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TBH #1
TBH, This Is So Awkward
To be honest, middle school is rough! Cecily, Gabby, and Prianka have been BFFAE since pre-K, so it’s totally natural when they don’t include the new girl, Victoria, in their plans and group texts.
Between organizing the school Valentine’s Day dance, prepping for their first boy-girl party, and trying to keep their texts so boring their moms won’t use spy apps to read them, the friends only have time for each other.
But when Victoria is accidentally sent a hurtful text message, the entire sixth grade gets called out for bullying, cell phones are confiscated, and the trio known as CPG4Eva is forced to figure out just how strong their friendships are IRL.
Between organizing the school Valentine’s Day dance, prepping for their first boy-girl party, and trying to keep their texts so boring their moms won’t use spy apps to read them, the friends only have time for each other.
But when Victoria is accidentally sent a hurtful text message, the entire sixth grade gets called out for bullying, cell phones are confiscated, and the trio known as CPG4Eva is forced to figure out just how strong their friendships are IRL.
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 2, 2018
1859 people are currently reading
2085 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Greenwald
37 books479 followersA long bio can be kind of boring, so instead I'm going to pretend
that a famous journalist (maybe Barbara Walters) is interviewing me.
The only thing is, I'm making up the questions.
If you think of any other questions you'd like me to answer, send me an email and ask away!
Q. Where did you grow up?
A. I lived in Fairfield, Connecticut until the end of fifth grade and then I moved to Roslyn Heights, New York. That's on Long Island. But I don't have a bad Lawn Guyland accent, I promise.
Q. Do you have any siblings?
A. Yes, I have two younger brothers. I always wanted a sister, but it's kind of nice being the only daughter in the family, and my brothers and I are really close.
Q. What about the rest of your family? Are you close with them too?
A. Yes, family is really important to me. I talk to my parents and grandparents every day.
Q. Are you married?
A. Yes, to a fabulous guy named Dave. We met at sleep away camp when I was sixteen.
Q. Do you have any kids?
A. Yes, my daughter Aleah Violet Rosenberg was born on May 28th, 2010 and I personally think she's the cutest baby in the world, but of course I am biased.
Q. Do you have any pets?
A. I had a miniature toy poodle named Yoffi, but he died in 2007. I miss him so much.
Q. That's sad. Do you think you will get another dog?
A. I would love to adopt one very soon!
Q. What is your favorite book?
A. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt is my favorite book in the whole entire world. I read it in sixth grade in Ms. Mayer's class. I have read many books since then, but Tuck Everlasting is still my absolute favorite.
Q. What is your favorite movie?
A. I have two. Clueless and Avalon.
Q. What's one of the craziest things that's ever happened to you?
A. I won a radio contest at the end of eighth grade! Someone from Z100 called me up and asked me to say the "phrase that pays" and I answered correctly. I won a thousand dollars.
Q. Did you always want to be a writer?
A. No, not always. I wanted to be a hair stylist, then a concert pianist, then a rabbi. But I always loved making up stories, so I think writing is the perfect job for me.
Q. Where did you go to college?
A. I went to Binghamton University in upstate New York. I was an English major with a concentration in creative writing. It's reallllllllly cold in Binghamton. Then two years after I graduated college, I went to The New School to get my MFA in writing for children.
Q. You mentioned that you met Dave at sleep away camp. Did you really like sleep away camp?
A. YES! I loved it. I went to Eisner Camp in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. I would go back to camp forever if only I could. Sleep away camp is the best place in the world.
Q. Tell me some other things you really like.
A. Okay. Here's a short list: sleeping late, fancy hotels, reading and writing (duh!,) peanut m&ms, flip flops, sweatpants, people watching, New York City, cheese omelets, weddings, pedicures, looking at old pictures and re-reading old cards and letters.
Q. Tell me some things you really dislike.
A. Peas, mean people, rats and mice, sweating, pants and skirts with a side zipper, spicy food, uncomfortable shoes, people clipping their nails on the subway, feeling lonely or thinking about other people who might feel lonely.
Q. MY LIFE IN PINK & GREEN is about a pharmacy. Do you really like pharmacies?
A. Yes, I love them! I love the way they smell and the way the aisles are arranged. I love when the pharmacists know the customers and I love looking at all the beauty products.
Q. Do you write every day?
A. I try to, but in addition to writing I also work in the library at The Birch Wathen Lenox School in Manhattan. I love being around kids and books and talking to kids about books!
Q. I don't have any more questions. Is there anything else you'd like to add?
A. Just that I hope readers like my book, and I'd love to hear from all of them if they want to talk to me!
that a famous journalist (maybe Barbara Walters) is interviewing me.
The only thing is, I'm making up the questions.
If you think of any other questions you'd like me to answer, send me an email and ask away!
Q. Where did you grow up?
A. I lived in Fairfield, Connecticut until the end of fifth grade and then I moved to Roslyn Heights, New York. That's on Long Island. But I don't have a bad Lawn Guyland accent, I promise.
Q. Do you have any siblings?
A. Yes, I have two younger brothers. I always wanted a sister, but it's kind of nice being the only daughter in the family, and my brothers and I are really close.
