

Occasionally clunky writing and Mary’s habit of constantly cramming in references to classic literature-from Wuthering Heights to Anna Karenina-may alienate contemporary bookworms. Debut author Sellet delightfully portrays Mary’s large, chaotic family-her twin sisters’ Shakespeare troupe her stoic, athletic sister and her annoying younger brother. Mary’s diary entries pepper the narrative and provide some tongue-in-cheek humor. They try to set her up with various guys, all clearly wrong for her meanwhile, Alex keeps popping up to banter with her. They welcome her advice and in exchange offer to help her embark upon a genuine high school experience (or, as Mary thinks of it, her debutante season).

Overhearing three popular girls’ conversation about Alex Ritter, a handsome senior boy she’s familiar with from a theater production, Mary warns them of his dangerous charms. After her small alternative school closes, Mary’s forced to transfer to public school at the beginning of her sophomore year-where she is left all alone after her old friend Anjuli promptly ditches her. Bookish 15-year-old Mary Porter-Malcolm comes into her own in this lighthearted tale.īoth her parents are professors, so it’s no surprise that Mary spends most of her time immersed in 19th-century literature.
