Fake

by Donna Cooner

A YA novel about a girl who creates a fake social-media account in an attempt to connect with a boy at school. As the strategy works, her web of online lies increases, until the girl whose identity she's stolen becomes all too real.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Social Media, School, High School

Hardcover

First published October 1, 2019

About the author

Donna Cooner was born and raised in Texas. She is a three time graduate of Texas A&M University. A former teacher and school administrator, she now teaches teachers and principals at Colorado State University where she is the director of the School of Teacher Education and Principal Preparation. She lives in Fort Collins, Colorado, with her two labs and a cat named Stu. She’s a big fan of chocolate and laughing (not necessarily in that order).

Donna is the author of two novels for young adults, SKINNY and CAN’T LOOK AWAY. She’s also the author of over twenty picture books and was a founding member of the Brazos Valley Society of Children’s Bookwriters and Illustrators. She has also written children’s television shows for PBS and textbooks for future teachers.

Reviews

[Katie B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm so glad social media wasn't really a thing back when I was growing up. By the time I graduated high school, most people were just starting to realize there was more to the internet than Prodigy chat rooms and AOL. As if the teenage years weren't tough enough, it seems like adding social media to the mix is presenting a whole new set of challenges for kids today.

Maisie Fernandez is sick of being picked on by the kids at school for her looks. It's not fun being made fun of for your weight all the time. She decides to get even and creates a fake social media profile. She sees a photo of some random beautiful, skinny girl online, names her Sienna, and starts posing as her online. It's all good because this girl lives in some other town and it's not like she would ever find out, right? While pretending to be Sienna, Maisie is able to chat online with the kids at school who taunt her. Basically she is catfishing. It seems like they all like this "Sienna" and Maisie starts developing some confidence of her own. But this charade can only last so long and big surprise, Maisie is soon going to meet the real life Sienna, the girl whose photos Maisie has been using. Uh oh, what's going to happen if everyone finds out what Maisie has been up to?

If you were one of the lucky few who got out of high school with only positive memories, congrats! For most of us though, those teenage years were not all sunshine and rainbows. And that's what I liked about this book as it showed life isn't a picnic for most kids during their school years. It doesn't much matter whether you were popular or not, we were all just struggling to get thru it, weren't we? And that's why I think this story will resonate with most readers. There's something for everyone to take away from the story.

Is the story predictable? Well yes, I'm sure most readers can see early on which direction the story is going in. However, don't let that stop you from reading it as there are truly some good messages within the story. It doesn't matter what age you are, it's always good to be reminded every now and again that it's important to be comfortable in your own skin. When you have self-confidence, the sky's the limit!

I won a free advance reader's copy in a giveaway by IreadYA but was under no obligation to post a review. All views expressed are my honest opinion.

[Rachel :) · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was the worst piece of trash I've ever read. First of all what is that cover? Also the main character sucked and like she can shut up. Also as much as I hated this book, it wasn't boring at all, it's just I hated the main character.

[PinkAmy loves books, cats and naps · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 STARS

Maisie, an overweight, bullied high school student, catfishes her bullies with a photo of a family friend. When Claire possibly transferring to the school, unaware her picture is used as Sienna online, Maisie scrambles for a solution.

FAKE reads like an adult set down to write a story for teenagers about bullying and body positivity to send an Important Message to readers. The characters come straight out of central casting: pretty, popular people who range from unkind to bullies and super-cool, misunderstood underdogs/bullying victims.

Maisie’s body positivity is a great example for everyone, except since she mentioned so often, telling rather than showing, I wondered how okay she was with herself.

FAKE was predictable and unoriginal with characters that seemed like characters instead of people.

[Kailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing, and helps a lot of people with internal insecurities.
My character changed throughout the story from being a shy, insecure girl to a brave, outstanding, girl who overcame her internal insecurities. Me and the character learned that you shouldn't be judged on looks, you should be judged by actions and your inside. And that revenge is not the answer EVER.

[LW · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good! The stakes kept getting higher and higher...I couldn't put it down.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book I did like. It was very nice read on trying to be true to yourself and accepting on who you are on the inside and out. High school can be stressful always at times with the bullies, but don't never forget who your real friends are. Real friends stay together with you until the very head.

