel so low. Nicki is worried about Y2K, and then...nothing happens. She doesn't have to make any difficult moral choices; the most she has to do is work on her confidence to make new friends and try out her skateboarding tricks in front of other kids. Like these aren't nothing; obviously learning to make new friends is important for kids. But compared to the other American Girl books, this one felt like a nothing burger. It didn't even feel as exciting or quirky as a Ramona book, the way Maryellen's books did. It just felt like another generic story telling young girls to be true to themselves and ditch "friends" who aren't nice to them.
Isabel and Nicki were "fine" as characters. They were vivid enough, but just not very interesting, and the people in the rest of their lives were not fleshed out very well. I have no sense of who their parents are as people, or the differences between Isabel's friend Olivia and her friend Kat, etc. I think this book suffered from having too many characters, which made me feel distant from Isabel, Nicki, and everyone else. The main plot point seemed to be that Isabel was really stuck on what SHE wanted to do for the dance, both in terms of getting Nicki to be Sporty Spice even when Nicki told her over and over that she wasn't interested and in trying to direct exactly how the dance should be for her friends. And this carried over to her redecorating their shared bedroom and claiming, "I used my twintuition to know what you would want," when actually she has no idea what Nicki wants and is just doing what SHE wants.
This plot point had a payoff with Isabel eventually recognizing this and trying to understand what Nicki's style actually is (via the American Girl quiz) and then redecorating their bedroom in a way Nicki would actually like...but also I literally do not care about this problem. This is not what I read American Girl books for. Caroline and Maryellen both have similar plot points about trying to "help" others by doing a thing the other person doesn't actually want and both of them needing to get better at perspective taking, and both of those books handle the issue better than this one does, while also giving the characters higher stakes. This book was just boring. And Isabel's friends excluding her again just did not feel like an interesting topic. There are so many other books about this exact issue. This book felt so generic and like it was a wasted opportunity, especially compared to how good Courtney's and Claudie's books were.
2.5 stars, rounded down for how much I had to drag myself to finish it (which for such a short book is a big problem).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 12, 2023
This book is entertaining, but it's pretty simplistic and cutesy, without a lot of depth. The plot is mainly a retread of the journals that come with the dolls, and although this novel has some extra scenes and additional details, I found the story much less engaging in this format.
The story is kind of flat, and the book focuses on Nicki much more than Isabel, without representing Isabel's personal growth as well as her journal does. I didn't care for the head-hopping POV, in which Isabel was often an afterthought, and there isn't enough plot to sustain a book of this length.
This book is 168 pages long, while the journals were only 80 pages long. The journals were sufficient to convey Isabel and Nicki's character arcs, experiences before the new Millennium, and New Year's Eve celebration. The new or further dramatized stuff here extends the story without improving it, and I now feel even more grateful that I was able to buy copies of the journals on eBay. This novel really doesn't compare. The journals read like journals, and they feel intimate and personal, with creativity, humor, and a lot of relatable elements. This book takes away a lot of the unique elements that made the journals so fun, without adding much else.
Also, this feels much more like a Girl of the Year story than a historical American Girl book, since the problems are all pretty minor and involve stereotypical issues like getting left out of a friend group or dealing with sibling differences. The only historical event going on is the Millennium, and even though Nicki is worried about Y2K, that just isn't sufficient to carry the story.
The historical elements are mainly just references to dial-up Internet, early home computers, NSYNC, and popular brands and consumer goods. This book will be fun and nostalgic for adults, and it can help kids learn about an earlier era, but this lacks depth. The journals were short enough that it didn't matter that they weren't engaging with anything more serious, but I felt the lack in this full-length book.
I also wasn't impressed with the historical note at the end. It was short and felt rushed, and made some sweeping statements that seemed misleading to me. For example, the historical note makes it sound like there weren't smart or inspiring female characters on TV before the nineties, and even though the nineties reflected additional progress, it's simply not true that there weren't good female characters on TV before then. I much preferred the historical notes at the end of Isabel's and Nicki's journals. Those shared a lot more detail and made clearer points about social progress towards gender equality.
My main takeaway from reading this book is that I'm REALLY glad I was able to buy the journals on eBay. I enjoyed them tremendously, and this book just didn't compare. It will still appeal to many members of the target audience, especially if they enjoy stories about friendship drama and sibling dynamics, and some adult American Girl fans will enjoy this as well, but the journals were so much more fun, and their length was much better suited to the story.