Q. What about the rest of your family? Are you close with them too?
A. Yes, family is really important to me. I talk to my parents and grandparents every day.
Q. Are you married?
A. Yes, to a fabulous guy named Dave. We met at sleep away camp when I was sixteen.
Q. Do you have any kids?
A. Yes, my daughter Aleah Violet Rosenberg was born on May 28th, 2010 and I personally think she's the cutest baby in the world, but of course I am biased.
Q. Do you have any pets?
A. I had a miniature toy poodle named Yoffi, but he died in 2007. I miss him so much.
Q. That's sad. Do you think you will get another dog?
A. I would love to adopt one very soon!
Q. What is your favorite book?
A. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt is my favorite book in the whole entire world. I read it in sixth grade in Ms. Mayer's class. I have read many books since then, but Tuck Everlasting is still my absolute favorite.
Q. What is your favorite movie?
A. I have two. Clueless and Avalon.
Q. What's one of the craziest things that's ever happened to you?
A. I won a radio contest at the end of eighth grade! Someone from Z100 called me up and asked me to say the "phrase that pays" and I answered correctly. I won a thousand dollars.
Q. Did you always want to be a writer?
A. No, not always. I wanted to be a hair stylist, then a concert pianist, then a rabbi. But I always loved making up stories, so I think writing is the perfect job for me.
Q. Where did you go to college?
A. I went to Binghamton University in upstate New York. I was an English major with a concentration in creative writing. It's reallllllllly cold in Binghamton. Then two years after I graduated college, I went to The New School to get my MFA in writing for children.
Q. You mentioned that you met Dave at sleep away camp. Did you really like sleep away camp?
A. YES! I loved it. I went to Eisner Camp in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. I would go back to camp forever if only I could. Sleep away camp is the best place in the world.
Q. Tell me some other things you really like.
A. Okay. Here's a short list: sleeping late, fancy hotels, reading and writing (duh!,) peanut m&ms, flip flops, sweatpants, people watching, New York City, cheese omelets, weddings, pedicures, looking at old pictures and re-reading old cards and letters.
Q. Tell me some things you really dislike.
A. Peas, mean people, rats and mice, sweating, pants and skirts with a side zipper, spicy food, uncomfortable shoes, people clipping their nails on the subway, feeling lonely or thinking about other people who might feel lonely.
Q. MY LIFE IN PINK & GREEN is about a pharmacy. Do you really like pharmacies?
A. Yes, I love them! I love the way they smell and the way the aisles are arranged. I love when the pharmacists know the customers and I love looking at all the beauty products.
Q. Do you write every day?
A. I try to, but in addition to writing I also work in the library at The Birch Wathen Lenox School in Manhattan. I love being around kids and books and talking to kids about books!
Q. I don't have any more questions. Is there anything else you'd like to add?
A. Just that I hope readers like my book, and I'd love to hear from all of them if they want to talk to me!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 315 reviews
January 5, 2018
So let me see if I understand the Aesop of this book.
1. Kids are obligated to include EVERYBODY in what they do, including kids they don't know very well or don't especially like. If they don't- if they have a set group of friends that they're attached to and aren't interested in adding anyone else to the dynamic, they are bullies by "excluding" the extra person.
2. It's not enough to be polite to the new kid; if you don't invite her to hang out with you, or make a point of trying to befriend her, you're a bully by excluding her.
3. Teachers/School Administrators suddenly have the right to cancel school functions because of the private conversations of a small handful of students, on their phones, off school hours, and everyone (except for the students) will find this acceptable.
4. You can annoy people and force your presence on them and still be expected to be included in their group. If they don't, you're being bullied.
Alright, so I'm going to go ahead and say a really harsh truth that a lot of people in the "anti-bullying" sectors of society really don't like:
1. Kids are obligated to include EVERYBODY in what they do, including kids they don't know very well or don't especially like. If they don't- if they have a set group of friends that they're attached to and aren't interested in adding anyone else to the dynamic, they are bullies by "excluding" the extra person.
2. It's not enough to be polite to the new kid; if you don't invite her to hang out with you, or make a point of trying to befriend her, you're a bully by excluding her.
3. Teachers/School Administrators suddenly have the right to cancel school functions because of the private conversations of a small handful of students, on their phones, off school hours, and everyone (except for the students) will find this acceptable.
4. You can annoy people and force your presence on them and still be expected to be included in their group. If they don't, you're being bullied.
Alright, so I'm going to go ahead and say a really harsh truth that a lot of people in the "anti-bullying" sectors of society really don't like:
February 18, 2018
TBH is a quick read that will definitely resonate with a younger middle school crowd.
October 2, 2017
*actual rating is 1.5 stars*
I love it when books include texts, emails, or notes/letters, so when I saw this book I was instantly intrigued. However, I now know that even though it may be fun to have these elements in a book, it is almost debilitating to have it fully done in this format.
Usually in books, you can see subtle things that the main characters miss. Because the story was told completely in text, email, and notes, it was hard to see what was actually going on; the story could only be told by what the characters are telling each other. This makes it very difficult to relate to characters or get a clear image of what is going on.
Another thing that really bothered me was how the school handled its policies.
First, they do not allow phone use in class, which is what most schools do. But, they give out everyone's phone numbers in all of the homerooms enabling, and almost encouraging, phone usage during class. They also do not monitor their time on the computers in computer lab (something my school did with a mirroring system), so the girls are sending emails to each other in class as well.
