The Battle of Darcy Lane

by Tara Altebrando

For twelve-year-old Julia Richards, life just seems to be full of a lot of waiting. Waiting for the cicadas to emerge, waiting with her best friend, Taylor, for the summer to get interesting, even waiting for her parents to let her move into the much cooler room down the hall.

It seems like the waiting might finally be over when new girl Alyssa and her plushy pink chair arrive across the street on Darcy Lane. However, when Alyssa challenges Julia for Taylor's friendship and her crush starts hanging out with Alyssa and Taylor without her, Julia feels as if her once predictable summer is suddenly turning into one big, unexpected showdown. And beating Alyssa at a competitive street game called Russia may be the only way to win it all.Acclaimed author Tara Altebrando's middle-grade debut features a voice that is pure to the adolescent experience of change, discovery, acute emotion, and endless possibility.

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Juvenile, Childrens, Coming Of Age

210 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 22, 2014

About the author

Tara Altebrando is the author of numerous books for young adult and middle-grade readers. Her upcoming book, THE LEAVING (Bloomsbury), is a YA thriller that received a starred PW review and is a Junior Library Guild selection. Her other YA novels include ROOMIES, coauthored with Sara Zarr; Dreamland Social Club (A Kirkus Reviews Best Books for Teens), The Best Night of (Your) Pathetic Life, What Happens Here, and The Pursuit of Happiness.

Tara is a Harvard graduate who lives in Queens, NY, with her husband and children.

Reviews

[Jacobe D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Battle Of Darcy Lane is about a twelve year old girl named Julia. Julia lives on the street of Darcy Lane, and is ecstatic for summer. Her list of things to do include: spending time with her best friend ever who lives next door (Taylor), seeing her crush Peter (hopefully getting a first kiss?), spending time in her pool, and possibly even seeing the cicadas that only come out every seventeen years to mate (gross!). But when the house across the street gets sold and bought, things change for the street of Darcy Lane. A new girl named Alyssa moves in, and she is more mean than Julia could imagine. Worst of all, she senses that Taylor is starting to like Alyssa better. Julia is not ready to loose her best friend, even if that best friend is teasing you along with everyone else. Will Taylor decide between Julia and Alyssa? Will Julia realize the true meaning of friendship? Will she find out that it doesn't matter what people think of you? In this heartwarming tale I could never put the book down! This book made me thankful for the wonderful friends that I have, and I all of a sudden felt closer to the characters, because I started feeling Julia's emotions, and I started to understand more of what she was going through. The Battle Of Darcy Lane could be compared to the Dork Diaries series, girly (although this book is really for everyone in my opinion) and funny, just with a minorly different plot and a little bit easier to connect to. The only reason this book does not have five stars, is because it starts off mildly slow, and I was starting to really crave more action. If you are someone who desperately needs the book to hit you hard right from the start, then maybe rethink your choice of reading this book. But if you are someone who is alright with waiting for the true action (trust me, you won't regret your choice of reading it!) then The Battle Of Darcy Lane is for you! Enjoy the book!!

[Stephanie Fitzgerald · Rating 2 out of 5]

My Review:
Julie had very high hopes for her summer. It was all planned out, to be enjoying time with her BF Taylor. Suddenly, everything cartwheels into confusion when the new girl Alyssa moves onto Darcy Lane. Can Julie learn to stand up to a mean kid like Alyssa, and have a good summer after all, or will everything be ruined?

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julia and Taylor are best friends who live on the same street and do everything together. Until one summer day, a new girl their age named Alyssa moves in and everything changes. Alyssa introduces the girls to a game called Russia and suddenly a fierce rivalry and battle for loyalties ensue, and Julia's left to contemplate who her friends really are.