The story is kind of flat, and the book focuses on Nicki much more than Isabel, without representing Isabel's personal growth as well as her journal does. I didn't care for the head-hopping POV, in which Isabel was often an afterthought, and there isn't enough plot to sustain a book of this length.
This book is 168 pages long, while the journals were only 80 pages long. The journals were sufficient to convey Isabel and Nicki's character arcs, experiences before the new Millennium, and New Year's Eve celebration. The new or further dramatized stuff here extends the story without improving it, and I now feel even more grateful that I was able to buy copies of the journals on eBay. This novel really doesn't compare. The journals read like journals, and they feel intimate and personal, with creativity, humor, and a lot of relatable elements. This book takes away a lot of the unique elements that made the journals so fun, without adding much else.
Also, this feels much more like a Girl of the Year story than a historical American Girl book, since the problems are all pretty minor and involve stereotypical issues like getting left out of a friend group or dealing with sibling differences. The only historical event going on is the Millennium, and even though Nicki is worried about Y2K, that just isn't sufficient to carry the story.
The historical elements are mainly just references to dial-up Internet, early home computers, NSYNC, and popular brands and consumer goods. This book will be fun and nostalgic for adults, and it can help kids learn about an earlier era, but this lacks depth. The journals were short enough that it didn't matter that they weren't engaging with anything more serious, but I felt the lack in this full-length book.
I also wasn't impressed with the historical note at the end. It was short and felt rushed, and made some sweeping statements that seemed misleading to me. For example, the historical note makes it sound like there weren't smart or inspiring female characters on TV before the nineties, and even though the nineties reflected additional progress, it's simply not true that there weren't good female characters on TV before then. I much preferred the historical notes at the end of Isabel's and Nicki's journals. Those shared a lot more detail and made clearer points about social progress towards gender equality.
My main takeaway from reading this book is that I'm REALLY glad I was able to buy the journals on eBay. I enjoyed them tremendously, and this book just didn't compare. It will still appeal to many members of the target audience, especially if they enjoy stories about friendship drama and sibling dynamics, and some adult American Girl fans will enjoy this as well, but the journals were so much more fun, and their length was much better suited to the story.
December 24, 2023
They are too recent I feel and would be better if they are were set during the early 90s. They aren’t even 90s girls if they celebrate the new millennial and y2k fear. From want I’ve seen in their book the main 90s things about them is making 90s reference after 90s reference. Much of their story is sugar coated I feel. Like by this point in America their was a increased fear in terrorism after the events of the Oklahoma City bombings as well similar events. It very briefly in the book and when it’s explained it’s the fear of overcrowding not had actually took place. I was born in 2005 yes but the childhood’s of Nicki and Isabel had were not all that different from mine own. They went to blockbuster in the story and talked about Pizza Hut which I did myself. The twins also have parents from different religious backgrounds but that isn’t gone deeper into which would have been very interesting. There are events that took place in 1999 that still effect the family’s of those events today. American should have waited longer for a 90s historical character. The twins are a political in that there is no real historical nor educational value to be gained out of them. I read American girl books as a kid to want to learn about U.S. history. The reason why I love learning about U.S. history so much now because of American girl. Then their is Courtney who in my opinion doesn’t get all the love she deserves. Courtney’s character lures you in with 80s nostalgic and references but actually teaches of what Americans were going though during the time. Her books made me emotional I will say that. It goes into the challenger exploding and it’s not glossed over. The sexism the female politicians had to face when running for any political power and still do. Courtney’s step sister Tina opens up to her about her mom dying. The reason for why Tina didn’t like Courtney was she felt everyone forgot and moved on not really caring about her anymore and her grieving. Her story goes into the lack of good female characters there were with a lot of them back them being token female characters more then anything. Then in her second book it’s goes into the AIDS crisis. Where Courtney’s befriends a boy with AIDS and explains to her his condition. Courtney then looks into the disease further with her dad. With spearing facts not fear in mind. Courtney stands up for him and gives a speech of why banning kids with aids from going to school is very wrong. Courtney came out in 2020 and she does into a lot of historical events that occurred in American. Which the twins only wished they were that. But hey that’s just me.
May 1, 2024
Isabel and Nicki are twins but are very different from each other, Isabel is all flowery, glittery, loves dancing and sparkles, Nicki likes purple, aliens, skateboarding and song writing. The new millennia is approaching and both girls feel different about it, but before it comes they create a check list of things they must complete before the new year begins.