Second, one of the moms complains to the administration about the sixth-grade students planning on taking dates to the school dance. Because of a couple of additional factors, the school temporarily cancels the dance. If the school did not want to have students dancing as couples at a Valentine's Day dance, they should not have held a dance for Valentine's Day. Come on, REALLY?! This makes no logical sense.
Thirdly, the mom who complained is the parent to one of the main character's, Victoria. Victoria is a new student who starts school after winter break. She has a difficult time making friends and keeps trying to befriend the other three main characters, Gabby, Cecily, and Prianka. She emails, texts, and (I assume) she tries to talk to them at school, but the girls politely ignore her. Normally in this case, I would think one would say to themselves, "Hey, maybe I should try making friends with someone else, someone who will talk to me and text me back?" not "Hey, these girls obviously don't want to be my friend, maybe I should keep trying to be friends with only them." Granted, because of the format of the book, we are unable to know if she is trying to make friends with other people, but still. Due to the girls ignoring Victoria and the fact that she is not invited to another student's party (which is not the girls' fault), her mom (also the aforementioned mother) complains to the school that the girls are being mean by ignoring her. (Again, we don't get the behind the scenes, so it is unclear if this is the case, but from the content in the book they don't seem mean at all before the mom emails the school.) In my opinion, Junior High School is when people are no longer treated completely like children and do not have to invite everyone from their class to parties. Apparently, this school does not agree with me. The school then emails all of the parents saying this treatment needs to stop and gives the parents an app to see what their children are doing on their phones.
Between the meddling mom, the other parents who were not firm in their decision making, the insufficient information due to the format, and the way the school handled its problems, I found myself loathing this read. Had the story been tweaked a little bit and had the notes, texts, and emails been supplementary to prose, I think this could have been a halfway decent book, but it just falls short with the way it is. I feel bad that I detested this book so much, I wish I did not, but I did. As you could probably guess, this book is not something that I would recommend picking up for yourself or for a child in your life. If it sounds interesting to you or a child, I would say to try The Winnie Years series or The Internet Girls series by Lauren Myracle, The Willow Falls series by Wendy Mass, Let's Pretend We Never Met by Melissa C. Walker, or The Swap by Megan Shull.
I was given an ARC of this book from the publisher in return for an honest review.
I love it when books include texts, emails, or notes/letters, so when I saw this book I was instantly intrigued. However, I now know that even though it may be fun to have these elements in a book, it is almost debilitating to have it fully done in this format.
Usually in books, you can see subtle things that the main characters miss. Because the story was told completely in text, email, and notes, it was hard to see what was actually going on; the story could only be told by what the characters are telling each other. This makes it very difficult to relate to characters or get a clear image of what is going on.
Another thing that really bothered me was how the school handled its policies.
First, they do not allow phone use in class, which is what most schools do. But, they give out everyone's phone numbers in all of the homerooms enabling, and almost encouraging, phone usage during class. They also do not monitor their time on the computers in computer lab (something my school did with a mirroring system), so the girls are sending emails to each other in class as well.
Second, one of the moms complains to the administration about the sixth-grade students planning on taking dates to the school dance. Because of a couple of additional factors, the school temporarily cancels the dance. If the school did not want to have students dancing as couples at a Valentine's Day dance, they should not have held a dance for Valentine's Day. Come on, REALLY?! This makes no logical sense.
Thirdly, the mom who complained is the parent to one of the main character's, Victoria. Victoria is a new student who starts school after winter break. She has a difficult time making friends and keeps trying to befriend the other three main characters, Gabby, Cecily, and Prianka. She emails, texts, and (I assume) she tries to talk to them at school, but the girls politely ignore her. Normally in this case, I would think one would say to themselves, "Hey, maybe I should try making friends with someone else, someone who will talk to me and text me back?" not "Hey, these girls obviously don't want to be my friend, maybe I should keep trying to be friends with only them." Granted, because of the format of the book, we are unable to know if she is trying to make friends with other people, but still. Due to the girls ignoring Victoria and the fact that she is not invited to another student's party (which is not the girls' fault), her mom (also the aforementioned mother) complains to the school that the girls are being mean by ignoring her. (Again, we don't get the behind the scenes, so it is unclear if this is the case, but from the content in the book they don't seem mean at all before the mom emails the school.) In my opinion, Junior High School is when people are no longer treated completely like children and do not have to invite everyone from their class to parties. Apparently, this school does not agree with me. The school then emails all of the parents saying this treatment needs to stop and gives the parents an app to see what their children are doing on their phones.
Between the meddling mom, the other parents who were not firm in their decision making, the insufficient information due to the format, and the way the school handled its problems, I found myself loathing this read. Had the story been tweaked a little bit and had the notes, texts, and emails been supplementary to prose, I think this could have been a halfway decent book, but it just falls short with the way it is. I feel bad that I detested this book so much, I wish I did not, but I did. As you could probably guess, this book is not something that I would recommend picking up for yourself or for a child in your life. If it sounds interesting to you or a child, I would say to try The Winnie Years series or The Internet Girls series by Lauren Myracle, The Willow Falls series by Wendy Mass, Let's Pretend We Never Met by Melissa C. Walker, or The Swap by Megan Shull.
I was given an ARC of this book from the publisher in return for an honest review.
July 20, 2018
This book was a really quick read, but it was still very good. I liked how the book was told completely told through text messages and was very relatable to some middle schoolers. I would highly recommend it as I really enjoyed it, and I can’t wait to read the second book.
