12 Finally

Willow Falls #2

by Wendy Mass

FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. After her twelfth birthday, Rory checks off a list of things she is finally allowed to do, but unexpected consequences interfere with her involvement in the movie being shot at her school, while a weird prediction starts to make sense.

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Childrens, Fantasy, Fiction, Young Adult, Contemporary

304 pages, Library Binding

First published March 1, 2010

About the author

Wendy Mass is the author of thirty novels for young people, including A Mango-Shaped Space, which was awarded the Schneider Family Book Award, Leap Day, the Twice Upon a Time fairy tale series, Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life, Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall, the Willow Falls, Space Taxi and Candymakers series. Wendy wrote the storyline for an episode of the television show Monk, entitled "Mr. Monk Goes to the Theatre," which aired during the show's second season. She tells people her hobbies are hiking and photography, but really they're collecting candy bar wrappers and searching for buried treasure with her metal detector. Wendy lives with her family in New Jersey.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

My husband smiles as he hears the ruckus coming from my daughter’s room. She and I are lying on her bed, howling with laughter, tears running down our faces. And so it was every night as I read Finally by Wendy Mass to my 8 year-old daughter. Needless to say, we have become instant fans of this new to us author.

The story is about Rory Swenson who upon turning twelve has a wish list of things she is now allowed to do and has wanted to do for so long, such as getting a cell phone, drinking coffee, staying home alone, getting her ears pierced, and shaving her legs. Even as I write this, I cannot help giggling as I remember each incident that happens as she asserts and tests her newly acquired independence.

Rory is a sweet, down-to-earth girl, and my daughter and I liked her immediately. I also liked the “strict” parents who were understanding, loving, and had a sense a humour. We easily related to Rory and her family. And the book’s message is a good one: Maturity doesn’t necessarily come when one hits a certain age, twelve, in this case. Rory is told by a mysterious older woman at the beginning of the story that, “You won’t get what you want, until you see what you need.” The meaning of this becomes clear at the end of the story. I won’t say more, only that it’s a great book that uses humour to deal with the issues that all young tweens and parents struggle with—autonomy, growing up, and embracing those developmental milestones.

This is an excellent mother/daughter book to read together or for a book club. We both didn’t want this book to end, relishing the bedtime reading we knew would bring pleasure and laughter. My daughter is hoping for a sequel. I think I will just go out and get her another Wendy Mass book, and give it to her as a gift.

[Dolores · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, I was really disappointed with this one. I liked "11 Birthdays" and loved "Every Soul a Star" so I expected to like this one too. Not so much. First of all, I didn't really think that the items on Rory's list were especially ambitious. I am an overprotective parent. Her parents were whack-jobs. Okay, whatever. They set their parameters and they stuck to them. I can accept that. However. You don't go from helicopter parent to totally cutting your kid loose overnight just because she turns 12. Pick your own cell phone. Ask us to limit your calls on your own. (Even though we are more than likely being charged for every incoming wrong number call, which you as a child have no idea about.) Learn to shave your legs (even if you cut yourself with dangerous sharp object so badly you scar yourself for life) on your own. They set her up for failure at every turn. Which brings me to the running joke of the book. BIG SPOILER HERE: I can accept if some of the things on her wish list went wrong. That would have been only natural. She had built up some pretty big expectations. That's what happens when adults assign a "magical age" to behaviors instead of talking things out. HOWEVER, the fact that EVERYTHING went badly was absurd and cheapened the message of not trying to grow up too soon. It turned what could have been a meaningful book into slapstick.

[Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't expect to enjoy this book so much! Better than 11 Birthdays. It had me laughing with tears in my eyes - growing up was just like this. And what a great thread running behind the story, not forced or preachy but so wise.

There are a few wincing moments - Rory is always managing to injure herself and you really feel her pain - so it's not for a squeamish young reader. And while Rory has a beautiful simplicity and is courageously independent (at least by the end of the book) the behaviour of her classmates and even her nice friends at a party leaves a bit to be desired. But even this is a good talking point with readers who can be encouraged - like Rory - to think for themselves.

It is a great contemporary story for girls between 9 and 12 who show signs of wanting to grow up too fast. As Ghandi said, 'There's more to life than increasing its speed'.