Wow this was weird, I am literally reading so much that was my very own childhood and it’s so strange, I cannot believe its history, my childhood is history. I can find bits of myself as a child in both girls which is so cool, I love all the reference’s and popular things from that era being included. It’s so strange but it’s also so cool.
The girls being so different really does add so much to this story and I love it, with them being individual people they are having their own lives but in using each other within it and I’m enjoying the exploration of their world, of what living in the 90’s was like for them.
They are both going through some huge life changes all before a new era and before they turn 10, they have a lot to deal with and experience. I loved that Nicki overcame her fear of making friends, I liked that Isabel realised how awful and unfeeling her friends were, but that both were able to get past their issues and grow from it. Both girls were so creative which I really loved, they were both always there for each other no matter what, and believed deeply in each other.
I’ve honestly really throughly enjoyed reading this book even though it’s strange to think of it in a historical book line. I loved how the girls found a better way to celebrate the millennia after the big city event got cancelled, their party sounded amazing and that it was to help the community was just incredible and thoughtful of them.
I hope we get more books to their series in future, I really enjoyed their world, these girls were incredible, seeing all the things the 90’s and earliest 2000’s offered them it was such an amazing read.
Wow this was weird, I am literally reading so much that was my very own childhood and it’s so strange, I cannot believe its history, my childhood is history. I can find bits of myself as a child in both girls which is so cool, I love all the reference’s and popular things from that era being included. It’s so strange but it’s also so cool.
The girls being so different really does add so much to this story and I love it, with them being individual people they are having their own lives but in using each other within it and I’m enjoying the exploration of their world, of what living in the 90’s was like for them.
They are both going through some huge life changes all before a new era and before they turn 10, they have a lot to deal with and experience. I loved that Nicki overcame her fear of making friends, I liked that Isabel realised how awful and unfeeling her friends were, but that both were able to get past their issues and grow from it. Both girls were so creative which I really loved, they were both always there for each other no matter what, and believed deeply in each other.
I’ve honestly really throughly enjoyed reading this book even though it’s strange to think of it in a historical book line. I loved how the girls found a better way to celebrate the millennia after the big city event got cancelled, their party sounded amazing and that it was to help the community was just incredible and thoughtful of them.
I hope we get more books to their series in future, I really enjoyed their world, these girls were incredible, seeing all the things the 90’s and earliest 2000’s offered them it was such an amazing read.
December 24, 2024
3.5, but we'll round down. I'm taking a break from sad sword boys to quickly read this before I open the twins Christmas Eve in the 2024 American Girl advent calendar because I didn't know much about them.
While the traditional series took place over the course of about a year generally, Meet Isabel and Nikki is truly a December story so it's very seasonal to read now! When they debuted last year, I joined the millennials having an existential crisis because *I was nine* in 1999 and therefore the same age as these characters. Husband pointed out that this would be historical for our infant daughter so... fine. I remember participating in family friendly activities around town NYE and my brother got interviewed on local news, lol. I haven't read any other books by the twin authors, but I do remember the Disney Channel Original Movie "Read It and Weep", which was an adaptation of one of the authors' books.
Cynically, the brand names that pop up felt intrusive even though I do agree that maybe we were a heavily advertised-to generation (not sure I ever actually had a Baby Bottle Pop tbh). The Hoffman twins live in Seattle, and their dad is a former grunge band member who runs a coffee shop while Mom works in programming trying to prevent Y2K. The stakes are kinda low but the girls make new friends as they go through their Y2K goal list. I'm curious how this reads to an actual middle grader, as to me it feels like a member berry session (hey, remember that episode...?) but learning to make new friends and try new things are timeless.
I initially thought, "wow, seems kind of late for Isabel to be super in to the Spice Girls" but that's pointedly addressed by her friend rift when they prefer N'Sync to Isabel (honestly let's call it mini nostalgia)'s old tunes.
Asian spotting: mean girl fifth grader Cammy is drawn Asian, and Nikki's new skating friend Ari Lin is probably an ABC like me. I'm glad they're present in a story set in the PNW, at least.
While the traditional series took place over the course of about a year generally, Meet Isabel and Nikki is truly a December story so it's very seasonal to read now! When they debuted last year, I joined the millennials having an existential crisis because *I was nine* in 1999 and therefore the same age as these characters. Husband pointed out that this would be historical for our infant daughter so... fine. I remember participating in family friendly activities around town NYE and my brother got interviewed on local news, lol. I haven't read any other books by the twin authors, but I do remember the Disney Channel Original Movie "Read It and Weep", which was an adaptation of one of the authors' books.