[Savannah]

It wasn't that good but I still ejoyed it

[Bookworm 🐛 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poor Maisie, but making fake profiles on social media just to get revenge on someone is very low key.
Maisie should have told her mother and get all the people who bullied her suspended.........but now that i think of it, all the kids bullied her so there would be no more school! Huh, no wonder teachers didn't do anything about it. Owen and Grace weren't mentioned enough, and i think it could have made the book better. Maisie's shape-shifter pairs were so true to their personality! Grace as a Labrador retriever. Owen as a raven, and so on. I didn't like Claire AT ALL. She was peppy, but not as peppy as Grace. AND SHE WAS SO ANNOYING! I just didn't like her. Just the other version of "her". Sienna.....well, Maisie's other side. I know for one thing is that this book had a too predictable. I already knew what was coming. But Donna Cooner is an amazing author! I have been reading her books for quite some time. She did an amazing job with 'Fake'. A dazzling 3!!!!!!!

[Gayle (OutsmartYourShelf) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maisie is a talented artist but hardly anyone knows this because of her size and her looks. Maisie is bullied and puts on a brave face, but that doesn't mean she doesn't care. She decides to pay back one of her bullies by creating a fake persona using photos from the internet: 'Sienna' is pretty and soon becomes popular online. So what happens when the real 'Sienna' (real name Claire) may be transferring to Maisie's school?

I thought this was an interesting read. I could relate to some things about Maisie and I thought that the author articulated how young people feel at that age. You want to belong somewhere and it's soul-destroying when you don't seem to fit anywhere. I did think the ending was a little too pat, unfortunately fat-phobia is all too real.

[Noah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fake was a very quick read, which is why I selected it. The characters felt realistic enough, as was the story. The main character was very annoying at times, some parts felt a little unrealistic, and the plot was pretty predictable, but I still enjoyed it. There was some character development, and it spread a pretty good message. I enjoyed Fake, and while I won't be reading it again, I still liked it.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the body positivity in this book I just wish there was more because it wasn't always so positive. There were alot of good lessons learned in the story. The book was good but it fell flat for me the characters didn't really change only Maisie and at the very end.

[Taja W · Rating 4 out of 5]

The thing about the book: "Fake" by Donna Cooner is that at certain points in the book, you will be very mad at Masie. It's not really her as a "rude" person you will really just be mad because she isn't doing the right things or working her problems out the right way. Instead, she uses a fake social media profile to get close to people who have hurt her in the past for being big: Her ex-best friend, Desirea and her (and i use this lightly) tormentor, Jesse.

[Felicity Hahl]

I really love this book and like the author a lot.

[Maddy W.]

I think the theme of this book is don't pretend to be someone else. This means a lot because Maisie makes some bad choices pretending to be someone else and this affects everyone in a negative way.

[Kerri · Rating 4 out of 5]

YA story about a high school sophomore who creates a fake online profile to get back at her bullies. Maisie is a very sympathetic character. I’ve definitely felt just like her when I was younger (and sometimes now) It’s a good read for a younger audience (middle/high school) but doesn’t translate that well for older adults.

[Mallory · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m gonna give this book the benefit of the doubt, because I’ll admit it got a lot better as it went on. But I didn’t like how all Maisie did was complain about her looks, her body, and people at school, instead of doing something about it. And then she catfishes the most popular guy in her school? Like, no. For some reason it really pissed me off that Maisie spent all this time pretending to be someone she’s not, meanwhile playing with Jesse’s, Claire’s, and Dezerea’s feelings. And then like she had the audacity to bring up what Jesse did wrong?? When you apologize you apologize for what you did, don’t pin the blame on the other person. Also, the whole thing with like the popular kids/jocks and the non popular kids/nerds made me realize how divided schools really are and the people in them, especially high school. With that being said, it just seemed kind of cliche that in the end Jesse had always liked Maisie and Dezerea ended up being super nice when Maisie despised them for most of her life? It just didn’t seem realistic at all, but maybe that’s just me. I did really like how this book ended though. It was nice to see how you don���t ever really know what’s going on in someone’s head and everyone has their own crap that they have to go through. I do wish, however, that Maisie and Claire’s relationship ended on a better note, but oh well, I mean not everything always works out in the end. I think I’ll give this book a 3 star rating because I’ve given other books that rating and feel that this one was a bit better than others? But I don’t know, maybe I’m just being too nice. Sorry this review was so long and ranty!

