Cindy Ella

February 1, 2008
Gr 5-9-Likable sophomore Cindy is completely out of place in her materialistic Los Angeles private school, and her scathing anti-prom letter to the school newspaper only serves to diminish her status to pariah. Cindy can't believe that every single article focuses on the upcoming prom. Where are the articles on global warming, AIDS, or curing cancer? The student body is appalled by her missive, as are her twin stepsisters Ashley and Britney and her overly botoxed, clueless stepmother. The only people who understand are Cindy's BFFs, India and Malcolm; her IM pal, "BklynBoy"; and, surprisingly, her secret crush, Adam. But to the teen's dismay, even India and Malcolm elect to attend the senior prom, leaving her planning to stay homeuntil she discovers that BklynBoy has other ideas. This formulaic, fairy-tale-based romance will be a favorite with girls, mostly because Cindy is such a wonderful characterthoughtful, intelligent, pretty, and kind. The happy ending is predictable, but that doesn't diminish the enjoyment. A particularly refreshing feature is that while current adolescent issues (sex, drugs, anorexia) are mentioned, giving the novel greater depth, they're not the focus."Susan Riley, Mount Kisco Public Library, NY"

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