Cynically, the brand names that pop up felt intrusive even though I do agree that maybe we were a heavily advertised-to generation (not sure I ever actually had a Baby Bottle Pop tbh). The Hoffman twins live in Seattle, and their dad is a former grunge band member who runs a coffee shop while Mom works in programming trying to prevent Y2K. The stakes are kinda low but the girls make new friends as they go through their Y2K goal list. I'm curious how this reads to an actual middle grader, as to me it feels like a member berry session (hey, remember that episode...?) but learning to make new friends and try new things are timeless.
I initially thought, "wow, seems kind of late for Isabel to be super in to the Spice Girls" but that's pointedly addressed by her friend rift when they prefer N'Sync to Isabel (honestly let's call it mini nostalgia)'s old tunes.
Asian spotting: mean girl fifth grader Cammy is drawn Asian, and Nikki's new skating friend Ari Lin is probably an ABC like me. I'm glad they're present in a story set in the PNW, at least.
February 16, 2025
2 stars
Firstly, I loved the artwork in this book. It is very different from the classic American Girl books, but I think it works for the story.
Nicki is definitely the stronger character out of the twins, with Isabel’s chapters often feeling like an afterthought. Having twins was a unique idea, but having them go back and forth with chapters in the same book fell flat, and I think I would have preferred a format more like Cecile and Marie-Grace’s.
Another problem I have is that this book is technically set in the 90s, but it’s only about a month period from December 1999 to January of 2000. The biggest “event” in this book is the worry about the Y2K bug (which Nicki agonizes over). There’s a brief reference to the WTO protests in Seattle, but instead of taking the opportunity to talk about this, it’s quickly glossed over. In the past, AG books have been able to discuss difficult topics in a way for children to understand them, but we don’t get that here.
It also feels like a never-ending advertisement. They constantly refer to brand names (like the girls getting Pizza Hut or having 3D Doritos) and it got very annoying very quickly. I feel like a historical fiction story can be told well and not have to reference brand names all the time.
I get that Y2K is really on-trend right now, and I know they couldn’t resist having a set of twins be the 90s characters (like Mary-Kate and Ashley), but I think this book really could have benefitted from being earlier in the 90s rather than at the end. The characters are cute and I think kids will enjoy the story, but there was just so much wasted potential with this decade.
Firstly, I loved the artwork in this book. It is very different from the classic American Girl books, but I think it works for the story.
Nicki is definitely the stronger character out of the twins, with Isabel’s chapters often feeling like an afterthought. Having twins was a unique idea, but having them go back and forth with chapters in the same book fell flat, and I think I would have preferred a format more like Cecile and Marie-Grace’s.
Another problem I have is that this book is technically set in the 90s, but it’s only about a month period from December 1999 to January of 2000. The biggest “event” in this book is the worry about the Y2K bug (which Nicki agonizes over). There’s a brief reference to the WTO protests in Seattle, but instead of taking the opportunity to talk about this, it’s quickly glossed over. In the past, AG books have been able to discuss difficult topics in a way for children to understand them, but we don’t get that here.
It also feels like a never-ending advertisement. They constantly refer to brand names (like the girls getting Pizza Hut or having 3D Doritos) and it got very annoying very quickly. I feel like a historical fiction story can be told well and not have to reference brand names all the time.
I get that Y2K is really on-trend right now, and I know they couldn’t resist having a set of twins be the 90s characters (like Mary-Kate and Ashley), but I think this book really could have benefitted from being earlier in the 90s rather than at the end. The characters are cute and I think kids will enjoy the story, but there was just so much wasted potential with this decade.
March 26, 2025
Well, it's official. My childhood is officially a historical book. I loved the historical American Girl book series when I was a child and when I saw that they made one from my childhood, I couldn't resist picking it up .
Just like the '90s fascination with twins (Sweet Valley High, Sister Sister, and The Parent Trap, just to name a few...), this book follows twins Isabel and Nicki on the brink of the Y2K disaster.
Spoilers:
This book includes pop culture references like the excitement of going to Blockbuster and hoping that your favorite new movie hasn't been checked yet! There's mention of the fashion of the time from chokers to platform shoes. Other nostalgic easter eggs include mention of the Spice Girls and N'sync, boom boxes, a love for gel pens and making a zine, having to choose between using the phone or using the internet and typing into Ask Jeeves. Of course they threw in a mention of the American Girl magazine! Even the chapter titles are written in a font and colorway reminiscent of my label maker from back in the day.