In Tara Altebrando's middle grade debut, she manages to nail middle school Mean Girls behavior to the point where reading The Battle of Darcy Lane made me feel like I was back in middle school again, much to my chagrin. Because despite being a lover of middle schoolers and of teaching that age group, it reminded me just how much I don't want to go back there. But it is for that reason that books like The Battle of Darcy Lane are important. They show kids and remind adults just how hard it is to survive this time in your life -- and that it does get better. Thankfully, Julia has the support and love of her wonderful parents, which to me is what makes this book stand out among others. There are so many books written for kids and teens where the parents are either absent or completely clueless. Instead, Altebrando gives our main character Julia the loving support of a fully competent mom and dad. And yet, despite that support, Julia's struggle is still difficult and painful. Altebrando shows that no matter how great your parents are, growing up is still hard.

Readers will find the ending of The Battle of Darcy Lane both satisfying and open-ended. There are places where our young protagonist is vindicated, and there are also places where we see that things didn't change for her. Despite that, she goes on living and growing up. Just like in real life.

Read the entire review on my blog.

[Ben E · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Battle of Darcy Lane is a fantastic book, it was so good i read it all in one day. This book is definetly for you if you liked Middle School: The worst Year of My Life when reading the book I felt sad but happy at the same time because of all the funny and depressing scenes. The book could hardly fit all the jokes and drama in it. When the new girl on the block moves in Two best friends decide they want to meet this new kid. When the two main characters (julia and Taylor) get to the newly owned owned house all they see is a 12 year old playing with a ball. Julia notices as an aditude in the new girl that taylor doesn't see. Then starts a war between alyssa and julia with taylor in the middle.

[Mimi W · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was one of my favorite books. But it is a little girly. let me summit up for you. Two girls are battling their friendship over drama and a new girl in town.
I like this book because it shows that you don't have to only have one friend and if someone is bossing you around and being mean just forget about it because maybe they're not.
I recommend this book to people who have read rump The true story of Rumpelstiltskin or people who have read princess x.

Happy reading.

[Christine S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julia and her best friend Taylor have been best friends since Julia moved to Darcy Lane last year. They live right next to each other and do everything together, and summer is coming up and Julia is planning to spend it all with her playing millionaire. Everything is going as planned until they see the moving truck. The rumors about the new neighbors are true. While unloading, Julia sees that the new neighbors are RICH. Like huge flat screen TV, a gigantic stuffed giraffe, and a plushy hot-pink chair that has the name ALYSSA stitched on it so big they could read it from across the street kind of rich. Yeah. Then they see her. The new girl. Julia's parents have talked to her parents already so she know some things about 'the new girl'. Her name is Alyssa, her grandma died a week ago so they would have moved earlier but they had to go to the funeral, and, as I said before, they are RICH. At first sight Taylor seemed to LOVE Alyssa and forget everything about Julia. She thought it was just a one-time thing, that she just wanted to be nice to her cuz she just moved. They started playing this game called russia, a game where you throw a tennis ball on the wall and do some cool tricks. Level one is easy. Level two gets harder and you have to do it twice. Level three gets even harder and you have to do it three times. You see the pattern? Julia thinks the game is stupid, but of course, Taylor LOVES it. To add to that drama, Julia is still trying to flirt with Peter (the cutest guy on the street) and decide her feelings for him. Also, the cicadas are coming back. They come once every 17 years, and her mom is BEYOND EXCITED! But Julia isn't. ALSO, her mom signed her up for a week-long band camp that she DOES NOT want to go to. With all that piled on top of her, what is she going to do?

This book was really good. I liked the slight suspense at the end and all the problems Julia had to go through. The story didn't have as good of an ending as I had hoped, but that part was OK. It is very relatable to me for some things. Overall, The Battle of Darcy Lane a good book.

[Thomasin Propson · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the feels of being a (cis, white) 12 year old girl with a “best friend” who is not the best and the deep sadness that is rejection. Making new friends. Sticking up for yourself in sloppy, desperate ways. Figuring out who you are and who you want to be and who you will be and who you want with you while you figure it out. Parents who not only love you but work to connect with you. It’s all here, done very well.