[S · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm a fan of Wendy Mass, but unfortunately, her talents seem to have gone to waste here. The whole book was an uncomfortably heavy-handed lesson about how selfish teenagers can be and how they need to learn to appreciate life's core values. The main character, Rory, got reward after reward for her twelfth birthday, and every single one was ruined in the most contrived way possible. Never once was it stated why wanting these things was so bad. Sure, her wishes were materialistic, but since she didn't let them override the necessities, it certainly didn't warrant the endless line of punishments she received. It's nothing you haven't already seen in countless after school specials.

[Fakiha]

Rory has been through it 😂😔

[Lainey E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary

Rory is turning twelve and in her eleven years she made a list of things her parents promised her she could do when she turned twelve. On her birthday she gave a presentation to her parents about each thing on the list and how important it was to her. At Rory's school her best friend Annabelle told her that the famous teenage movie star was going to star in a movie that was shooting at their school. Annabelle and Rory tried out for extras and made it! The whole week Rory's mom decided to help her with her list of things she wanted to do. For example Rory tried to shave her legs by her self for the first time with no one knowing or helping her, she cut her self pretty bad and her legs were bright red. Then she tried to get a make over at the mall and had a reaction to it and her face was swollen. And last but not least her mom took her to get her ears pierced and it turns out she is allergic to gold, then they tried to get her contacts and she poked her eye when she tried to get it out and after they found out what happened she had to wear an eye patch. Rory also helped lots of people and soon she figured out that they are all related to each other.

Main characters
The main characters are Rory the narrator figures out that everything she wants didn't turn out like she thought it would, her mom who helps her with her list of things she wanted to do, dad helped her with her confidence, brother who is a trouble maker, Annabelle Rory's best friend and is always there for her, and Kyle R. was Rory's bunny for a little while.

Setting
The setting takes place at Rory's school
Conflict
Everything on Rory's list didn't go as she expected it to go. Everything back fired and especially since she was an extra for the movie.

Resolution of conflict
The directors understood her problem and didn't cut her from the extras group for the movie, they just placed her in the back of all of the scenes.

Recommendations
My opinion of this book, it is very interesting and I would recommend this book to teens and preteens because they could probably relate to the book more because the narrator is speaking like she is twelve, and we can relate with trying new things.

[~]

i think she shaves her legs bloody and has to go school wrapped in bandages and she also gets stuck in like a drain pipe (?) and then like jungkook goes to her school and falls in love with her bc shes so clumsy or smth

[NewFranklin School · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had loved 11 Birthdays and so was especially disappointed with this pseudo-sequel (really, pretty much a completely independent story). Much of it takes place in a mall, following the main character who has finally turned 12 and will now get to do a whole list of things her family said she had to wait until she was 12 to do - like get a pet, get her ears pierced, etc (all activities that are accomplished by going to the mall, pretty much). Her list is lame, her parents are lame, and there are a whole bunch of weird side plots that seem like they are going somewhere but never do. And then, all of a sudden, after you get used to the fact that you will be reading this dumb book for the rest of your life (it is really long), it wraps up with a slapped on author's message not really played out in the plot. - Ms. Patterson

[Molly Cow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this in one day. Actually I listened to it. Better than the last even tho they had literally nothing in common. I listened to it while coloring in the lunar chronicles coloring book. I will be writing a better review for my last 3 book but I’m bussssy rnnnnn

[Annah Stevenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

THESE BOOKS ARE ADDICTING

[Aimee · Rating 3 out of 5]

finally finished it!

[Kristen Harvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally is a part of the Willow Falls series, but the character from the first book 11 Birthdays are background characters you don't interact with too much until the end. Rory is having a bit of a hard time and just when her school is being a part of a teenage film - she ends up cast as an extra but all sorts of things start going wrong - she has an allergic reaction to gold earrings, natural make up and her new pet bunny is trying to kill her.

I really love the message of these books and the little pinch of magic seemingly involved. I loved Rory's friendships and the way she ends up helping people who she doesn't even know.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I write middle grade novels and consequently my editor recommended this to me. She said she thought there werr similarities. At first I didn't agree but as the book progressed there were more and more parts that reminded me of my book.
I feel encouraged as I seek representation because I feel certain that the same kids that enjoy Finally will also enjoy True Colors.