July 11, 2020
First off, the text speak is so cringy and unrealistic, no one talks like that, especially 12 year old girls.
Secondly, the book is completely made up of texts, emails, notes, flyers, and letters. This means there is no introduction to the large cast of characters, and you’re just reading random group chats from the get go. And the messages are often just random and have nothing to add to the “plot.”
Third, all the characters are awful and annoying. They all talk about there “friends” behind their back and set each other up, but are still “best friends.” The only half way decent character is Cece, and that’s not a very high standard, she simply has a bit of a conscience.
Side note, Gabby’s mom reading her diary instead of just talking to her also makes me so mad. She had no right to invade her privacy in that way, let alone message her daughter’s friends’ mothers about who Gabby has a crush on. It’s one thing to invade her privacy, but then she shared it with other people. How ridiculous, and the mothers could have shared the information with their daughters and embarrassed Gabby or the girls could have spread the information. But Gabby never finds out and there is no fallout or repercussions what so ever!
Most importantly, the messages in this book are all wrong. Cece, Gabby, and Prianka are “best friends” even though they talk about each other behind their backs, tell lies about each other, etc. uh-huh, okay. There little clique is so toxic.
They hate the popular group of girls, who don’t seem that bad, especially compared to them.
Then we get to the new girl, Victoria, who is annoying and constantly trying to be included with the trio. They find her annoying and want nothing to do with her, which is understandable because she is annoying and intrusive. They should get to know her before just deciding she’s weird and annoying, but they don’t have to. No one owes it to anyone else to give them a chance, like them, or be friends with them. They are only obligated to be polite to her, and they do besides one accidental text meant for their private group chat were one girl calls her annoying. But guess what? She WAS being annoying.
Victoria is pathetic and annoying and tries to get her mom to make the other kids be friends with her. You would also think Victoria would stop trying to be friends with people who obviously don’t like her, and move on, if not, that’s her fault and it’s pathetic. These 3 girls were not the only people in the whole grade/school. Stop texting them weird emojis and talk to other people at school! She got all their numbers off some class list, why not find some other numbers?
What was even more annoying was Victoria’s mom, who before the mean text was even sent, got mad, and started an outcry because her daughter was experiencing “social cruelty.” I’m sorry but no one is obligated to be your child’s friend, or include her in friend groups or make plans with her, or invite her to a birthday party when she’ll never spoken to or had classes with the boy. They are never intentionally mean, they just ignore her messages or don’t make plans when she wants to. That is not bullying, and if Victoria doesn’t like that they don’t want anything to do with her... stop trying to be friends with them. Having your mom try to get them in trouble for being “socially cruel” to you is not they way to make them like you or want to be your friend. And having their parents force them to hang out with you, is not the way to do it.
Secondly, the book is completely made up of texts, emails, notes, flyers, and letters. This means there is no introduction to the large cast of characters, and you’re just reading random group chats from the get go. And the messages are often just random and have nothing to add to the “plot.”
Third, all the characters are awful and annoying. They all talk about there “friends” behind their back and set each other up, but are still “best friends.” The only half way decent character is Cece, and that’s not a very high standard, she simply has a bit of a conscience.
Side note, Gabby’s mom reading her diary instead of just talking to her also makes me so mad. She had no right to invade her privacy in that way, let alone message her daughter’s friends’ mothers about who Gabby has a crush on. It’s one thing to invade her privacy, but then she shared it with other people. How ridiculous, and the mothers could have shared the information with their daughters and embarrassed Gabby or the girls could have spread the information. But Gabby never finds out and there is no fallout or repercussions what so ever!
Most importantly, the messages in this book are all wrong. Cece, Gabby, and Prianka are “best friends” even though they talk about each other behind their backs, tell lies about each other, etc. uh-huh, okay. There little clique is so toxic.
They hate the popular group of girls, who don’t seem that bad, especially compared to them.
Then we get to the new girl, Victoria, who is annoying and constantly trying to be included with the trio. They find her annoying and want nothing to do with her, which is understandable because she is annoying and intrusive. They should get to know her before just deciding she’s weird and annoying, but they don’t have to. No one owes it to anyone else to give them a chance, like them, or be friends with them. They are only obligated to be polite to her, and they do besides one accidental text meant for their private group chat were one girl calls her annoying. But guess what? She WAS being annoying.
Victoria is pathetic and annoying and tries to get her mom to make the other kids be friends with her. You would also think Victoria would stop trying to be friends with people who obviously don’t like her, and move on, if not, that’s her fault and it’s pathetic. These 3 girls were not the only people in the whole grade/school. Stop texting them weird emojis and talk to other people at school! She got all their numbers off some class list, why not find some other numbers?
What was even more annoying was Victoria’s mom, who before the mean text was even sent, got mad, and started an outcry because her daughter was experiencing “social cruelty.” I’m sorry but no one is obligated to be your child’s friend, or include her in friend groups or make plans with her, or invite her to a birthday party when she’ll never spoken to or had classes with the boy. They are never intentionally mean, they just ignore her messages or don’t make plans when she wants to. That is not bullying, and if Victoria doesn’t like that they don’t want anything to do with her... stop trying to be friends with them. Having your mom try to get them in trouble for being “socially cruel” to you is not they way to make them like you or want to be your friend. And having their parents force them to hang out with you, is not the way to do it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 24, 2018
This book was okay, it will definitely be enjoyed by kiddos. I was just super proud that I understood 95% of the test lingo on my own!