I will say one of my disappointments in this book is they change the format from the historical American Girl books of my childhood. This is a longer chapter book than the pint-sized book series we all know and love.
Was the story amazing? No, but I'm also not 9 years old anymore. I was kind of hoping this would be a great book for my daughters to read to get a little piece of what it was like for me... I'm not sure that's what it is. But, would someone from Samantha's timeline find her story the same? (Samantha was my favorite.)
Just like the '90s fascination with twins (Sweet Valley High, Sister Sister, and The Parent Trap, just to name a few...), this book follows twins Isabel and Nicki on the brink of the Y2K disaster.
Spoilers:
This book includes pop culture references like the excitement of going to Blockbuster and hoping that your favorite new movie hasn't been checked yet! There's mention of the fashion of the time from chokers to platform shoes. Other nostalgic easter eggs include mention of the Spice Girls and N'sync, boom boxes, a love for gel pens and making a zine, having to choose between using the phone or using the internet and typing into Ask Jeeves. Of course they threw in a mention of the American Girl magazine! Even the chapter titles are written in a font and colorway reminiscent of my label maker from back in the day.
I will say one of my disappointments in this book is they change the format from the historical American Girl books of my childhood. This is a longer chapter book than the pint-sized book series we all know and love.
Was the story amazing? No, but I'm also not 9 years old anymore. I was kind of hoping this would be a great book for my daughters to read to get a little piece of what it was like for me... I'm not sure that's what it is. But, would someone from Samantha's timeline find her story the same? (Samantha was my favorite.)
March 21, 2024
I'm not really over having American Girls who were born after me, but I'm just going to have to deal with that. Anyways. dual protagonists, which doesn't work much better here than it did with Marie-Grace and Celine. Isabel, like Marie-Grace, feels like an afterthought compared to Nicki. One viewpoint character was definitely enough. I would have much rather spent more time figuring out why Nicki is so freaked out about Y2K, because that isn't explored nearly enough. Considering that her mother is a computer programmer working specifically on Y2K compliance, she has way less cause than most preteens to be worried about Y2K, so I'm not sure it makes sense that she is. Unless the authors are trying to imply that she has anxiety issues in general? Maybe if we hadn't also been worried about Isabel's friends, we would know.
My biggest problem with this book is that the namedropping is out of control. You can barely go a single page without mentioning some kind of musician, TV show, movie, food product, etc. Even the pets have names from 90s IPs! There's way more to evoking an era than constant specific references. I felt way more like I was in 1999 when Nicki was waiting for her dialup internet to connect than I was when Isabel and her friends were talking about the Spice Girls and NSync while eating 3D Doritos.
My biggest problem with this book is that the namedropping is out of control. You can barely go a single page without mentioning some kind of musician, TV show, movie, food product, etc. Even the pets have names from 90s IPs! There's way more to evoking an era than constant specific references. I felt way more like I was in 1999 when Nicki was waiting for her dialup internet to connect than I was when Isabel and her friends were talking about the Spice Girls and NSync while eating 3D Doritos.
January 2, 2025
Torn on this...
Safe to say I had a love/hate relationship with the book as a whole. Maybe in future years I'll like it more.
I definitely could identify with Nicki's fears about the possibility of YDK. I remember vividly being so scared and worried about what would happen, and so relieved when nothing did!!
The worst part of this book to me, is that I felt like it just kept throwing up late 90's cliches. It felt like one yawning advertisement for products of the time waaaay too often. A good work of historical fiction doesn't have to keep reminding you what time period you're in, and this has become an issue with AG's more recent historical attempts as a whole.
And, I wish there had been more separation between some of the chapters, because it was kind of hard to read a chapter with both twins and have it bounce from one's thinking to the other's. Once some of the chapters only focused on ONE twin at a time, it was more enjoyable.
Safe to say I had a love/hate relationship with the book as a whole. Maybe in future years I'll like it more.
I definitely could identify with Nicki's fears about the possibility of YDK. I remember vividly being so scared and worried about what would happen, and so relieved when nothing did!!
The worst part of this book to me, is that I felt like it just kept throwing up late 90's cliches. It felt like one yawning advertisement for products of the time waaaay too often. A good work of historical fiction doesn't have to keep reminding you what time period you're in, and this has become an issue with AG's more recent historical attempts as a whole.