[Jessica Mueller · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️! reread this book because it was one of my favorites from when i was a kid! did not disappoint and brought me back to the little things i looked forward to as a kid like staying home alone for the first time and sitting in the front seat :-) i’ll have to put this one in my classroom!

[nishka]

reread courtesy of my 9 y/o cousin

[Jaina Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is also available on my blog, Read Till Dawn.

Hopefully you will have read my review of 11 Birthdays, the first book in the Willow Falls series, before reading this review. I am reviewing all four of the books in the series because I started rereading all of them when I was recovering from wrist surgery (side note: physical therapy is going well!). While I love the first book, I haven't actually purchased it yet. I don't really know why, but I've always just thought that if I wanted to read it I could get it from the library. I do, however, own this one. I bought it with a gift card almost 2 years ago, and have reread it countless times. It is arguably better than the first book, and was the book that truly cemented my love for the series.

The book follows Rory as she ticks off a birthday bucket list of sorts: she has been waiting her whole life to turn 12, which is when her parents will finally let her do "grown-up" things like drinking coffee and going to boy-girl parties and staying home alone. The first time I read this book, I had done practically nothing on Rory's list. Several years later, I have done most of the things on her list (still waiting for the coffee, though!). Rereading it now is like a step back in time to my first experiences with things like getting my ears pierced, babysitting, and getting contact lenses. Rory's experiences as a sheltered girl trying out grown up activities for the first time mirrors my life in more than one way, and out of all the characters I believe I share the most in common (both in life experiences and personality) with Rory. Though I have to say, my mishaps were never near the scale of hers.

You don't have to read these books in order. Well, at least you don't have to read the first two in order. The third one is much more enjoyable if you've read the first two, because the characters from the first two books are featured heavily in the third one. The fourth book is definitely much more meaningful and less confusing if you've read the other books 1st. But for the first two books, you can read them in either order. They are both built to be standalones, and are perfectly wonderful under their own power. I read them in order, but it wouldn't have mattered if I'd read Finally first. In fact, if the plot of the first book doesn't appeal to you, just read this one. They are very different books, but both are excellent reads.

Stay tuned for my review of 13 Gifts!

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

Do you remember when your parents used to tell you "wait until you're 12" or "wait until you're 16"? You were, no doubt, just like Rory Swenson and created a list of things you would "someday" be able to do or have. FINALLY, that day has arrived for Rory.

Being 12 means being on the edge of her teen years. Rory can hardly sleep the night before. She's thinking of her list - getting a cell phone, getting her ears pierced, getting a pet, and getting to go to her first boy/girl party. Those are just a few of the things she is excited about finally being about to do.

Let's take the cell phone. She can't believe it's true when she finds the box that looks like it's her dream come true. Imagine her disappointment when she opens it to find a cell phone, but not the one she's dreamed of. Instead, this is an ugly thing with two buttons. Count them! Just two buttons! One to call home and the other to call 911. WT*! Leave it to her parents to give her the second present, which is a box filled with cell phone brochures and calling plans. They confess that the two button phone is some sort of sick joke, and then tell her since the phone will be her responsibility, she must investigate all the choices and make a presentation about which are the best - and then they'll make the purchase.

Next, imagine Rory getting her cell phone and managing to lose it in 15 minutes before they've even left the mall where it was purchased. Yep, that's how being 12 begins for Rory.

FINALLY is one girl's experience as she reaches the magical age where everything seems possible. Whatever can go wrong, does. There are incidents involving leg shaving, make-up, being home alone, and contact lenses, just to name a few. Author Wendy Mass captures the frustration of pre-teens as they reach the magical time that allows them to begin experiencing tidbits from the grown-up world. FINALLY will have readers laughing, nodding in agreement, and sighing in sympathy as they follow Rory's tale of reaching 12.

[George く⁠コ⁠:⁠彡 · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fact that our main character in this book was so much like me that it made the book all the more enjoy able.

Rory Swenson is turning 12 and has a list of things she is looking forward to. She actually has a list of all the things her parents have promised her over the years. "When your twelve" is the constant refrain. But the beginning of the story starts with Rory and her class on a field trip to the town water source. She somehow gets stuck in a drain pipe and gets helped out by an old lady who mysteriously tells her that she must "Get what you need before you can have what you want".
Rory turns 12 and gets a cell phone, a makeover and more but they all go wrong. She also try's out for the part of an extra in the new Jake Harrison movie (the hottest teen age movie star ever).
This book was different from the other books in the series. They way it was played out was quit different, although I still immensely enjoyed it.