December 1, 2023
I loved it because it was different from what I have read before.
July 24, 2019
I get it: I an not the target audience for this book. I am not a middle schooler and this book was not written for me.
That being said, I believe books should be able to be enjoyed for all age groups, regardless of target age. For example, I love reading “Wonder” even though that book is about fifth graders. It was written wonderfully and the moral it had to tell resonated with all ages.
This book did not.
I’m relatively close to the ages of the characters in the book, and wee-doggy that was terrible.
The first major gripe I had with the book was the prose. I get it: this is written like texts. BUT NO ONE TEXTS LIKE THAT. As a sixth grader, I NEVER sent a text like “luv u 2 ttyl xoxo.” I know there are stereotypes of the young ‘uns populating this planet, but they’re STEREOTYPES, not truths! No one texts this way! It was like reading that VeggieTales song where the little carrot girl is texting her friend but they’re in the same room- painful to read.
Second gripe: “social cruelty”
Yeah, please just call it bullying. That’s what it is. Is there some new politically correct way of saying “the kids bullied each other?” Apparently, and it turns out to be “The kids were treating each other with social cruelty.” Why though? Why? Why not just call it what it is and say “bullying?”
So I saw some other reviews saying stuff like “so apparently it’s a social requirement that you make every effort to be nice to the new girl” and “the school shouldn’t be allowed to cancel school functions because some kids texted each other some stuff” to which I say: no, both of those statements are false.
1. Did you read the book? Prianka was making NO attempt to be nice to Victoria. Cecily and Gabby were decent and being like “guys should we talk to her” but Prianka is a bitch and it like “ugh Victoria is the absolute worst, she won’t leave us alone!”
Yeah, she won’t leave you alone because you won’t talk to or acknowledge her! See, people are saying, “Victoria should just quit trying to talk to them if they ignore her” but here’s the thing: they ignore her for absolutely no reason. I believe Prianka even says something like, “I don’t know her so I don’t want to talk to her.” Yeah, that right there? That’s called “being mean.” So you can’t say Victoria is being annoying if our dear main characters are being basic bitches for no reason. And them purposely excluding and ignoring her is, you guessed it, MEAN. Obviously because of the format of the book, we do not know if Victoria is trying to make other friends, but based on her persistence, we can assume that the rest of the grade is also ignoring her. So why are people defending the main characters if they are excluding people who haven’t been in their little blood oath since birth?
2. The students attend the school. Thus, they are stewards of the school even outside of school hours. The school has full jurisdiction over the Valentine Dance- and have the right to cancel it if the need arises. If students are bullying each other, the school may exact whatever punishment they wish because the dance is a privilege, not a right. But that being said, there are some other issues with the dance. If you don’t want the kiddos bringing dates, why have a VALENTINE’S Dance? It’s inevitable.
Okay I’ve ranted enough. But here’s the thing: this book is great for kids. Give it to the children, teach ‘em a lesson. Don’t give to older people with a higher level of intelligence, or they will pick it apart like a vulture to a carcass.
That being said, I believe books should be able to be enjoyed for all age groups, regardless of target age. For example, I love reading “Wonder” even though that book is about fifth graders. It was written wonderfully and the moral it had to tell resonated with all ages.
This book did not.
I’m relatively close to the ages of the characters in the book, and wee-doggy that was terrible.
The first major gripe I had with the book was the prose. I get it: this is written like texts. BUT NO ONE TEXTS LIKE THAT. As a sixth grader, I NEVER sent a text like “luv u 2 ttyl xoxo.” I know there are stereotypes of the young ‘uns populating this planet, but they’re STEREOTYPES, not truths! No one texts this way! It was like reading that VeggieTales song where the little carrot girl is texting her friend but they’re in the same room- painful to read.
Second gripe: “social cruelty”
Yeah, please just call it bullying. That’s what it is. Is there some new politically correct way of saying “the kids bullied each other?” Apparently, and it turns out to be “The kids were treating each other with social cruelty.” Why though? Why? Why not just call it what it is and say “bullying?”
So I saw some other reviews saying stuff like “so apparently it’s a social requirement that you make every effort to be nice to the new girl” and “the school shouldn’t be allowed to cancel school functions because some kids texted each other some stuff” to which I say: no, both of those statements are false.
1. Did you read the book? Prianka was making NO attempt to be nice to Victoria. Cecily and Gabby were decent and being like “guys should we talk to her” but Prianka is a bitch and it like “ugh Victoria is the absolute worst, she won’t leave us alone!”
Yeah, she won’t leave you alone because you won’t talk to or acknowledge her! See, people are saying, “Victoria should just quit trying to talk to them if they ignore her” but here’s the thing: they ignore her for absolutely no reason. I believe Prianka even says something like, “I don’t know her so I don’t want to talk to her.” Yeah, that right there? That’s called “being mean.” So you can’t say Victoria is being annoying if our dear main characters are being basic bitches for no reason. And them purposely excluding and ignoring her is, you guessed it, MEAN. Obviously because of the format of the book, we do not know if Victoria is trying to make other friends, but based on her persistence, we can assume that the rest of the grade is also ignoring her. So why are people defending the main characters if they are excluding people who haven’t been in their little blood oath since birth?
