I received a free copy of this book for the purpose of this review.
I love to read! You can find me reading almost anytime and I’m always looking for cool new books. Lately, I was given So Not Okay, the first book in the Mean Girl Makeover series, for review.
Here’s the official summary for So Not Okay:
Tori Taylor is a quiet sixth grader at Gold County Middle School in Grass County, California, and she knows to stay out of queen bee Kylie Steppe’s way. When an awkward new student named Ginger becomes Kylie’s new target for taunts, Tori is relieved it’s not her. As Kylie continues tormenting Ginger, Tori feels guilty and tries to be kind to the new girl. But soon, the bullying line of fire directed toward Ginger starts deflecting onto Tori. Will Tori decide that she and her friends can withstand Kylie’s taunts and befriend Ginger? Or will she do nothing and resume the status quo?
When I read a book, I look for a few things;
- I look for a good or great story. A good story is one that can pull you in as you read the book. A great story is one that can pull you in as you read the first chapter.
- I look for solid characters. Solid characters are important for a story to work because you are able to connect with and understand them as well as what they’re going through.
- I look for detail. I like to be able to picture what is happening on the page. Details are the key to achieving that, but too much detail can ruin the story.
In this book, I found a good story, relatable characters, and just the right amount of detail. This book is mostly about bullying and how to deal with it, but I also found hidden themes like God, prejudice against smaller people, and dealing with tough times. In the book, a woman of short stature, Lydia, is researching information for Tori’s father. Also, Tori’s grandmother, who Tori loves very much, has an aneurysm and must have surgery.
I was also able to find the website for this book. There, I found many things that are in the book, like instructions on how to form your own ‘tribelet’ and cards with tips on how to deal with bullying. You can find all these things and more here. There will be two more books in this series. This book is about the bystander, but the next ones will be about the victim as well as the bully herself. I highly recommend this book for those of you who are dealing with bullying, searching for a solution to bullying, or just looking for a good book. You can buy this book on the Family Christian bookstore website for $9.99.
Disclosure: I received a copy of the above book for the purpose of this review. I received no other compensation, nor was I required to give a positive review. All opinions are mine.
Reading is one of my favorite things to do as well! My daughter would love this book, thanks for sharing!
I hadn’t heard of this series, but it sounds like a really good one for tweens and teens!
What a great review. Well laid out and written. I’ll have to get this for my daughter!
What a great review! It sounds like an important read for everyone, whether they are being bullied or not. We all need to learn about how to end bullying around us. I love that there are additional resources available on the site. Thanks for sharing!
sounds like a pretty interesting book, with lots of information!
No it’s never ok, good that you are teaching them.
This book looks really good.
Sounds like a very topical book on a subject that needs major conversations. Golad you enjoyed the book. from MDF
Great post! And, what a great subject. Seems there are always ‘mean girls’. Knowing how to deal with them or any bully is always great to learn!
Thanks so much for shairng about this. I always like to know others opinions and thoughs on a book before I read it.
Awesome! Looks like a great book. I love to read also – it’s always exciting to find a new book you enjoy.
We read this book as well and really loved it. As a mom, I like how they show the importance of standing up for victims of bullying even when you are not being bullied.
I can think of some girls in our youth group that this book would be perfect for. Mean girls…I don’t think anyone can get through middle school or high school (or even adulthood) without dealing with them!
I love reading YA books. I’ll have to check this one out. 🙂
This sounds like it would be a great read for any teen and probably most adults too. Sadly, bullying does not go away just because you graduate school.
Sounds like a great book. I, too, am always wanting very developed characters in the books that I read. I read a lot.
I would love to read this and then let my oldest daughter read it. It would be a great lesson for her and I think she would enjoy the story.
Sounds great. Would love to give this book to my niece who loves to read (no girls in our family yet).
Thank-you so much this book would be great for my granddaughter!