Invisible

June 1, 2013
Wit is the order of the day as the good girl who never fights back learns to do just that when she's forced to defend her friends in this high school takedown. Jane Smith feels invisible not only in school, but too often to her own friends. But when the football hero insults her equally shy friend, Isobel, Jane literally punches him on the nose. The school counselor punishes her but not the hero. To make matters worse, she is assigned a hard-hitting front-page story for the school newspaper by the bullying editor and intimidating teacher--with pushy photographer Scott as her collaborator. When Jane's story appears in the paper, everything goes wrong in a way that readers easily will predict. Of course the plot is absurd; it's a comedy. The author continues the formula she concocted for her previous books (Awkward, 2012, etc.), keeping the wit dialed up to 11 in a comedy of errors. Constant quips about school, life and current situations will delight readers. Nearly everything works for laughs, but Jane also learns some solid life lessons about bullying and courage, and she teaches some lessons about friendship to her own circle as well. Some romance, also transparent from the start, adds interest. Next to be featured? The school queen bee. Readers who like Bates' formula will want to stay tuned. (Comedy. 12 & up)

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November 1, 2013

Gr 9-11-Jane Smith is a stereotypical geek who never cared about her status until her two best friends became famous due to a YouTube video gone viral. Now she has a friend who is dating the captain of the hockey team and another who dates a rock star. Suddenly Jane has to navigate her own path through school in her small Oregon town and find her inner strength. In a series of events, she punches a school bully, is promoted from copyediting the school paper to writing front-page stories, and auditions for the play. Her invisible status is now ruined. As she and her friends grow apart, Jane finds herself being chased by a handsome school photographer and being invited to the "Notables" lunch table by the most popular girl. She is transforming from geek to chic but will she lose herself in the process? This is a contemporary story without a lot of coarse language or adult content; one of Jane's friends is gay, but the focus is not on his sexuality. Teens will enjoy the pacing, the references to social media, and the protagonist's transformation.-Jeni Tahaney, Duncanville High School Library, TX

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