[Ree Larsen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Discovering self love, judging people without really knowing them, the importance of kindness and friendship.... I can appreciate the overall messages, but I’m just generally weirded out by catfishing. I’m so glad the main characters didn’t get together in the end.

Also... saddened that it took her the entire book to appreciate the only female friendship she had that was true. Like, girl.... you need all the true friends you can get. You harp on Grace so much, and then complain you have no other friends? *shakes head*

Also, also. I’m so glad social media wasn’t around when I was in high school.

[Graci Toth · Rating 1 out of 5]

1 star.

[Vanessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book in like 6th grade and all I remember was the main character being so annoying like for what girl.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The suspense builds in this realistic, fictional, drama as Maisie develops an on-line persona, "Sienna" to express the life she wishes she had, and to seek revenge from a longstanding grudge. In Fake, author Donna Cooner helps the reader to understand Maisie Fernandez, a very artistic, sensitive, thoughtful high school girl who is Filipino-American and living in Colorado. Maisie states that she is at least 50 lbs. overweight, and that her friendship group started changing from the time of middle school. "Just by walking outside, by existing, I invite rude comments. This shell I wear makes me a target for the world to say rude things." (p. 151) Maisie is horrified that a preschool aged boy was singing a made up song about a "Big fat girl..." as she walked past, until the boy's mother shushed him and apologized to her. As readers, we can understand, empathize, and feel her pain.
Her best friend, Owen, is charming and provides comic relief as he embraces being unique. The pair have been branded 'The Fruit Loops' because Owen ate Fruit Loops every day. Jesse, a popular football player, teased him about this when Maisie decided to take a stand and to dump the bowl of cereal over Jesse's head, leading to years of classmates making derogatory comments in the hallways as Maisie walked past. It got to the point that her locker was stuffed with Fruit Loops, and on the first day of high school, when she opened her locker, the cereal cascaded all over her and the hallway. She and Owen remain the outsiders, until a sweet girl, Grace, becomes their friend but it is clear that Grace and Owen have feelings for each other, causing Maisie to feel rather left-out once more.
The plot gets more complicated as Maisie creates "Sienna", on Chit-Chat, an online alter-ego who contacts and eventually exchanges messages and even makes plans with Jesse and Dezirea, popular students whom Maisie perceives as shallow. "Maybe Sienna isn't my super-hero alter ego. She is my escape." (p. 151) Maisie's real world and online world collide when Claire, the girl whom "Sienna" is based upon (the daughter of her mother's friend and colleague), takes a tour of the school as a prospective student and attends the homecoming dance, in a truly awkward sequence of events that expose Maisie's web of lies and subject her to more ridicule.
Maisie has won the opportunity to meet a graphic novelist, Lexi Singh, who provides feedback on Maisie's artwork. "Dig deeper...Find your own voice. Your own style...I want to see what's true. Be yourself. Nobody else can." (p. 258-259) When Maisie learns more about Jesse and Dezirea, she realizes that her outward view of their perfection was shallow, and that they, too, have had stuggles in their lives.
Will Maisie learn to accept and love herself for who she really is?
Will Maisie be able to overcome her anger and to learn how to talk things through and to work out problems with others?
You'll have to read Fake to find out!

[Espacebouquinerie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ce livre m'intéressait particulièrement, mais, malheureusement, je ne l'ai pas beaucoup apprécié. J'ai trouvé l'histoire longue et les personnages peu développés ; je ne ressentais pas leurs émotions, on demeurait en surface. Maisie, le personnage principal, ressasse durant la majeure partie de l'histoire les mêmes pensées (ce que je peux comprendre, mais j'ai trouvé que ça allongeait l'histoire), et ce, même si elle connaît une petite évolution.

Il ne se passe pas grand-chose dans le récit, ce qui fait en sorte que cela crée beaucoup de longueurs. Je trouve cela dommage, car ce roman aborde des thèmes importants, comme la pression sociale ou la grossophobie, et qui pourraient rendre ce livre fort, mais encore là, l'auteure aborde certaines thématiques de façon très cliché, et ces clichés ne sont pas utilisés à bon escient pour servir l'histoire. Ces thèmes sont néanmoins présents, de même que le message, et sont importants, alors ils constituent tout de même un point fort de ce roman.