[Tatum M · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Batte of Darcy Lane is a book about...a 12 year old girl named Julia Richards.Julia Richards lives on Darcy Lane Street.She lives right next to her B.F.F Taylor,and on the other side of the fence is her CRUSH...Peter! Will she get her first kiss? UNTIL...a girl with long brown hair that goes by the name of Alyssa shows up,and now lives on Darcy Lane.Alyssa has an attitude that could tear a friendship apart!! I bet you know what is gonna happen next...Julia and Taylor take a break from each other for most of the summer.Alyssa takes (Taylor) Julia's BEST FRIEND AWAY!!! Alyssa plays this game called Russia that she plays with Taylor...when Alyssa invites Julia to play Russia she only invites her over so that Alyssa can laugh at her...Julia does NOT know that.Julia is NOT good at Russia!! As Julia and Taylor grew apart more and more, Julia just spent her time at her pool with peter.Alyssa and Taylor are watching a TV show that Julia and Peter are not aloud to watch. Julia and Peter sneak a batch of hot cookies,and his dad's iPad to go out into the woods and watch the TV show that their parents won't let them watch.When Julia and Peter finish watching the TV show they hear a loud and mysterious chirp coming from a tree,but they just ignore it. Julia and Peter finally get out of the woods they come face-to-face with Alyssa and Taylor..."What are you guys up to?" Alyssa says with a smirk.Peter says "NOYB" with a bland face. A couple days later A GIANT flock of Cicada's shows up!!! Julia thinks the whole word is gonna end! Julia's mom signed her up for Band Camp...so did Peter's mom.Julia made one new friend at Band Camp,and her name is Laney...Laney lived no where near Julia,but they still kept in touch.
I felt like I was inside the book expieriencing all of this with Julia!!! I LOVED THIS BOOK!! I did not dislike any thing!!! I would recommend this book to someone that loves to be on the edge of their seat like me,and read a book filled with DRAMA!!! Will Julia and Taylor ever be friends again? I would compare this book to SMILE by Raina Telgemeier. You'll have to read the book to find out!!! HAPPY READING!!!

[Tavi B · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's the first week of summer things aren't already going as planned for Julia Richards. First of all it's the 17 year arrival of the cicadas (Gross). Taylor her best friend seems to think that Julia doesn't exits because they never talk anymore and Taylor lied to her multiple times. Third, her parents won't let her move in down the hall to a bigger and better room. Alyssa is the worst problem she stole Taylor from her came up with this game called "Russia" and is ruining her life. The only things she can look forward to is her pool, which she loves so much she still remembers the game they use to play called "Billionaire" where they would act like they had all the money in the world. This new horror show which looks so good but her parents won't let her watch it. Her crush Peter she has liked him for forever now and she thinks he finally likes her ( Hoping for there first kiss)!!! Will Julia have to compete to get her friendship back or can she just forget about it and move on to other friends. If you like books that are about romance/ friendship you will love this book. I give this book a three star rating, because there is not much action and parts of it can be a little boring. I hope you enjoy reading the book "The Battle Of Darcy Lane"

[Zaida S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, The Battle Of Darcy Lane Is about a girl named Julia facing friendship with her best friend... Taylor, her crush... Peter and the new mean girl that just moved in named Alyssa. Alyssa shares this game called Russia. Alyssa goes head to head against Julia on Russia to see who's better. While having the game coming up she runs into many things such as the cicadas, and losing Taylor, and the the band show, with Peter as her coach will she be able to win or lose in the show down against Alyssa???... Find out and check it out. I really loved this book because it really could happen to any middle schooler, and I love how the author explains every step of the way what she does to face it. I felt like even though I don't really like to read, it kept me glued to he pages and made me stay up late reading it. I recommend this book to the people who like fiction books and about reality. I would compare this book to Dork Diaries or Jacky Haha.

