This book covered a lot of tough subjects for a tween book. Bullying, eating disorders, suicide, alcoholism, divorce, envy. I generally prefer to read books with an older target audience, but I still enjoyed the story.

Wendy's friend Jennifer seems to have the perfect life. Jennifer's parents are still together, they have a lot of money, and Jennifer is both beautiful and confident. There was a moment where it is hinted that Jennifer might have an eating disorder, and I felt that that could have been expounded upon, to show that, no matter how perfect we might think someone's life is, we might not know what kind of cross they are bearing at any given moment.

Wendy is fairly unremarkable, but one of the things I liked about her is that she is a quiet, shy person who doesn't like speaking up. While in some ways what Jennifer said when she told Wendy she had to speak up for herself is true, but at the same time...I was shy (still am though not as much as I used to be) and it sometimes feels impossible to break out of that shell. I think that it appeared to be a little too easy for Wendy. She spent a day practicing talking to people in front of a mirror, and suddenly could fake confidence in front of anyone she met. I don't know if I'm unusual, but that does not seem normal. Even being able to speak to people more has it's consequences. After a conversation with someone, I sometimes find myself obsessing over one little tiny thing that I said that could be taken the wrong way. Sometimes it's bad enough that I wish I would go back to not talking at all. I guess I would have found it more believable if Wendy had had a problem like this as well, but I suppose there is the second book.

I really liked the way that Wendy's friendship with Alice developed. And with Wendy's mother now dating someone else, the next book might address annulment. I also hope to seem more of Tookie.

This is a good book for younger teens. Wendy is thirteen in the story, but there are a lot of deep subjects that I probably wouldn't have been comfortable reading about when I was that young. ( )