2. The students attend the school. Thus, they are stewards of the school even outside of school hours. The school has full jurisdiction over the Valentine Dance- and have the right to cancel it if the need arises. If students are bullying each other, the school may exact whatever punishment they wish because the dance is a privilege, not a right. But that being said, there are some other issues with the dance. If you don’t want the kiddos bringing dates, why have a VALENTINE’S Dance? It’s inevitable.
Okay I’ve ranted enough. But here’s the thing: this book is great for kids. Give it to the children, teach ‘em a lesson. Don’t give to older people with a higher level of intelligence, or they will pick it apart like a vulture to a carcass.
March 11, 2019
This book was good. Most of the book was written in text messages, so I finished it quickly. I think the 2 girls were being very mean to Nicole when there was no need to be. The book just did not feel real to me. Like it could happen in a real-life situation. Obviously, cyber-bullying is real, but to me, everything happened to fast.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 3, 2018
i work at the library and saw that this was relatively popular among the kiddos. i got distracted by the format of the story and checked it out only because of that. for what it’s worth, it’s a decent story that most middle school ages can relate to.
December 29, 2017
I received a copy via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
What...what was that?
Okay, that’s mean.
I understand what this book was doing and it seems fitting that it’s about 12 year olds but it went by way too quickly and in my opinion, it was a little simple when it comes to describing middle school. This lacked the depth that leaves a reader thinking “Wow, yes, this hit the mark!” Because it read more like an adult stating what they wish a group of middle grade girls would do and say and how they should act rather than how they would be in actuality. This had adult idealism all over it.
I also get the feeling that this was meant as a message to bring more awareness regarding bullying and its connection to social media, but i don’t believe for one instant that middle schoolers would react in the way these kids did. I WISH real life in middle school was this easy. I WISH that an email to the principal and parents was enough to stop bullying. I wish it were that easy—but this just felt too idealistic and kind of naive.
I could be wrong and there could be places where those tactics work, but I had a hard time swallowing down how easy it was to quell bullying—especially in middle school.
Happy reading!
What...what was that?
Okay, that’s mean.
I understand what this book was doing and it seems fitting that it’s about 12 year olds but it went by way too quickly and in my opinion, it was a little simple when it comes to describing middle school. This lacked the depth that leaves a reader thinking “Wow, yes, this hit the mark!” Because it read more like an adult stating what they wish a group of middle grade girls would do and say and how they should act rather than how they would be in actuality. This had adult idealism all over it.
I also get the feeling that this was meant as a message to bring more awareness regarding bullying and its connection to social media, but i don’t believe for one instant that middle schoolers would react in the way these kids did. I WISH real life in middle school was this easy. I WISH that an email to the principal and parents was enough to stop bullying. I wish it were that easy—but this just felt too idealistic and kind of naive.
I could be wrong and there could be places where those tactics work, but I had a hard time swallowing down how easy it was to quell bullying—especially in middle school.
Happy reading!
July 11, 2021
I like how it's a book but it's text message form, if that makes sense.
October 21, 2022
Don't read this book.
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th;rt hjnrth gohknrt
As I mentioned earlier, don't read
s;djgnofg
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dfmjpoghibfgriho dflknrijwddhinjrth
dfigni
th;rt hjnrth gohknrt
As I mentioned earlier, don't read
February 18, 2024
I read this when I was younger and I barely remember anything about it
Read
May 7, 2019TBH, I was intrigued and a bit anxious about reading a novel written in text messages, but that's exactly what this book is (along with some emails and notes and a handy glossary that explains some of the lingo)! We meet three sixth-graders, Cecily, Gabrielle and Priyanka, who have been friends for years, and are happily looking forward to planning the school's Valentine's Day dance. Everything seems fine until a new girl, Victoria, tries to join in the texting fun with the girls. Feelings are hurt, complaints about being excluded are made, parents and teachers get involved and the party plans are soon in peril, to the dismay of the three friends. In the vernacular, this book should be a def totes fave for the young texters amongst us and it will make readers lol! - Lousia A.
July 6, 2019
I thought this book would be good because it had an interesting writing concept. The idea of writing in text messages intrigued me but I suppose I should’ve read the description before purchasing it. It took me 30 minutes tops to read this book, I could’ve read it in the store. The way these 6th graders text is horrendous, I would’ve sounded like a college professor to them if I was to text them in 6th grade. Multiple times I had to google some of the abbreviations and I am 14 so I should know most of them. This book took the young generation too far and seemed to fixate on all first world problems and make the characters come off as dumb. I will definitely not be purchasing any other books from this series or this author.
December 6, 2019
I'm not sure the premise of this story is entirely realistic. One parent complaining that her new-to-the-school child is being excluded should not be considered bullying by the principal. Instead of punishing all the kids, why not send the girl to the school counselor for tips on how to try to make friends? Or ask a few kids he knows personally to take her under their wing for a bit, help her acclimate? There's sooo much drama, but I guess that's 12-year-olds. Young middle schoolers would enjoy this.
August 3, 2021
This was way better than I thought that it would be. Going into this book, I thought that it would be all about boy drama or even something more serious, but no lessons learned. That is not the case for TBH, This Is So Awkward by Lisa Greenwald. In this book, the main characters learn lessons about cyber bullying, and are better people by the end. Plus, Greenwald managed to not have the characters telling each other what they had both been there for while still having enough information for the reader to understand what's going on. I'm looking forward to reading the second one :).