[Cate Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh the pangs of adolescent I felt reading this one! The excitement and humiliation of bra shopping, the mean girl moving in who makes you the third wheel with your fair weather pal, the parents you don't know whether you love or hate, the loneliness, the baffling feeling of your changing temperament - the list goes on! This will be a great rec for a both a parent trying to relate to their tween and a tween who may need a vehicle to start talking about what they're going through. My 11/12 year old self related so much to this book! Including the big moment it was to change your room from dolls to hip posters when all at once you realize you aren't a kid anymore - but of course you still are!

Maybe there are already plenty of books about this painfully transitional transitional moment in life but few hit the nail so firmly on the head. And done with manageable brevity - 200 pages to boot!

[Trip w · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Battle of Darcy Lane
When a new girl moves onto Julias's street the girl is not that nice. This sparks the battle of middle school friendship. This new girl, Alyssa brings a new game, it is called Russia. This means new people and friendships. But the action really starts when a Russia showdown is happening. This book is for people who like drama, and suspense.

[Elisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Relatively quick read which illustrates the troubles of middle school drama. The arrival of new neighbor Alyssa impacts Julia’s relationship with others (especially her best friend, Taylor), illustrating the concept of storm, norm, perform. The ending was pretty predictable, but overall the book was enjoyable.

[evie *s-ia* · Rating 5 out of 5]

hmm alyssa reminds me of some pplllll


chat lwk im like readingso fast

[Anna Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have really enjoyed reading Tara Altebrando's past young adult books, and was unsure how I would feel about her new middle grade effort. But I was really excited to be contacted by the publisher about reviewing it, and decided to give it a shot. This book definitely took me back to being twelve years old, when you're in between a teenager and kid, and the hardest thing to know is exactly where you fit in. Julia has an especially hard time of things, when her best friend Taylor starts to drift away after the new girl Alyssa moves into the neighborhood. Alyssa is everything that Julia isn't - pretty, confident, sophisticated. Another thing she happens to be is mean, and she is slowly stealing away Julia's best friend. But is it worth it to try and keep friends who treat you like dirt? What exactly makes a friend? And how far should you go to prove yourself to other people?

I definitely sympathized with Julia, having spent a good chunk of my childhood being in a sometimes mean-girl level of friendship, stuck between two other girls. The difference though, was that in my experience it was a school friendship, with some outer level contact. It wasn't being stuck in the same neighborhood 24/7, with no escape from the backstabbing, silent treatment and just plain cruel tactics of the other girls. I get the awkwardness of feeling left out, like you're not as good as someone else and questioning whether it's somehow your fault or not. Julia was definitely a realistic main character. And the moments she has with Alyssa AND Taylor, that tell the reader that they aren't downright evil, just confused and complex young girls, are wonderful too. Nobody is really villainous, just human and flawed.

Nothing really big, or epic in the grand scheme of things happens plot-wise. It's mainly like Altebrando states in the author notes, a quiet book. The kind of book you used to read as a kid all the time, like something Judy Blume would write. It's about the everyday realities of growing up, and the realizations we all have to face while doing it. Probably the biggest theme of this book is realizing who your real friends are. There is a truly sweet side-friendship with Peter, the boy next door, who Julia sneak a forbidden TV show with and has an innocent crush on. There are a couple tense moments and misunderstandings, and I love when Peter confronts Julia, telling her he thought they had a couple years before she let the boy-crazy, mean-girl drama suck her in. Julia also has some potential best friends, some who she loves (cool Laney from band camp) and Wendy (her elementary school friend she's passive-aggressively under appreciating and trying to dump).