Il y a aussi autre chose que j'ai apprécié dans ce bouquin, comme le talent de Maisie pour le dessin qu'elle utilise pour créer des bandes dessinées. Par moment, on voit son imagination en marche, on perçoit son cerveau s'activer, comment il "retranscrit" la réalité pour en faire une bd et j'aimais bien. De plus, il y a des comparaisons/métaphores qui sont bien réussies (surtout les petites, comme : « L'hydre de la jalousie paralyse mon cerveau. Ses multiples têtes de serpent sont sûrement d'un vilain vert et dotées de crocs aiguisés comme des rasoirs amers. J'aimerais avoir un crayon entre les doigts. Je les dessinerais se tortillant et s'enroulant autour de mon crâne, sifflant, injectant leur poison dans mes tympans. »), mais, encore là, elles ne le sont pas toutes : l'auteure utilise, parfois, le cours de chimie pour effectuer de grandes comparaisons avec la vie, mais elles ne sont pas toutes naturelles ; elles ne s'intègrent pas toutes bien dans le texte. C'est comme si elles avaient été ajoutées de force dans le récit.

Un autre point que j'ai apprécié est que chaque chapitre se termine avec une discussion en ligne. C'est une bonne façon qui permet d'en apprendre plus sur les autres personnages autrement qu'en relatant, par exemple, leur discussion. De plus, cela rejoint le sujet de ce livre : l'usurpation d'identité.

Donc, malheureusement, ce ne fut pas une si bonne lecture pour ma part, mais ce roman a tout de même quelques points que j'ai bien aimés, le plus fort étant les thématiques qu'il aborde.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

ok, i'm gonna admit it: Cooner writes some of the trashiset books ever and i love reading them, even though i can tell all the faults of the book about 10,000 times. i liked Worthy even though it was sooo dramatic and i hated all the characters, but Cooner hooked me in. like for example, the main character, Maisie, is actually really mean and awful, and she has really amazing mates that deserve sooo much better than her, but i'm not even mad. i still love trashy young adult novels where the author doesn't make sparkles come out of the main character's ass. the kind of trashy ones where the stakes are put so high that you can't just help but be addicted by the book.

in my opinion, young adult and/or high school books in general should be over the top and dramatic bc teenagers can be so over-the-top and dramatic. when i was 15, i thought the dumbest things ever was sooo important and life-changing. and because it's a YA book, there's usually some character development so i can't even be mad and say Cooner's not even trying because she totally is. i can totally see myself in this main character's shoes, because i was an awful teenager too. but i can't in good conscious 4 star these books because they're not on the same level as Death on the Nile or A Thousand Splendid Suns, unfortunately. but i still like them. i can also like pick out 5,000 faults in the writing, but that's not what this kind of reading is about. this kind of reading is just about enjoying yourself and laughing and having fun. this is what Cooner accomplishes.

this is literary equivalent of watching Masterchef, Love is Blind or those kind of trashy reality TV shows, where you know that it's bad, but it's the kind of bad that's good and fun and you know you're probably going to read the next one because it's just fun reading. the kind of massive AITA post thread that you just have to go down. where the drama is just fun and without any real consequences. sometimes, you need to read books like this so you can go on to read insightful, meaningful books. we need these kinds of books in our lives. without these books in our lives, we will be sucked to death by all the sad, insightful books that we read.

the cover is kind of trashy too, like it belongs on a Wattpad fanfic, but i kind of am into that. i'm into Cooner in a way that i can't explain and i think everyone should have a Cooner-like read in their lists.

[Isadora · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really want to say that I loved this book, because I think the story was really creative and engaging, but I did have a hard time with some things that just prevented me from LOVING it.

First of all, personally, I didn’t find the main character, Maisie, to be very likeable, as she was very sad and mopey and just didn’t like anyone. I understand that that is the whole point of her character, but I needed to have something a little more to be able to relate to her more, or like her more. There were a lot of times when I feel like she was kind of mean for no reason, and that kind of kept me from really having a connection with her.

