This was a cute coming of age novel. Although not the most sophisticated book, it's a nice quick read. It addresses the pressures we all faced as we went through middle school (a difficult and confusing time in most people's lives). It also touches on some more specific and serious problems young people in our country face such as alcoholism and hardly present parents. Through all the confusion of adolescence Shug, the protagonist has no one to fall back on. I think many middle schoolers feel alone in the world because of this they find this novel and its characters very relatable. It gives them the message that no matter how bad things may seem, everything will eventually work out. This is an important message for them as they go through this confusing transition period of their lives. ( )

Loved it. Sweet, innocent, and touching. ( )

really cute! ( )

The light and bright, cheerful cover of Shug belies the serious issues within. Even the descriptive blurb suggests a fairly light story of a 7th grade girl's first real crush, on a boy who'd been her best friend since early childhood. And it is about that. But it's also about dealing with an alcoholic mother and virtually absentee father, coping with peer pressure to stay in the in-crowd, even when they're urging you to do things you know are wrong, and close friendships that change and grow distant as we get older. As small asides, pre-teen drinking and child abuse are touched on as well.

This is a good book - it's just much more serious and realistic than I expected from the happy-looking dust jacket. But, as they say, you can't judge a book by its cover. Certainly true in this case! ( )

Narrated by Liz Morton. Very much on point with the social and emotional dynamics of being a young teen in middle school. Liz Morton crafts just the right voice for Shug's story. ( )