The adults in this book, or at least Julia's parents, are truly the best portrayl I've seen in just about forever in a book so close to YA classification! They aren't absent, but aren't overbearing. You can tell they love Julia, and they're trying to do their best. The book also shows Julia realizing that she needs to remember that her Mom has feelings, dreams, and problems too - something you don't start to realize or appreciate until you're passing out of childhood. I did feel like the moment near the end when they get over-invested in Julia's Russia showdown with Alyssa was kind of out of place. But at the same time it made sense, with her Mom's efforts above and beyond to understand Julia. The whole ball game, Russia, of which I had never heard was interesting and the idea of a showdown brought back memories. Overall, I truly enjoyed this book. Its the kind of book there need to be more of in today's market - a book that is a realistic experience of the transition from childhood to the teenaged years. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a book that doesn't feel the need to be hip to be good. Anyone who longs for simpler days, this is for you!

VERDICT: 4/5 Stars

*I received a print ARC of this book from a representative at Running Kids Press. No favors or money were exchanged for this review. This book was published on April 22nd, 2014.*

[Helen F · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Battle of Darcy Laneby Tara Altebrando was a..... intersting book. This Book is about Julia Richards and her best freind Taylor enjoying their summer like any other. One day a new girl named Alyssa moves into the block but she doesn't bring herself alone. She also brings a super hard ball game called Russia. Taylor is into her but Julia isnt too sure. Pretty soon Tayor and Alyssa start hanging out, and Julia feels almost a little left out. With a 16 year cicada bug swarm coming their way she only has one person she can rely on, her neighbor/crush Peter. When things get worse between Julia and Alyssa, they can only settle it by challenging each for a game of Russia. Read the book to find out who wins!
Somethings I liked were that the book was very relatable. You could tell/feel what Julia was having to deal with. Somethings I disliked were how she kinda got to babyish almost sometimes and got right at the same time to a higher level reading. This book made me feel like I was in the battle of darcy lane too. Almost like I was a invisible person watching everyone. If you love friendship books you are going to love this one too. Lost in The Sun by Lisa Graff is very simaler to this book.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book stirred up some of my (long buried) bad memories of middle school and reminded me just how horrible and mean girls can be to each other at that age; girls who are your friend one day, then whispering and snickering about you to a new friend the next, or constanly rolling their eyes and laughing with new friends at anything you say or do. I shudder from the memories. I wouldn't wish middle school on anyone. Unfortunately for many kids it's pretty much how it goes for them. It's just something to endure and get through. It helps if you have supportive parents or siblings who know what you're going through and can be there for you.

Fortunately Julia does have that support, which helps when her best friend Taylor and new neighbor Alyssa becomes BFFs and totally shut her out. Alyssa is mean girl to the max who never has a nice word to say to Julia and ridicules everything about her-what clothes she wears, what she watches or doesn't watch on TV, and everything in her room that is "for babies". Former BFF Taylor jumps right on board with her and backs up all of her nastiness, throwing some of her own in for good measure. Julia just wants to do whatever she can to get her friend back. Julia's mom gets wind of what's going on and asks her if Taylor is really the kind of friend she wants. Why would she want to be friends with someone who was that mean to her?

It takes a while for Julia to realize what she needs and wants in a friend. With the help of new friend Laney that she meets at band camp and neighbor (and first crush) Peter, she begins to realize her own worth, and in doing so also realizes who is really worthy of her friendship, and who is not.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is why I wouldn’t be 12 again. I remember similar friend drama when I was a middle schooler and the feelings of hurt and anger and helplessness all came back reading about Julia and the summer she learns about true friendship.
Julia and Taylor are best friends looking forward to hanging out together all summer. Alyssa moves in across the street from Julia and suddenly, Taylor is more interested in the new girl than in Julia. Julia cannot understand how Taylor could like someone as mean as Alyssa and she cannot understand why there is no room for her in this new alignment. All her efforts to be friendly are spurned. Alyssa teases her for her babyish bedroom décor, her freckles, and the fact she is not allowed to watch some tv shows. Former BFF Taylor never comes to Julia’s defense. Fortunately, Julia has lots going for her: her parents are loving and supportive, and she has other friends, including her neighbor, Peter, her secret crush.
It will be comforting to readers experiencing similar situations to see Julia work through her hurt and anger and even experience a small, but important victory over her ‘enemy’ which allows her to let go of Taylor’s false friendship and move on (with a minor set-back)—just in time for school to start.