Now I would like to tell you the similarities between me and Rory. Rory gets a bunny. Why, I have a bunny. Her mother quotes " With great power comes great responsibility". Rory reads my mind and says "Isn't that what Peter Parker Says when he becomes SPIDERMAN?" (I am a HUGE Spidey fan <3)
Her mother also says " WMEN ARE TOUGH CAUSE THEY HAVE BABYS!" This is what my mom has been saying to me a lot lately.

I really am loving Wendy Mass's books and will continue to read them.:)

[Kerry Cerra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rory wants to be 12 like yesterday because her utterly-overprotective parents will FINALLY let her shave her legs, drink coffee, wear make-up, get a pet, go to boy-girl parties, and best of all, get her a cell phone. When the big day finally arrives, Rory makes a chart filled with all her deepest desires and proudly displays it in the living room. Tired of being blah and boring, Rory is set on standing out a little more. When news that teen heart-throb Jake Harrison will be filming a movie at Rory’s school, she and her friends decide to try out as extras. What better way to break-free of her “baby” image, right?
As Rory fumbles through her list—and gets a role in the movie,--she flip-flops in her longing between the comfort of what’s always been and the fear of what’s new; between confidence and insecurity. We’re lucky to have front row seats as we watch Rory grow-up before our eyes. Her mishaps and embarrassments are the highlights of the story which will have you laughing out loud. Finally, when Rory discovers that most things on her list are more work than they’re worth, she realizes that being plain ‘ol Rory isn’t a bad thing after all, especially when she discovers that she actually has a very unique gift inside her.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rory Swenson has been waiting forever to turn twelve. It feels like that's the year she'll finally be able to do everything she's been waiting for. Buying a cell phone...getting her ears pierced...going to a boy-girl party. She's about to have everything she's ever wanted.

Except that everything she's ever wanted manages to go horribly, horribly wrong in the funniest ways possible. FINALLY had me laughing out loud over and over again. It's written in that fantastic, trademark Mass voice -- the one that would make you swear she's really twelve years old herself -- and the characters are real and wonderful.

FINALLY is set in the same world as ELEVEN BIRTHDAYS and has a touch of that same magical realism, but above all else, this is a warm, incredibly funny book about wanting to grow up and learning when it's okay to be a kid. Loved, loved, loved it. And every girl who's ever been impatient to be a little older will love it, too.

Reviewed from an ARC - due out from Scholastic on March 1, 2010.

[Tori M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was really good. It has a serious of unfortunate events. This book kept the reader's on their feet. The book was somewhat suspenseful to see what was going to happen next. I recommend for people to read this book.

[Kate Pickens]

haha i read this like 4 years ago or something and didn't even know it was the 2nd book in a series; it's the only one i read whoops

[January · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally by Wendy Mass
297-page Kindle Ebook
Willow Falls #2

Genre: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Juvenile, Contemporary, Coming of Age, Humor

Featuring: Helicopter Parenting, Coming of Age Trope, Middle School Drama, Birthday Parties, Family Dynamics, Friendship, Actors, Next Book Sneek Peak - 13 Gifts Chapter One - no page count

Rating as a movie: PG

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My thoughts: 🔖Page 33 of 297 Ch. 3 - ¹The first chapter was just okay, I was worried. ²These parents are past overprotective. ³ Same location but none of these girls are familiar. ⁴ The second chapter was hilarious.

Amanda and Leo showed up! I was thinking they wouldn't at that point. Rory, Annabelle, and Sari were a bit dramatic but it fits with their age group. I wouldn't mind if Annabelle or Kira were MCs in future books, but based on the previous book it probably won't happen. I know the next book features Tara and Shelby, new people. I thought the humor in the story was right on time and the outdated cell phone features made it even more hilarious. This book was so different from the first. I like that there's no pattern.

Recommend to others?: Yes. I'm going to read this entire series.

