First impressions aren't everything...

...and it's a damn good thing, because I might've thrown in the towel with the first book I read. Before I critique, I'd like to put out a disclaimer- there is nothing inherently wrong with this book. As I have said, reading is reading, and it can be a gateway to more challenging literature. That said, I did not care for this book, Printz honor or not.

The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things

by Carolyn Mackler

The novel begins with a very stereotypical teenager going through stereotypical problems. Our protagonist, Virginia Shreves, is a fifteen-year-old girl braving the high school world and all it entails. She has a budding romance with a boy named Froggy, a relationship many of us might label "friends with benefits". Virginia eats lunch alone in the bathroom stall, and it just so happens that one day, the popular girls waltz into the bathroom and gossip about how "uncool" she is. Imagine that. Did I mention that her best friend moved away? Right... they exchange occasional emails in which Virginia struggles to deal with her best friend making new friends. Oh, and she's fat. Not to be insensitive... she herself says she lives by the "Fat Girl Code of Conduct". And to top things off, her parents and siblings are disgustingly perfect- thin, smart, and popular. Her mother is an adolescent psychologist who is clearly embarrassed by Virginia, and her dad is rarely around. Her sister is beautiful and slightly rebellious, joining the peace corps to escape her mother; though we rarely hear from her, it's clear Virginia wishes she could be more like her.

And then there's Byron. Byron is Virgina's college-age brother who is referred to as "big man on campus". He's your stereotypical heart throb- tall, handsome, athletic. He and Virginia were once close, and she often reaches out to him through her struggles, but their relationship has much changed. This is especially true when the novel takes a sharp turn down maturity lane when Byron shocks and disappoints all by committing an awful crime. Virginia then has to deal with that in the context of her life and their relationship.

And in the end, Virginia finds herself through piercings and dyed hair. Really? She couldn't find a more meaningful way to come into her own, to break away from her cookie-cutter family? What a shallow perspective to give kids who are looking to create themselves. Couldn't she have found something that interested her, something that defined her, something she could believe in? Isn't that really what kids are looking for?

I was also frustrated by the simplicity of the writing and the maturity of the themes. According to several reviews, the book is placed at the 7-10th grade level. While a 7th grader may find the book humorous and entertaining, I think some of the events are simply beyond the maturity level of a 7th grader. As for the top of the spectrum, though a 10th grader may better handle the mature aspects, they're likely to find a more interesting and challenging book on the shelves.

And need I address the stereotypes played out over and over again? Outcast in the perfect family. Friend moved away. Doesn't fit in with the popular girls. Mom's a psychologist. Been there, done that!! The twist at the end certainly provides a different angle, but even so. Perfect brother not so perfect after all? I guess it's not so unique after all.

I must have missed something, some appeal. I could see a 5th-7th grader reading this book and thinking it's funny and a bit rebellious, with some mild sexual content... and that's sort of where I think the appeal ends. Even then, I think the ending would be lost on that age group. I think this book had potential to be honest, funny, and inspiring. It really fell short, in my opinion.