Second of all, something that really bothered me was the involvement of Maisies sister, Veronica, and her involvement in this book. Maisie kept saying that she really loved her sister, and that she really missed her and such, but I feel like that character was not involved enough in the book. Veronica was built up in the first half to be this really great big sister who moved away, but in my opinion, she was kind of unnecessary, because she didn’t even end up doing anything important in this book. Maisie tried calling her a couple times in the first half, but then she pretty much just forgot about her for the rest of the book. I feel like that character could have been put into the story much l better than it was, maybe giving Maisie a pep talk or something when she felt down. Veronica was kind of left to blow away in the wind, you know what I mean?

Now, other that throws things and some minor others, I really did like the idea and story of this book and found it very engaging. I loved the suspense of Maisies catfish getting jogger and higher, and Ireally liked the ending. I would recommend this book to people, because it has a valuable lesson and is suspenseful, but it wasn’t my favourite book.

[Allison Renner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the @kidlitexchange network for the review copy of this book - all opinions are my own.

Fake by Donna Cooner is a unique take on the high school popularity game. Maisie is tired of being ashamed of her overweight body and tired of hearing the popular kids make cutting remarks about how she looks. When she’s forced to be lab partners with Jesse, the king of these insults, she’s determined to make him suffer. She creates a fake online profile for a pretty girl she names Sienna, and gets to work making all of the popular kids believe Sienna is real. Maisie, who already escaped real life by drawing comics, now puts work into developing Sienna’s internet presence. Before too long, even Maisie has trouble remembering what is real and what happened online. She’s scared at being found out, but she‘s hooked on feeling popular and accepted.

Personally I was drawn into this book because Maisie is overweight and uncomfortable with it. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE all these YA books with overweight main characters who love their bodies and have confidence oozing out of every pore, but that wasn’t my experience. I was a chubby kid and struggled with weight and body image all through high school, and I wasn’t comfortable with it or confident about it. I always wanted to see that reflected in fiction, because otherwise I felt even worse about myself. Why wasn’t I confident about my size like other characters? Why was I so nervous about standing in front of the class and letting them see my whole body instead of being like other characters? I love that Maisie lets body conscious teens feel seen and understood, then empowers them in a realistic way.

I highly recommend you check this book out for yourself when it releases on October 1, 2019!

[Kasi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting, easy, and pretty light read about a young teenage girl who is struggling with her self-image and how her peers are regarding her. She decides to play a pretty petty trick on a popular boy, totally revenge-driven, and ends up realizing that she has dug herself pretty deep into a hole that she isn't sure how to get out of.

I appreciated the way that this book could work in the classroom, should a teacher decide to use it. There are definitely a lot of opportunities with this book to have discussions about getting to know someone better and not judging anyone, regardless of who they are - we never know what someone else is dealing with, we don't know their stories, their journeys... so in that way, it would work great to allow for some teachable moments in encouraging some empathy, kindness, and listening to understand. What I appreciated the most was how this book could really work quite beautifully to open a discussion about social media, digital literacy, online etiquette, and bullying - cyber or in real life. There are lots of things you could do with self-acceptance, self-image, self-confidence, and developing your own identity, too. Finally... friendship. Who are your real friends and how do you know that they are the ones that will always be there for you?

Overall, a pretty cute little read, nothing major or intensely deep, but it offers lots of teachable moments. I would definitely recommend this book to teenagers today, I felt that the reading level was pretty great and it seemed to incorporate a fair amount of contemporary teenage lingo.

[cam · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this book was very mediocre. I think what made it so mid was not necessarily the plot, I felt as if the plot had potential, however, the characters were so horribly written. Reading about Maisie's experience in high school felt like the kinds of anti-bullying videos they show in health class from 30 years ago, where the bullies still ask for lunch money. High school is not like that at all, it felt as if the author looked at some Disney movies and decided they were an accurate source for how to write high school.

Furthermore, and this infuriated me the MOST was how badly the ending was written. The author wrote that it all "clicked" and that's how they discovered that Maisie was the one behind Sienna's fake account. NO. What the hell! Just because Maisie was standing there and she was overweight or whatever doesn't mean that people will immediately know she was behind the fake account. It's not like she showed Jesse and CLaire her phone?!! So how did they know??? Maisie could have easily denied it and pretended to be just as surprised as Claire that someone was pretending to be her and instead of faking that stupid car accident for Sienna she could have just deleted the account before things got too out of hand. But Maisie is so damn stupid and you want to know why? Because of what I said in the first paragraph of my review. Because it seems as if the author doesn't know what high school is actually like and how social media works for teens.