[Rhonda Yung · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 5 for the rating of the writing and a one for the care of a rabbit . All right I finished this one which is the second in the series and I've already read the third so I'm going on to the 4th soon enough. I have a huge personal problem with this one so I am still debating on my rating system if I want to keep it at that. I didn't have a problem with the characters the writing was fine it was very typical of a Wendy Mass. But what I did have a serious problem with was how the bunny was handled. It was up to Mass to do her research on how to properly take care of a rabbit. The character Rory fed it bread and left it in a cage that would fit on her dresser. I am very bothered that it was at a pet store and that it would just be a pet to to use and then return. First of all you do your due diligence and do all your research before you take on a rabbit . It is one of the hardest pets and most expensive pets and people don't understand that and think that they just eat, poop, and sleep . This was not an ideal part for me to read since I am a rabbit Enthusiast and have been for almost my entire life. And since I have had rabbits as house rabbits not caged rabbits for over 20 years I personally have a big problem with this. Besides that if I can get over that the book was fine. I just wish she did proper research because rabbits are so mistreated and misunderstood because of writing like that.

[Shreya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally was a great book with the classic lesson, don't rush to grow up. Have fun while it lasts because when you grow up later, you might realize it's not fun being older and you wish you were younger but like they say, there's no turning back now. I would recommend this book to any good reader who loves an interesting story and I'm excited to read more from Wendy Mass! Amazing Book :)

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of hilarious moments, cute story overall.

[Angela · Rating 1 out of 5]

Maybe it's sad to admit, but I couldn't get through this book. It bored me to tears. The pacing was too slow, I mean come on Wendy-- ten whole pages stuck in a drainage pipe?! Ten pages! Who has the patience for this?

And maybe it's because things were different when I turned 12, or because I'm not 12 now . . . I don't know. But I just couldn't feel sorry for this girl and how her life hadn't "begun" when she had a nice family who cared for her, a cute little brother, a couple of friends who were nice to her . . . I would have killed for some of those things when I was 12. Not the cell phone, earings, getting a pet, drinking coffee . . . who cares about that stuff.

And what school allows you to take your cell phone with you to class? I kept asking myself how this book could possibly be aimed at 12 year olds. It just seemed too grown up. And the materialism, ugh, I couldn't take it. Help!

[Han · Rating 1 out of 5]

Finally was a good book...at first. It was funny, and made me feel less accident prone, hahaha. But the book took a turn. This book was written for 11 and 12 year old girls, obviously, since the book is about a 12 year old girl. My 11 year old sister got this book at her school, I started reading it, and got interested so I read through the whole book. The last chapter of the book has the girl going to one of her classmate's birthday party, where they all secretly (when their parents went inside)went into the pool house and played spin the bottle. The book talks plainly about how some of them were kissing in the bathroom, even though the main character doesn't kiss anyone her best friend does. I wrote this review because I don't think It's right to put stuff like that in a book for kids. I don't want my little sister to think it's a normal thing to just go around kissing boys.

[Jasey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gahhh. This, like most Wendy Mass books made me want to laugh and bang my head against the wall in turns. I of course refrained from doing either because my brothers already think that there's something wrong with my head. I wanted to bang my head against the wall because of ALL OF THE RIDICULOUS THINGS THAT SHE PUT HERSELF THROUGH. And I wanted to laugh because of all of the ridiculous PICKLES she got in because of all of the RIDICULOUS SITUATIONS she put herself through. Also, the girl that Rory babysits? I LOVE her. She is a little genius and she's fantabulous. I am soooo glad that I didn't do this, this thing when I turned 12, because this is just bananas, I mean good grief. One thing, I don't really understand why she wants her ears pierced, and a phone and all that. Has she ever heard of oh, I don't know, talking with her friends face to face? Sheesh.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally was a really good companion novel to 11 Birthdays. I don't remember that book clearly enough to notice some of the similarities, but what I do remember helped me to enjoy the book more. Rory is about to turn 12, which is the age where she can do all the things she hadn't been able to when she was younger. She knows exactly what she wants, how she wants it, and when she wants it. Rory kind of reminds me of my sister Cady, who wants a lot of the things that Rory wanted... Anyway, Rory has a list, but how can she get what she wants when she doesn't know what she needs? Along with a hilarious group of characters and happenstance circumstances, Rory goes on a whirlwind adventure and finds out what it means to be 12.