July 27, 2021
I hated this book. I am all for graphic novels and making novels accessible to all ages and reading levels. A book using text conversations is not inherently bad. It could open reading to a whole new group of people. But this feels like a missed opportunity. It feels like an adult trying to appeal to kids. The language used doesn’t feel authentic and texting “lingo” seems forced and like a parody of what it is trying to replicate.
June 7, 2024
This series (aka “the text books”) is WILDLY popular with the 3rd-5th grade girls at the school where I work, so I figured I’d better read one to see what all of the fuss was about. And it was fine - the format was different and kind of fun and the emoji usage was excessive, so it felt accurate to sixth grader communication.
A few beefs:
1) The kids being told they are not allowed to use cell phones in school - which is accurate - but then the teachers give out everyone’s numbers to the entire class? That is not a thing that happens and is pretty much guaranteeing kids are going to send each other shitty anonymous messages.
2) The accurate use of capitalization, punctuation, and grammar in the emails the kids send each other. lol Have you ever seen an email sent by a an 11/12-year-old?
3) Why are the three girls *required* to add a fourth girl to their close-knit group?
I am clearly overthinking this, so I’ll leave it at: this was kind of dumb, reasonably entertaining, and took about 20 minutes to read. I don’t think I’ll be reading the other books in the series anytime soon, but I’m glad I read this one.
A few beefs:
1) The kids being told they are not allowed to use cell phones in school - which is accurate - but then the teachers give out everyone’s numbers to the entire class? That is not a thing that happens and is pretty much guaranteeing kids are going to send each other shitty anonymous messages.
2) The accurate use of capitalization, punctuation, and grammar in the emails the kids send each other. lol Have you ever seen an email sent by a an 11/12-year-old?
3) Why are the three girls *required* to add a fourth girl to their close-knit group?
I am clearly overthinking this, so I’ll leave it at: this was kind of dumb, reasonably entertaining, and took about 20 minutes to read. I don’t think I’ll be reading the other books in the series anytime soon, but I’m glad I read this one.
September 5, 2021
"To be honest, middle school is rough! Cecily, Gabby, and Prianka have been BFFAE since pre-K, so it’s totally natural when they don’t include the new girl, Victoria, in their plans and group texts.
Between organizing the school Valentine’s Day dance, prepping for their first boy-girl party, and trying to keep their texts so boring their moms won’t use spy apps to read them, the friends only have time for each other.
But when Victoria is accidentally sent a hurtful text message, the entire sixth grade gets called out for bullying, cell phones are confiscated, and the trio known as CPG4Eva is forced to figure out just how strong their friendships are IRL."
Between organizing the school Valentine’s Day dance, prepping for their first boy-girl party, and trying to keep their texts so boring their moms won’t use spy apps to read them, the friends only have time for each other.
But when Victoria is accidentally sent a hurtful text message, the entire sixth grade gets called out for bullying, cell phones are confiscated, and the trio known as CPG4Eva is forced to figure out just how strong their friendships are IRL."
January 5, 2021
this is a really interesting book, the whole book is written in text messages. and the author makes it like teenagers are the ones texting it, using words like LOL, IDK, tbh, 2. pretty cool. one thing i dislike about this book is its pretty fast pace so you kinda have to spot and think about what is actually going on in the book and to the characters.
September 29, 2021
I thought the concept of a "texting" - type book was really interesting. It was cool how the author weaved in notes, emails, and more into the story as well as texting! It reminded me of the books I read in ES, and was a nice change from the usual books I read 😉
April 11, 2021
They should give a manual on how to read this book.
July 3, 2025
It was amazing and fun. It was also fun to read the text messages!💬💬💬📚📚📚
January 5, 2018
Although this book was very short, it was a fun read.
January 8, 2018
This was one of those book I really looked forward to, and I am so glad I had the chance to read it.
All of this book is done in texts, mails, messages, and I really love the format. It fitted perfectly with the story. I have to say at first I thought it would just be a few pages or chapters with this, but thankfully the whole book is like this.
There is tons of drama though. And this may sound controversial or not nice, but I am not sure who I am agreeing with or who I think is the wrong side. Victoria is also definitely not one who is all innocent. Why? Because who in their right mind would pull a phone number/email address from a register to just call/text/mail someone? I am sorry, but maybe I am old fashioned, but I would think that before you go text some strange person you should first introduce yourself normally and let them give you their phone number when they are ready to do so.
Not to mention that she is quite stalkerish, she shouts at them (in capslock), she keeps going on and on against these girls. Forcing herself upon themselves as if she expects them to just magically POOF accept them. Um sorry, but no, just no. That is just not how friendship or getting friends works. Maybe it worked in your previous school, but seriously, no.
Of course I am also not totally agreeing with the girls, if they had been just clear about stuff from the start this whole drama would have been avoided. However, I can imagine if some strange girl just texts you, gets into your chat, and then just keeps on stalking, that you just don't want to initiate any more interaction, heavens forbid she may just go to a teacher or parent and have them force you to talk to her (oh wait, this happens in this book *sighs*).
So yeah, it is a story with two sides. Victoria is wrong, but also the girls for not being clear. There is no side that is just innocent and sweet.
It was still interesting to read how everything just escalated. How at first everything was sweet and good, and then everything got worse with every text.