I also love the introduction of "Russia"--aka Sevens or Tensies to playgrounds everywhere! Rules included!

[Laurie]

I really enjoyed this book and am eager to share it with middle school students. I think it portrays twelve-year-old girls very accurately. I love the way the main character, Julia, vacillates between feeling annoyed by her mom and wanting to be close to her mom, and the interactions between Julia and the two other girls on her street, Alyssa and Taylor, are very well done. As Julia observes several times, the new girl on the block, Alyssa, really is mean, but she is mean to Julia in realistic ways. Her critical and teasing comments are infuriating but believable, and so are Julia's responses. While Alyssa is the main antagonist, Julia's old best friend Taylor might be even more hurtful. I like the way Julia doesn't want to lose Taylor as her best friend and therefore doesn't quite process what Taylor is doing to her. That also felt very realistic to me. I also like the details of the Russia game that the girls play, the cicadas, and the new TV miniseries that Julia isn't allowed to watch but Taylor and Alyssa are. This is a lovely story about what it feels like to be caught between being a child and being a teenager.

[Caroline P · Rating 3 out of 5]

Julia has big plans for the summer, like spending all day with her best friend Taylor, or hanging out with the boy next door, Peter. Her plans, however, do not involve a new girl on the street who seems meaner than is humanly possible. Alyssa starts the war when she "steals" Taylor from Julia, than proceeds to introduce them to a new game called Russia that seems to be dominating her entire summer. With the complicated rhythm of Russia in her head, her summer just seems to be getting worse and worse. And than the cicadas come, after years of prediction, a storm of bugs. Can one Russia game save her summer, or will she always be just another girl under Alyssa's rule? I think this book was okay. Personally, I think it could have been better if maybe Alyssa was more than what meets the eye, more than just a mean character. I think that maybe if she had a little more depth, the story would have been better. I recommend this book to young readers who prefer realistic fiction, and specifically girl drama realistic fiction. I think that this is a less extreme version of some of the other lone stars I have read, in particular We Are All Made of Molecuels.

[LauraW · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book enough to read it in one sitting, which says a lot, since that hasn't happened much for me lately. It is not a classic and probably never will be, but it fulfills a need for me for just plain "regular" books. No werewolves, vampires, fairies, or other strange folk; no murders, rapes, or other dire happenings. This is just a realistic slice of life book and I appreciate it for that.

There are two things that also make it a cut above the rest. First of all, the parents of the main character are there throughout the book and they are portrayed positively. They not only like the MC, but they also like each other. This has become, unfortunately, rather rare in current books.

The second one is that the beginnings of teenage rebellion are shown, but the MC and her parents are shown dealing with them in positive ways.

Worthwhile.

[Rachel R · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book. It is about two best friends who live on the same street but the a new girl moves in and it is a battle between them. I didn't like how it ended because I wondered what she would do in 6th grade. This book made me feel sad. People who like books with a lot of drama would like this book.

[Shawna Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really spoke to me because I happen to know a few of the Alyssa's and Taylor's of the world and in the last year this type of mean girl business has touched our house. I will definitely be recommending this book to my daughter and other parents.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this one!!!

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.

It seems like there is one book every year that feels like it was written just for me. For 2014, that book is The Battle of Darcy Lane. Main character Julia is looking forward to a summer of fun with her neighbor and best friend, Taylor. Taylor's plans change immediately, however, when a new girl named Alyssa moves to the neighborhood. Both Alyssa and Taylor are cruel to Julia in big and small ways, putting her down as they assert their own supposed maturity and coolness, prank calling her house, and challenging her to play a complicated ball game called Russia, at which Alyssa is an expert. Throughout the summer, Julia struggles with her conflicting desires to be accepted by the other girls and to seek revenge on them for how poorly they treat her. In the meantime, she defies her parents' rules regarding an inappropriate television show, reevaluates the worthiness of some of her other, immature friends, develops a crush on a boy in the neighborhood, and deals with the possibility that her parents might want another child.

