The Humiliations of Pipi McGee

June 1, 2019
Humiliations? Eighth grader Pipi has suffered through almost any that you could (cringingly) imagine. But now she's resolved to find redemption--or revenge. From drawing her kindergarten self as a strip of bacon with breasts (a picture later exhibited to the entire eighth grade) to wetting her pants as a fourth grader, waxing off one eyebrow as a sixth grader, and having her period overflow into her white pants (and desk chair) in seventh grade, Pipi's been there and done that. She's also been the pariah of her class forever. Mean girl Kara has frequently stage-managed her misery--one way or another. Now Pipi's made a list of people she's going to humiliate. Unfortunately, her narrow focus on revenge threatens her few friendships, particularly with BFF Tasha and with Ricky, who, it turns out, has admired her all along. When Pipi finds that Kara's joined-at-the-hip cousin, Sarah, is actually quite a nice girl who's dealing with coming into her own despite Kara's ire, Pipi finally begins to develop a believable maturity. The suspense is nicely sustained, and the characters, if a bit archetypal, are nonetheless plausible enough. Tasha presents black while Pipi and most of the rest of the cast adhere to the white default. Painful though they are, Pipi's trials neatly convey an authentic flavor of the commonplace agonies of middle school. (Fiction. 10-12)

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September 1, 2019

Gr 5-7-Eighth grader Penelope (Pipi) McGee seems to be cursed. In kindergarten, she drew a portrait of herself as a piece of bacon with breasts, and in fourth grade she peed her pants on a field trip (earning the nickname Pee-Pee). Each year holds embarrassing memories for Pipi (don't even mention seventh grade; Pipi doesn't talk about that year ever). Now as an eighth grader, Penelope hatches a plan to redeem herself from her grade school humiliations. She starts by volunteering in a kindergarten classroom. Pipi immediately gravitates to kindergartner Piper, who calls to mind a young Pipi. When Pipi keeps Piper from drawing a potentially embarrassing object, Pipi checks kindergarten off her Redemption List. Things seem to be smooth sailing for Penelope; she's able to check off one grade at a time from her list. She even seems to get more popular this year, with cool kids Sarah and Jackson inviting her to join their poetry club and be their friend. Then there's Kara Samson-Penelope's archenemy. She is the one who locked Pipi out of the bathroom, causing her to pee herself in fourth grade. Pip's revenge scheme ends up turning against her, and she realizes that her redemption plan has gone a bit astray. Pipi's character development is realistic, though the story drags at times and readers may struggle to stay engaged. VERDICT Recommended where there is demand for realistic, humorous fiction centered on girls coming of age.-Jill Baetiong, Bloomingdale Public Library, IL

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