I was cringing the entire time the other Disney (skinny, blonde, smirk, football jocks) kids spoke, wtf is this trash.

[J Mccarragher · Rating 4 out of 5]

@kidlitexchange #partner “Thanks to the @kidlitexchange network for the
review copy of this book - all opinions are my own.”

While Fake by Donna Cooner is predictable, many takeaways can be garnered from the story. Maisie Hernanzez learns the hard way that actions have consequences, social media can be powerful but dangerous, and lies have a way of unraveling even if told with the best intentions. Second, true friends know you from the inside out. Every teen needs an Owen in his or her life! Third, society needs to do more to foster positive self-image in teens regardless of size or shape. Lastly and probably most importantly, everyone has a story and deals with circumstances unknown to you even if it appears that life is perfect. Cooner did an admirable job of giving credence to teenagers having lives outside of school who deal with pretty significant issues. No one is exempt! The stereotypes are clear but Maisie eventually discovers that “Grace isn’t a flake. Jesse’s not the bully I thought he was, and Dezirea’s not a vain diva. We’re all so much more than other’s narrow perceptions” (273). Overall, a fast read appropriate for middle school and high school classrooms.

[Jess Swann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Une histoire de mal être assez originale qui traite de la difficulté de s'accepter de Maisie et ne diabolise pas forcément les réseaux sociaux. En effet, à l'abri derrière son identité de Sienna, Maisie discute enfin avec ses camarades et finit par découvrir que ceux qu'elle déteste/envie tellement ont eux aussi des problèmes... J'ai bien aimé le fait qu'au final, c'était plus Maisie qui se rejetait elle-même plutôt que les autres qui le faisaient. Le personnage de Jesse est craquant (et là on est désolé pour Maisie qu'elle se soit sabordée ainsi). Le côté bande dessinée a permis d'illustrer l'évolution de Maisie et j'aime bien la manière dont à la fin, elle réussit enfin à se dessiner et donc à s'accepter. Bon, certes les victimes de Maisie prennent un peu trop bien les choses (selon moi) mais au final, le livre est bien construit



Ce que j'aime : pour le coup, les réseaux ne sont pas diabolisés (même si on montre bien qu'on peut usurper facilement un identité), la manière dont Maisie apprend à s'accepter, le personnage de Jesse



Ce que j'aime moins : les personnages pardonnent trop facilement à Maisie, pas crédible



Pour résumer



Un livre intéressant qui traite de l'acceptation de soi et de sa nécessité pour être accepté par les autres



Ma note



7/10

[Isabella Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book surprisingly fast! It’s not my usual type of book but I actually enjoyed it! I connected to Maisie in a way because I was also always overweight growing up. I never faced bullying because of it though. (My school thankfully has no tolerance for bullying) It was interesting to see the whole fake account thing play out. I’m sorry but I think Maisie was so dumb for using the daughter of her mom’s Facebook friend as the face of Sienna. Like of course your mom is gonna know her, why would you risk that?? I LOVE Owen and Grace, they’re definitely the characters that I would be friends with if I were to be put inside this novel. I had a feeling that Jesse had a liking for Maisie ever since reading their first couple lab interactions. I really hope that Jesse is able to forgive Maisie because I think that them as a couple or even just as friends would be amazing! Overall, this was a fun quick read. You’ll either love, hate, or feel both for Maisie. It’s absolutely perfect for girls in Middle school or high school! 4/5 stars!

[Jasmine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ll be honest I had every intention of DNFing this book. But every time I thought about it I decided to give it one more shot. By reading one more paragraph I found myself captivated by something new the author threw into the story. This is definitely a cheesy story but does touch on some hard topics like fat shaming, bullying and cat fishing. I found the main character a little annoying at times but I think her struggle was one that a lot of people including myself can relate to. Learning to be yourself and loving yourself even when you might not look like others around you can be so hard. Especially when you have people making harmful comments when your just trying to live in the world can be hurtful and the lies can sink deep and can produce bitterness, anger and or self loathing. In this story we see one girls take with dealing with such comments her story isn’t perfect but I think it’s important.