This book does absolutely everything right. Therefore, in lieu of a review, here are several reasons to love this book:
Parental involvement. In this book, Julia is not left to deal with everything on her own. Rather, she has supportive, loving parents who are perceptive enough to know when something is wrong and involved enough to persist when Julia is not immediately forthcoming with the problem. Julia's mother, especially, is understanding of the situation, and empathetic at some moments to the point of tears. She represents that adult mindset that knows it will all eventually be okay, but she is not completely immune to the way the girls' cruel treatment affects her daughter. As the daughter of a woman who once volunteered to turn the garden hose on bullies marching up and down in front of my house, I was pleased to see a mom character who was present, involved, and invested.
Normalized religion. I made a post on my Tumblr account months ago about #weneeddiversebooks as it relates to the treatment of religion. This book, while not at all about religion, mentions in passing a number of times that Julia has gone to Mass with her mom. It's wonderful to see a Catholic character portrayed as a normal person with normal problems, rather than as a plot device specifically focused on bigotry or acceptance. I would have loved seeing those references when I was in the target age range for this book. Being religious is a normal part of life for many kids, and it's great to see that represented in such a mainstream book.
Realistic cruelty. Sometimes books with "mean girls" in them go overboard with the specific ways those girls are cruel. This book does a great job with the subtlety girls use to hurt each other, and with the emotional rollercoaster Julia experiences as Taylor and Alyssa seem to change their minds about her on a daily basis. The prank calls were an especially good choice, as they represent the secret, underhanded way girls sometimes behave in these situations, and they show the caller's complete disregard for not just Julia but her family as well.
Cicadas. This story is set during a summer where cicadas are expected to hatch. Kids are fascinated by the idea of cicadas, so from the standpoint of attracting readers alone, this is a strength of this book. Beyond that, though, the anticipation of the cicadas, the excitement of their arrival, and their slow dissipation give the novel a natural rise and fall that matches the rise and fall of the plot. Though the cicadas are expected from early in the book, their involvement in the story does not feel forced, and any metaphorical connections to Julia's situation are very subtle.
Russia. The game of Russia provides perfect tension throughout this book. It's the kind of thing that everyone wants to be able to do when they see someone else doing it, and Julia's desire to beat Alyssa at the game builds the rivalry between those two characters. Tween friendship can be a competitive sport unto itself, and Russia just gives that sense of wanting to be the best a physical manifestation for the sake of the story. The author also provides the thirteen steps of the game at the back of the book, which is sure to encourage every girl who reads the story to at least give it a try.
End of Daze. This is the television show that Taylor and Alyssa watch, and which Julia is forbidden to watch, but sees anyway with a neighbor boy. Every kid has a story about sneak-watching a show against their parents' wishes, and even though the show was invented for this story, the plot lines Julia describes are very realistic and reminiscent of shows real kids are not likely to be allowed to watch if their parents are particularly protective regarding media consumption.
Cell phones. Julia, at age twelve, does not have a cell phone! So many middle grade novels assume that all kids have them, and need them, and this book sends the opposite message. Julia's lack of a phone also serves as yet another barrier which separates her from coolness in Alyssa's eyes, and the fact that Julia's mother doesn't just go out and buy her one to help her fit in sends a wonderful message to readers who might be a lot like Julia.
The book that helped me through my own traumatic friendship experiences in the 1990s was Just As Long As We're Together by Judy Blume, which I read and read until the cover nearly fell off. The Battle of Darcy Lane is that book for the 2010s. Girls will see themselves, their lives, and their feelings in this book and they will relish the knowledge that though they may feel isolated, they are by no means alone. I also loved Roomies, which is co-authored by Tara Altebrando, so now I'm really looking forward to her future books!