And, I wish there had been more separation between some of the chapters, because it was kind of hard to read a chapter with both twins and have it bounce from one's thinking to the other's. Once some of the chapters only focused on ONE twin at a time, it was more enjoyable.
August 13, 2026
Expect some harsh criticism here!
What I liked:
•fashion focus
•disability representation/inclusion
•very MK +Ashley/parent trap energy
•twins become their own individuals
•90's snacks and lingo!
What I didn't like:
•glazed over Hanukkah/ashkenormativity
•did not go in depth enough about the digital revolution.
•reused American girl names for both twins/both uncommon to rarer names for their birth year
•no major national event occurs.
•inconsistent art style to previous historical characters
•no doll emphasis at all
•perspective challenges because it is a shared book (that doesn't come with purchase of either doll in real life.)
What I liked:
•fashion focus
•disability representation/inclusion
•very MK +Ashley/parent trap energy
•twins become their own individuals
•90's snacks and lingo!
What I didn't like:
•glazed over Hanukkah/ashkenormativity
•did not go in depth enough about the digital revolution.
•reused American girl names for both twins/both uncommon to rarer names for their birth year
•no major national event occurs.
•inconsistent art style to previous historical characters
•no doll emphasis at all
•perspective challenges because it is a shared book (that doesn't come with purchase of either doll in real life.)
September 30, 2023
Cute! And as a 90s baby, kind of nostalgic 😍
Isabel didn't seem to know her twin very well. They are very different and Isabel was the type of girl who cared about style and what others thought of her. Wheras Nicki was more laid back and casual and didn't mind being alone.
Not only does Isabel have to deal with friendship problems, but with learning to accept herself and her twin as they are.
Nicki was learning to conquer her goals and also how to sympathize with her twin.
The book was just adorable and I'm glad there's a 90s story in the American Girl collection now 🤩
Isabel didn't seem to know her twin very well. They are very different and Isabel was the type of girl who cared about style and what others thought of her. Wheras Nicki was more laid back and casual and didn't mind being alone.
Not only does Isabel have to deal with friendship problems, but with learning to accept herself and her twin as they are.
Nicki was learning to conquer her goals and also how to sympathize with her twin.
The book was just adorable and I'm glad there's a 90s story in the American Girl collection now 🤩
November 20, 2023
So I am very aware that I am outside the target demographic of this book, but I wanna this book has a bit of an issue to tell don’t show. Like in the opening pages the girls explain to a random video rental clerk that they’re fraternal twins, when their birthday is and who’s older. I feel like there’s a more organic way to explain all of that then having characters just say it all to a random person. Also the character Cammy, I understand is an antagonist, but felt too cartoonish. Overall though I do think if someone wanted a recommendation for their preteen, this would be a good option.
December 26, 2024
The authors made a big deal about their Jewish heritage being featured in these books. It wasn't. There were a few sentences that their family celebrated Hanukkah and explaining the big gifts the girls received. There was no explanation for why the girls family chose Christmas and Hanukkah as the holidays they celebrated. I wish each girl had their own book, rather than narrating together. There was a sentence explaining Daoism and the Yin-Yang, which is more explanation than their Judeo-Christian mix got and seems odd.
January 12, 2025
i honestly wasn’t expecting to enjoy this book as much as i did! the art was absolutely beautiful and has so much character and charm. nicki and isabel didn’t go through intense hardships like other AG characters, but i loved the uniqueness of having twin main characters. i also appreciate how the mom was an important computer programmer. the 90s references were definitely…shoehorned in, and they were very stereotypical, but i loved it nonetheless.
January 11, 2024
Although this is a kids historical fiction book about 1999, i actually leaned a lot about 1999 and what it was like. I definitely learned a lot about Y2K and Seattle during that time. It feels weird that American Girl considers the year I was born, to be a historical time period in their historical collection.
May 29, 2025
3 stars. Cringey and uninspired. This was trying way too hard to let you know that this book takes place in the 90s. 1999 to be exact. So many pop culture references that the plot feels lost and nonexistent. I did like Isabel and Nicki. They’re very likable characters and it was cool that this takes place in the 90s but yeah this wasn’t my favorite AG novel. I wanted so much more from it.
September 13, 2025
I'm not a twin, but I'm only a little older than Isabel & Nicki, my dad was a computer programmer working on the Y2K problem, and I also learned a Spice Girls dance routine for a thing that ended up getting cancelled. So, as someone able to remember 1999, the historical accuracy is pretty good (even if calling it historical makes me feel old).
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