I did think it was going pretty far for the school to call it bullying, but eh, controversial opinion right here. And it definitely has to do with how Victoria also acted and how I just didn't like that. She is not innocent, stalking and just getting phone numbers and forcing yourself upon people is just a no-no in my book. Again, the girls should have said something, but again, I can also imagine them not doing it.
I am not too sure who I liked out of the girls (the group, not Victoria). They all had their good and bad points.
Next to the whole drama we also have some romance (or well a girl pining for a cute boy), Gabby who is going to move (and the girls step into action to have her stay, which was absolutely cute and sweet of them).
I am also happy that this book is told from multiple POVs. We don't just see mails/diary entries by Gabby, but also mails/etc. by Victoria. And then there are the texts and other things. It gives us a bit more insight in the characters and the situation in the book.
Also what the hell is up with parents reading their kids diaries? Would you like them to read your private stuff? No, well then don't do it to them. :|
I really enjoyed this book, most of my points come from the texts/mails format, the rest come from seeing how the whole situation escalated (which also was just silly).
All in all, I would recommend this book. I am curious to see what people think of the situation that happens in this book.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
All of this book is done in texts, mails, messages, and I really love the format. It fitted perfectly with the story. I have to say at first I thought it would just be a few pages or chapters with this, but thankfully the whole book is like this.
There is tons of drama though. And this may sound controversial or not nice, but I am not sure who I am agreeing with or who I think is the wrong side. Victoria is also definitely not one who is all innocent. Why? Because who in their right mind would pull a phone number/email address from a register to just call/text/mail someone? I am sorry, but maybe I am old fashioned, but I would think that before you go text some strange person you should first introduce yourself normally and let them give you their phone number when they are ready to do so.
Not to mention that she is quite stalkerish, she shouts at them (in capslock), she keeps going on and on against these girls. Forcing herself upon themselves as if she expects them to just magically POOF accept them. Um sorry, but no, just no. That is just not how friendship or getting friends works. Maybe it worked in your previous school, but seriously, no.
Of course I am also not totally agreeing with the girls, if they had been just clear about stuff from the start this whole drama would have been avoided. However, I can imagine if some strange girl just texts you, gets into your chat, and then just keeps on stalking, that you just don't want to initiate any more interaction, heavens forbid she may just go to a teacher or parent and have them force you to talk to her (oh wait, this happens in this book *sighs*).
So yeah, it is a story with two sides. Victoria is wrong, but also the girls for not being clear. There is no side that is just innocent and sweet.
It was still interesting to read how everything just escalated. How at first everything was sweet and good, and then everything got worse with every text.
I did think it was going pretty far for the school to call it bullying, but eh, controversial opinion right here. And it definitely has to do with how Victoria also acted and how I just didn't like that. She is not innocent, stalking and just getting phone numbers and forcing yourself upon people is just a no-no in my book. Again, the girls should have said something, but again, I can also imagine them not doing it.
I am not too sure who I liked out of the girls (the group, not Victoria). They all had their good and bad points.
Next to the whole drama we also have some romance (or well a girl pining for a cute boy), Gabby who is going to move (and the girls step into action to have her stay, which was absolutely cute and sweet of them).
I am also happy that this book is told from multiple POVs. We don't just see mails/diary entries by Gabby, but also mails/etc. by Victoria. And then there are the texts and other things. It gives us a bit more insight in the characters and the situation in the book.
Also what the hell is up with parents reading their kids diaries? Would you like them to read your private stuff? No, well then don't do it to them. :|
I really enjoyed this book, most of my points come from the texts/mails format, the rest come from seeing how the whole situation escalated (which also was just silly).
All in all, I would recommend this book. I am curious to see what people think of the situation that happens in this book.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
December 28, 2017
I received an ARC of TBH, This Is So Awkward in a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review. I honestly had no idea what to expect when I received this book since the format was purely in text and it was a book for grade schoolers, but I have to say I absolutely loved it and want more! TBH was a very quick read full of emojis and sixth grader text nonsense. As I was reading I was trying to imagine what it would have been like to be a sixth grader in this day and age with technology constantly at our fingertips, I think Lisa Greenwald did a great job of drawing this image. This was a great book and I'm not ashamed to say I thoroughly enjoyed it even though I am years past being in sixth grade and the drama that surrounds it. I would definitely recommend this book to any grade schooler looking for a quick read that may hit close to home as well as to anyone who it just looking for an entertaining easy book that paints a great picture of what it is like to be a sixth grader in the age of technology.
September 2, 2023
this was funny
‘victoria is hijacking us’ victoria babe i sympathise with you i feel bad like fr but ur clearly the problem and it’s not ur fault butttt get over it
the moms in this book <<<
no privacy at all why is gabby’s diary being gone through??
and that glossary would’ve been useful at the start of the book bc what the heck is a swak
‘victoria is hijacking us’ victoria babe i sympathise with you i feel bad like fr but ur clearly the problem and it’s not ur fault butttt get over it
the moms in this book <<<
no privacy at all why is gabby’s diary being gone through??
and that glossary would’ve been useful at the start of the book bc what the heck is a swak
September 7, 2017
This was a pretty good book. I read it in about half an hour. I am in 7th grade and considered it a bit unrealistic compared to my 6th grade year, but I know many pre-teens who would enjoy this book. I also loved how it was written in text, email, and notes.
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