[booksventura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bagussss!! Saya jadi ngerti loh pikiran anak cewek 12 tahun itu ga bs di anggep remeh. Mulai dari pertemanan, persaingan, juga percintaan. Semuanya ada dibuku ini dan di narasikan lewat prespektif anak 12 tahun. Ga cuma itu, hubungan ortu anak juga banyak dibahas. Terutama Mom yang jadi ibu sekaligus sahabat terdekat Julia. Cara mom men treatment Julia itu bs kita jadi referensi pengasuhan anak. Plus gimana Mom mem protect Julia dari kenalan barunya yang menurut Mom engga baik. Pokoknya saya senang baca ini dan jadi nemu bny insight baru. Thank you author ❤️

[DeannaH · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a creative, capturing funny book, recommend it 100%

[Jordyn♥️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought it was AMAZING i could relate to so much in this book. reply wish there was a sequel or part 2!!

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came across this through Apple Podcasts. It’s a pretty typical middle grade book. Predictable plot. That said, I still enjoyed the character relationships.

[Liz Friend · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story: What was supposed to be a fun summer turns nasty when new girl Alyssa moves in and immediately steals Julia's best friend. Alyssa says awful things about people and is just plain mean--why can't Taylor see it? And now that Julia's figured out that she has a crush on Peter, it looks like Alyssa's going to try to steal him too. How can you hold on to what you have without being mean too? Clue: it could have something to do with Russia!

June Cleaver's ratings: language PG; violence G; Sexual content G; nudity G; substance abuse PG; magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (bulllying behaviors) PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: Altebrando has a great way of showing what it's really like to be in 7th grade, where friendships are everything and betrayals feel like the end of the world. Julia's journey to understanding that proximity isn't always the best ground for friendship is believable and her frustration about her mixed feelings for "would be" crush Peter are charming. A sweet little read, totally for girls.

Annotation with spoilers: Julia and Taylor are playing "Millionaire" when the truck with Alyssa's family belongings pulls up and the girl appears. From that moment, Taylor (looking to move beyond next-door-neighbor Julia who has nowhere near Alyssa's cool factor) is Alyssa's devoted follower and Julia is left out. Alyssa says mean things and deliberately excludes Julia from the twosome, and Taylor seems unable to even try to include Julia. The first thing that happens is Alyssa's introduction of "Russia", a complicated game played with a ball at which she, of course, excels.

Julia's dealing with a bunch of teen issues this summer: she thinks she likes neighbor Peter, who also seems to like her; she's trying to get her parents to let her switch to the bigger office bedroom, but they're strangely reluctant (could her mom be pregnant?); Taylor always stands Julia up for whatever they have arranged; Julia and Peter are sneaking around to watch a TV show that both of them are banned by their parents from watching; there's a once in 17 years infestation of cicadas, and Julia is stuck going to band camp, where she unexpectedly meets Laney--who's a kindred spirit and shows Julia what a real friend should act like: there to support under whatever circumstances.

During a run-in with Alyssa, Julia finally blows up and hits the other girl in the face with a ball. This leads to a "Russia" challenge; Julia's true friends help her train for the meet-up, and eventually she beats Alyssa at her own game--only to discover that this doesn't bring her up in Alyssa's opinion, and that Taylor is actually the source of a bunch of prank phone calls that have been annoying the family all summer.

By the end, Julia has come to the realization that your best friends aren't necessarily the ones you've lived next door to all your life--that she and Alyssa will never be friends, no matter how hard she tries, and that Taylor isn't going to be her best friend anymore, no matter what she does. This part of the story really rings true--because adolescence is one place where you end up making discoveries like this and learning how to put them into place in your life, because you also realize that's your new reality.